Okay, so of course I cannot promise that you won't get sick or anything, but I thought I'd share some of my natural health knowledge here on this topic because it's easy to get a cold while you're here. And when one person gets something, you can literally watch it fly through the gym or their group of friends, etc.
I'm not trying to scare anyone here, it's not like everybody is always sick, but in my six weeks here I've seen at least three different "bugs" go around, this most recent one being more uh, "digestive" in nature, with people up all night going to the bathroom every ten minutes. Not fun stuff, people. AND it interferes with their training. If you're only here three weeks, you hardly want to be out four days with a fever, headache, a cough, etc. I've seen some people be out of commission or feel like crap, right here in the middle of paradise, for 7 - 10 days. You really don't want that to happen to you.....
When you get here and see the sweat flying through the gym, into your eyes and stuff, you see why things spread so easily. Furthermore, you touch the ground with your wraps or gloves, you touch the pads and bags with your gloves, then you wipe the sweat from your brow with your gloves or wraps....it's really quite disgusting when you think about it, and allllll the germs that have touched those pads and gloves. Even though our gym is regularly cleaned, there's no denying it's a cesspool of germs and bacteria from people from all over the world, and in a foreign country to boot. Trust me, you think about these things when you're doing push-ups . . . .
Whenever I start to feel something like a cold coming on, for me, I immediately take action, and I neverseem to get it. Here are some simple tips for how NOT to get bogged down with a bug during your visit.
Take Probiotics. As Danny, our Internet Manager, so wisely suggests on the website, take probiotics before you come, and even during your stay. When purchasing probiotics, you would do best to find some that indicate they are enteric-coated, meaning they are guaranteed to make it through your stomach acid; otherwise your stomach acid can just kill the living organisms before it reaches your gut and you just wasted your money. Probiotics will help strengthen your immune system as most of us are deficient in the good bacteria that is supposed to populate our gut. Antibiotics and coffee are two of the biggest threats to it. Fermented foods like yogurt or sauerkraut do not supply a therapuetic amount, plus most have been pasteurized, which would kill the probiotics. Probiotics directly combat disease and promote health. Renew Life makes a great one.
Eat Garlic. Garlic is POWERFUL stuff and tastes great. It is used as a natural antibiotic. Here's a GREAT review of how it can work wonders on infections and germs. It has natural anti-fungal, anti-viral and antibacterial properties. I personally have a hard time with raw garlic, but I find that with Som Tam, my favorite Thai food, I am okay with it, and so I specifically order Som Tam with extra garlic in it, or I order Tom Yam soup (vegetarian) and get extra garlic in the soup (although they say it's really more potent when eaten raw so I'd stick with the Som Tam, honestly). Eat at least a few cloves a day - I easily do more, but then again, I'm Italian. Dr. Richard Schulze, famous for curing incurable diseases, says the 3 cloves of garlic a day he has patients eat is among the most crucial aspects of the program. As well, you could eat raw white onion, too. It has similar benefits. Garlic is anti-parasitic, which is very important when traveling to foreign countries.
Eat Chili Peppers. If you can handle it, eat food here as spicy as you can handle it. Those hot chili peppers, a.k.a. cayenne pepper, offer a zillion health benefits, and will blast the germs right out of you. Cayenne has been known to stop a heart attack on the spot it is so powerful. Yes, you read that right. When you order food here, try to go as spicy as you can, if you can. I used to HATE cayenne pepper and couldn't understand why anybody would torture themselves with it. Now I crave it, and even when I order it extra hot, it's never hot enough it seems. Wierd, huh? So, never say never! If it feels uncomfortable, just remember that one time my ex-boyfriend could feel a little piece of glass in his eye that he couldn't get out and that I gave him a cayenne eye rinse to solve the problem. It worked, but he was white-knuckling the counter top. Not a fun time, people, but we can't have glass in our eye, either, can we? All things aside from hero stories where I saved the day, cayenne pepper is phenomenal for you. And it will of course clear your sinuses, and then some.
Som Tam is an EXCELLENT food to eat when you're struggling with something (or to keep your immune system up) because of the massive health benefits of green papaya, the chili peppers and the garlic factor. Its almost all raw, almost all vegan (if you get it without the shrimp or crab), and filling. Just be sure to order it without the MSG, or glutamate. That means it is very easy on your body to digest as it is loaded with enyzymes, vitamin C and powerful nutrition, plus is a tasty way to eat some chili pepper and garlic. And they are usually happy to add more garlic and pepper for you.
Note: If the thought of eating either of these is too much, you would do well to stop by your local health store to buy a couple bottles of garlic capsules or cayenne capsules, and to take them while you are here. Just remember to bring them here sealed, not opened, because if your bags are checked and they are not sealed, they will be confiscated.
Bring Grapefruit Seed Extract. Sealed, of course. Grapefruit Seed Extract can be taken internally or used externally, for cleaning the house, food, or just about anything else. Internally, it has very powerful antibiotic qualities. You can get it as a gel and use it by the drop, or you can get it in tablet form, to bring. It's uses are more versatile as a gel, for sure, but do it however you can. GSE is being used in hospitals to kill the "supergerms" that have sprung about that regular antibacterials can no longer kill. It's powerful stuff, and a little goes a long way. The gel tastes awful; it is only disguised in citrus drinks, orange juice or grapefruit juice. Obviously, the healthiest way to drink orange juice is for it to be fresh-squeezed, and my friends at Cashew Nut, the local restaurant, were happy to oblige when I requested it. Nutribiotic makes a great one.
Get Your YOUNG THAI COCONUT On, People. Seriously, folks, these are ridiculously healthy for you. The coconut water inside is so close to human blood plasma that it can be, and is sometimes, used for blood transfusions. They are anti-fungal, anti-viral and antibacterial, are loaded with electrolytes (forget "Gatorade"!) and they even contains lauric acid, which is found in human breast milk. The benefits are astounding, this is the food of champions. They are easy to get here, I usually eat one while waiting for my Som Tam to be ready. What a phenomenal meal, and they are my two favorite foods in the world! Somebody pinch me....
Some herbs that may come in handy are Echinacha, a powerful immune builder, and Cat's Claw (aka Samento), which is a powerful killer, too. I had Cat's Claw with me, but it's not necessary to bring these, really, just an option. Echinacha is a strong immune-builder, though, for sure. Not an "awful" idea. . . .
Eat Lighter
Yeah, you heard me. Don't panic, that doesn't mean "don't eat at all", it means drink smoothies, even protein drinks, and try not to eat huge servings of heavy foods like chicken and rice. White rice just converts to sugar and sugar will feed the cold/illness. Don't drink soda and coffee, etc. as they are acid-forming and disease flourishes in an acid pH, go for alkalizing foods like greens and vegetables. Tom Yam soup is one of Thailand's more famous foods, and it's easy to see why. Eat a lot of it in-between your fruit smoothies.
Eating lighter, or more simpler, is a matter of just giving your body a break versus taxing it by having it digest a heavy, complex cooked meal. At the Tessco Lotus they even have fresh juices pre-bottled, or just find the closest juice bar and make it your friend (if you're willing to go that far). Otherwise, just stick to coconuts and water, vegetables (Som Tam!) and eating simpler and wiser than usual. You can still eat often and you'll still get everything you need.
Some Other Useful Stuff
Also, maybe Disinfect Your Gloves. I actually have not done this yet because I am super lazy (and gross, apparently), but it's a really good idea to do. This won't prevent you from getting other people's sweat and germs on/in you during training, though, when you are using your gloves and surely wiping your face, etc. This is one area where something like the Grapefruit Seed Extract gel would come in handy; just dilute it in water and wipe them down. You could also put a few drops in on your dirty laundry, so when it's washed it disinfects everything too. I do this at home a lot, but haven't remembered to do it here yet. Still, it's a good idea.
A Word On External InjuriesLast But Not Least: Do A Parasite Cleanse When You Get Home!
Honestly, it's a really good idea, people. While garlic and Cayenne and GSE are antiparasitic, you can never be too careful about these things, especially because most have never done one in their lives. Parasites are a fact of nature, but they are also the precursor to a ton of different health maladies. Migraines, Colitis, IBS and so much more have all been linked to parasites. The last time I was tested, they asked if I had been overseas, to the Orient. Yeah, I had been to Japan ten years prior. NASTY! Anyways, needless to say, I have a great whole body, including parasites, cleanse from BLESSED HERBS for when I get back, and it's the top of the line. Otherwise, there are other good products out there, too.
Obviously, get plenty of quality sleep, drink a lot of clean water, eat your peas and all that good stuff, but the above cheap, easy and effective tips should truly help protect you from whatever is going around. It's a shame to miss training because you're sick, it's such a great opportunity just being here, you know? You just want to maximize the experience as much as possible.
One last thing . . .
Right now I am sniffling from the air-conditioning system at a massage parlor. Sigh. Not much I can do about that; it's not really "germ-related", but I'm doing all the above and it's just annoying more than anything. I did take a light decongestent to dry me up because I'm not going to let something like this interfere with my training, no way. I'm not "sick", it just messed with my sinuses. One more reason, outside of it making the weather adjustment more difficult, to avoid air-conditioning!
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