Okay so I’m talking to my clients last Saturday in a group training session and I’m all “I don’t ever get sick, my immune system is like friggen fort Knox" two days later WHAM! I get slapped by irony with a big fat case of the flu. Not sure if it was H1N1 because I didn’t ask but I would like to think that if a flu was going to take be down, it wouldn’t be the weak garden variety flu bug, it would be the ambitious, pandemic level Michael Jordan of the flu world, H1N1. It just makes me feel better. This is the first flu that I’ve had in almost 10 years and I’ve never had a flu shot.
What’s the difference between H1N1 and seasonal flu?
Seasonal influenza is caused by viruses that are responsible for global flu epidemics each year, usually experienced throughout the winter months. H1N1 is a new strain of influenza that was first identified in April 2009 and continues to spread around the world. Over the years most of us have built up immunity to seasonal flu so if you are relatively healthy, exposure to seasonal flu will not and should not result in infection. The H1N1 strain is new and because our bodies don’t recognize it, exposure is more likely to result in infection. It is also for this reason that it more commonly affects children and young adults.
The U.S. center for disease control and prevention defines flu like illness as: A fever of 38 degrees celsius (100.4 fahrenheit) or greater, plus a cough and sore throat and possibly other symptoms like runny nose, body aches, headaches, chills, fatigue, vomiting, or diarrhea. Fever is a key factor. I developed a cough that felt like Satan himself was trapped in my trachea. But for most, its official when you develop the insatiable thirst for chicken soup, cartoons and your mothers affection.
Most healthy people recover from H1N1 flu without any complications. My fever started on Tuesday and was gone by Friday night which i think is on the shorter side from what i've heard. H1N1 can be particularly risky for children and young adults who have not yet built up sophisticated immune systems. For young people, those with compromised immune systems and pregnant women the symptoms can be much more severe, even deadly.
If you want to be proactive about the Flu this year, don't rely on the flu shot alone. Studies have linked regular moderate exercise as well as good sleeping habits to lower incidences of flu and a significantly lower severity. Including these foods in your grocery cart this flu season will bump up your immune response to potential invaders.
citrus fruit, broccoli -vitamin C
nuts, vegetable oils, and whole grains - vitamin E
garlic - a natural antibiotic
fruits and vegetables - bioflavenoids
chicken, whole grains, tuna, red snapper, lobster, shrimp, garlic, egg yolks, sunflower seeds, brown rice - selenium
carrots, yams - carotenoids
nuts, salmon, tuna, mackerel, flaxseed oil - omega-3 fatty acids
Good luck!
Derick
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