When it comes to sickness I am a wimp. Add in some vomiting and I am in the fetal position on the bathroom floor calling for “Mommy”. For this reason, I wanted to share some information I found to prevent stomach flu with these home remedies.
Every year, you hear about it whether you want to or not. During the winter months, there are people everywhere that feel the need to share how sick they just were. Usually, it’s a conversation about how much they threw up at home over the weekend.
Now I get very neurotic about these types of things. As soon as I hear this stuff I begin to think that maybe my stomach hurts and I don’t feel so good. I would do almost anything in order to prevent stomach flu at our house.
Prevent Stomach Flu With These Easy Home Remedies
First of all, I define the cold and flu season from about November 1st – March 15th. I adjust these dates year to year based on the illness levels in our area. During this time is when I kick in with my intense approach to guard my body against illness and most importantly to prevent stomach flu.
Here is what I do: Click on the color-coded text and you will be able to purchase these items online. Get them while this is fresh on your mind. In addition why go to the store and pick up more germs?
- Grape Juice and Apple Cider Vinegar Drink – 6-8 oz Welch’s 100% Grape Juice mixed with 1 Tablespoon of Bragg’s Organic Apple Cider Vinegar. ( I take this in the morning with breakfast. I up it to 2-a-days when the stomach flu is at its peak (about Dec 1st – Feb 15th)
- Immune Booster – I take this mid-morning, once a day or every other day. One packet mixed with a bottle of water.
- Activated Charcoal – follow instructions on the bottle but usually 2 capsules at a time. I do this once per day usually mid-afternoon. Don’t take this with any other medications or supplements because it will absorb them too thus making them ineffective. Leave at least a two-hour buffer.
- Vitamin C Pills – 1 or 2 a day, take them anytime, just not with the charcoal.
Grape Juice with Apple Cider Vinegar: For the past three years I have been drinking this and for the most part it has kept me healthy. Bottom’s Up!
Note: Try to use a straw if possible when drinking this. Using a straw may help to avoid erosion of tooth enamel.
To be honest, this is not the best tasting drink, but the grape juice really masks the vinegar well. For me, I don’t care how it tastes I am merely trying to prevent stomach flu here. I would be willing to drink almost anything if it works.
So why does this work, what is the reasoning?
Grape Juice: First of all, I should say that nobody is completely safe from picking up a stomach bug. There have been countless blogs in favor of the grape juice remedy and many (especially recently) saying it’s false. While it is true the science has not been able to prove that grape juice can prevent stomach flu, I sure like my chances a lot better with it than without and here is why.
When you drink grape juice it is supposed to change the pH in your body’s intestinal tract so that flu virus can’t multiply. Grape juice also contains various strong anti-viral chemicals. Not to mention the vitamin C and antioxidants in the juice. Add all of this together it is supposed to flush and kill the virus or at the very least lessen the symptoms.
Continue reading to prevent stomach flu……
When you catch the stomach bug, the virus actually isn’t in your stomach. The virus hangs out in your large and small intestines. It creates chaos down there and the effect of what it’s doing makes us sick to our stomach or the extreme nauseous feeling. Because of this, if we can keep the pH of the intestines slightly more alkaline (by drinking grape juice) we can hopefully stop the virus from taking hold and have a fighting chance to avoid the stomach flu.
Again you aren’t going to find a lot of scientific evidence backing this claim. In fact, you will surely find many websites ripping this theory because it hasn’t been embraced by the medical community. Here’s what they are going to tell you for prevention. Wash your hands, get plenty of rest and avoid people who are sick. Seriously? All due respect, but everyone already knows this. It’s time to try something new because those things alone are not working.
So, I say give grape juice a chance. Drink 1-3 glasses a day during the flu season. I do it from about the first of November thru the middle of March. In addition, do your own research. You will find countless testimonies of people who swear by this. Even though it is snubbed by the medical community I say give it a try.
Now let’s get to the second ingredient in my drink….. Apple Cider Vinegar!
First of all, you must start with the Gold Standard of apple cider vinegar and that’s Bragg Organic Raw Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar. Read any article and you will find this is what everyone recommends. You will find that Bragg’s ACV also contains the “Mother,” strands of proteins, enzymes and friendly bacteria that give the product a murky appearance. You can GET IT HERE and have it shipped directly to your door! Why go to the store and pick up more germs?
Apple Cider Vinegar has been highly valued for thousands of years. If you do your research you will find many people believe ACV can be used to lower blood sugar, fight diabetes, lose weight, fight belly fat, lower cholesterol, improve heart health, possible protection against cancer, etc.
However, the health benefit I wanted to focus on today is how ACV kills harmful bacteria in your stomach and how it helps keep your body in an alkaline state.
How does ACV do this?
- ACV is rich in probiotics – Your gut (gastrointestinal tract) plays an important role in many areas of your health. I had no idea but, roughly 80 percent of your immune system is located in your gut? This is why ACV is amazing for strengthening and maintaining a healthy gut.
- Strengthens your immune system – It’s no secret that strong immune systems will help you from catching a cold, flu and yes even stomach bugs like norovirus. So, ACV will boost your immune system to help it fight off all kinds of germs.
- Strong antibiotic and antiseptic properties – ACV is a powerful cleansing and healing elixir. It’s antibiotic and antiseptic properties occur naturally and it helps the body battle unwanted germs and bacteria.
- Naturally alkalizes your system – Even though it’s acidic, ACV promotes an alkaline environment inside your body. Viruses and bacteria have an extremely hard time surviving in an alkaline environment.
So as you can see the reasons are plenty to feel good about a glass of grape juice and apple cider vinegar 1 to 2 times a day. Not only to prevent stomach flu but for all-around wellness.
Now during the cold and flu season, I don’t stop there. Yes, I am vigilant about protecting myself from sickness. You may not want to be this extreme, but if you want a little more advice there are two more items I add to my daily routine.
Did you know?
The versatility of apple cider vinegar as a dynamic body cleansing vehicle is legendary. ACV has been traced as far back as 3000 B.C. to the Egyptian culture. Likewise, the Babylonians knew that it made an excellent preservative and added flavor as a condiment. The army of Julius Caesar used ACV to keep in good health and ward off sickness and disease.
In 1492 the legendary explorer Christopher Columbus and his crew made sure they had vinegar barrels with the cargo before they made the voyage across the Atlantic on their way to discover America. They knew this worked wonders for the prevention of scurvy as did the soldiers in the American Civil War. As you can see apple cider vinegar is one of the most amazing gifts God has given to us. Mankind has been using this for thousands of years to improve overall health and even as a cleaning agent to sanitize surfaces.
Activated Charcoal
Recently I came across this natural remedy for flu prevention and was fascinated. I really liked this idea and decided to purchase these over the counter supplements and started to incorporate them into my routine. I recommend this brand and you can GET IT HERE.
Activated charcoal is a fine black powder made from bone char, coconut shells, peat, petroleum coke, coal, olive pits or sawdust. The base materials are similar to what you use in your grill but do not confuse them. The end product is very different.
The charcoal becomes activated by processing it at extreme temperatures, which changes its internal structure. After being exposed to this extreme heat the porous texture of the material then carries a negative electrical charge. As a result, it now attracts positively charged molecules, such as toxins and gases in your gut which prevents their absorption.
Because activated charcoal is not absorbed by your body, it carries these toxins affixed to the charcoal out of your body. Simply amazing, right? Just another awesome weapon to use to prevent stomach flu.
Activated charcoal is used to treat poisoning
Hospitals will treat certain kinds of poisoning with activated charcoal in emergency situations. If they catch it in time the charcoal can absorb the poison while it’s in the stomach before it passes to the entire body.
Furthermore, in 1831 at the French Academy of Medicine, Professor Touery drank a lethal dose of strychnine in front of his esteemed colleagues. It should have killed him right there, but because he combined it with activated charcoal, he lived.
Boost your immune system
Most of us know how essential the immune system is to our survival. This immense network of cells and tissues are always standing guard, looking to protect your body from inner harm. If an enemy makes its way into your body such as a virus the immune system sends a message to your body that it is time to attack and destroy the virus or whatever doesn’t belong in your body.
Therefore, it makes perfect sense to keep your immune system running on all cylinders especially during the cold and flu season. Now is not the time to mess around with a weakened immune system.
I use an immune booster called Prevail Immune from Valentus. You can GET IT HERE! I take one packet about every other day. This product is loaded with antioxidants that come from some of the most nutrient-rich fruit and vegetable extracts in the world! It is also without a doubt the best tasting immune drink I have tried. The drink actually tastes like a treat. I mix one packet with a 20 oz. bottle of water and enjoy.
Go here to read about another great product from Valentus for weight loss
So my hope is this article was able to provide you with valuable information. Nobody likes to be sick. If we can increase our chances of staying healthy and prevent stomach flu by adding some over the counter products to our routine, why not go for it!
Response Magic