This  article was originally titled: “COVID-19: Millennials & Under 50s– Worried about this Coronavirus?” written and published in March 2020.  It has since been revised.

To help keep  information current and useful for all time, the focus (though mentioned), will no longer be Covid-19, the article will focus on Prevention of Illness and Strengthening the Immune System.

This information serves as a guide to help You and Your family stay healthy during any pandemic or outbreak of disease or illness. It is a guide that many of You may find Yourselves maintaining after an outbreak, pandemic or illness is finished.

REMEMBER to HELP STOP SPREAD of INFECTION & DISEASE

1) Avoid close contact with others

2) When coughing or sneezing, cover Your nose and  mouth with the inside crook of Your elbow.

3)  Wash hands including wrists frequently for 20-30 Seconds (Count 20-30)

 NOW IT’s TIME TO TAKE CARE OF YOU

So now, with the rules laid down, it’s time to take care of You. If You are a healthy young person under let’s say 50 years old and it happens that while away from home, You begin to have a dry cough and fever, one of the first things You should do is to start drinking and cover nose and mouth with the crook of Your arm if sneezing or coughing. Try to avoid breathing on others  and head home.

Remember to wash Your hands when You get home and, especially when in the kitchen handling food water etc. If You live with other people let them know You are not feeling well so they can keep an eye on You.

If You live alone, notify a friend or family member that You are not feeling well, so that They can keep tabs on You.

 WHILE RECOUPERATING…STAY HYDRATED and  TAKE TEMPERATURE

Make sure You stay hydrated drinking sips of plain (room temperature) water every 15-30 minutes. Water intake should total 8 glasses– 2 quarts/2liters daily. Other liquids i.e., juice, teas, sodas are not a substitute for water. You may squeeze fresh lemon into the plain water if You wish.

You should have a thermometer in the house should You want to check Your temperature. For an accurate reading, ALWAYS CHECK YOUR TEMPERATURE BEFORE DRINKING OR EATING. In other words, drink or eat after Your temperature has been taken.

In order to prevent the spread of germs especially the COVID-19, do not leave soiled tissues laying around as pictured in above photo. Discard used tissues in a plastic or paper bag and keep that bag closed.

 Remember to wash Your hands and wrists every time You use a tissue. After You open the bag and drop in the soiled tissue, remember to Close the Bag First, then go wash Your hands for 20-30 seconds.

STEAMING

The other thing that is going to be helpful for You to do is “Steaming.”

Steaming can be a useful aid in supporting the immune system. It can be helpful if You are asymptomatic for COVID-19 or exhibit the initial symptoms. It’s also a treatment that the family in general could benefit from doing as an immune booster especially during the cold winter months.

Initially do this treatment 3 times a day. When Your 14-day quarantine is over, reduce steaming to twice daily– mornings and evenings just before bed. After another 14 days then reduce to once a day preferably before bed. Continue doing steaming prophylactically once a day for as long as the Coronavirus is rampant.

 Before Steaming: Always Turn the Flame Under the Boiling Water Off! 

OK…SO WHAT’S THE PROCESS…

Covid-19 and other viruses affect the respiratory system initially entering inside Your nose and moving down into Your throat. In this very initial stage of the virus, heat will help kill the virus; that’s why the suggested steam and drinking warm liquids.

OK…To get started, Go and get Your hoody or a towel.  Then get a pot and fill it with water about 1 ½ inches from the top. It doesn’t have to be Your LOL… ‘big fixing greens for a week pot’ it can be Your ‘small boiling 3 or 4 potatoes pot.’  Let the water come to a full boil, then turn the flame off.  Let the pot sit for one minute. Pull Your hoody or towel down over Your head.

Bend over the pot pulling the sides of the hoody or towel outwards as though making a tent over the pot so that the steam gets directed up to Your face. Inhale the steam through Your nose for 5 seconds (count to 5) then breathe out through

Steaming can be intense so take a break for a minute or two if You need it. The steam should feel hot, but it should not feel like it’s burning Your face. If it feels too hot just make an adjustment and move Your face slightly up  away from the pot. As the water cools down, naturally You can move Your face closer to the pot so that, You can continue to take advantage of the steam.

WHAT TO ADD TO THE BOILING POT?          

If You have access to Eucalyptus or Tea Tree oil— great! Turn the flame off under the boiling water. Wait 1 minute then add 3-4 drops of oil to the water.

If Eucalyptus or Tea Tree is not available, then when You fill up the pot with water, You can cut in half 4 or 5  (or more) cloves of garlic add to the water and /or pieces of onion, ginger, orange, lemon or lime peels or any singular one of those items.

Then let the water come to a boil for about 5 minutes. then turn down to simmer for about 15 minutes. Turn off the heat Cover the pot for 7-10 minutes. then start the steaming.

Naturally if You have none of those items, to add to the pot, then just steam with plain water; virus, cold or flu  won’t care muc

WHILE WAITING FOR WATER TO BOIL         

While You are waiting for the water to boil, drink a cup of warm liquid i.e. herbal tea, or better yet buy a bottle of cayenne powder (not paprika). Put a pinch of cayenne into a cup, with a squeeze of fresh lemon add a ½ cup of hot water, stir it around and drink it down just before You start the steaming.

It may taste very spicy at first, but You get used to it. You’ll find it’s a good tonic to drink when going out in cold weather too.

 If You are drinking tea add a pinch of cayenne to the tea. You can also squeeze lemon and add a little garlic if You like, or— You can always just put a pinch of cayenne in 4 oz of plain hot water; drink– and then put on Your hoody or towel.

NOTE: Do Not Add Any Sweetener to Your Tea or Hot Water— Drink it plain

IMMUNE BUILDING DIET GUIDE: HOW TO EAT WHILE RECOUPERATING

Leafy Greens & Fruit

Eat lightly, mostly raw salads with lots of leafy greens and a pinch of cayenne mixed into a simple dressing i.e. olive oil, balsamic or apple cider vinegar or lemon.

Include a variety of fruit—except banana, as banana is not a cleansing fruit.

Leafy greens help prevent constipation and lend support for a healthy  immune system, which is so important for the fight against a depleted immune system.

Mushrooms

If You can, eat lots of cooked mushrooms especially Maitake, Shitake and Reishi— Why cooked? The medicinal properties of mushrooms are released when they are cooked.

Cooked mushrooms support the immune system. Garlic, onions, and cayenne pepper are also good for the immune system.

Mushrooms can be steamed, sautéed, or baked, with garlic and onions. They can be added to soups or simmered in a pot of 2 cups of water, cooked down to one cup, liquified in a blender and drank as a tea, or broth. You can also turn the broth into a cream of mushroom soup by adding a dollop of vegan yogurt.

It would also be beneficial to add a pinch or two of Cayenne powder.

Cayenne

As You can see, I am a big proponent of the use of Cayenne. Cayenne Pepper is a powerful medicine. In addition to being great for digestion, when Cayenne is added to food, and that food is eaten, Cayenne intensifies the healing properties of that food as well as facilitating the food’s absorption into the body’s cells.

Cayenne, though fiery, has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties it is also great for the circulation and metabolism.

Additional Foods to Fight the Virus

Other foods You can include in Your diet to defend against weakened immune system are seeds i.e. pumpkin, sunflower, hemp, chia. Put them in salads and smoothies.