Greetings fellow artists,
A lot of talk has been going on about the Swine Flu, which is currently dividing the country. Should I get the vaccine? Should I not? Is a cute little piggy like this one really to blame for the downfall of Western Civilization? Is this just payback for all the bacon we eat? Wherever you fall on the debate, it's up to you to decide whether or not you want to get the vaccine. Don't listen to the hype that's being driven by Dr. Oz or Oprah. Since this whole silly thing started, under 300 people have died, out of 300,000,000 in the U.S. All of them had underlying medical conditions. Every year, the normal flu kills over 11,000. This is a non-issue promoted by the powers that be that want your money. Duh. We're talking millions of doses of Swine Flu Vaccination that were created for a great price of $24.95! Get yours now!
This thing is bigger than the Beatles.
But don't buy the hype.
As someone who is sane and also works with children on a daily basis, I'm pretty sure I had this thing over the summer. It knocked me down, for sure. I was sick for a whole week, but I still was well enough to work 12 hour days in Central Park. I took it easy on the weekends, and I got over it fully within two weeks.
Since my bout of the old piggy flu, I've taken some precautions while working with my little booger-factory friends. I don't have the money to get sick and miss work, but I do have the money to prevent such illness with a few simple pickups at the local health store.
Here's my health manifesto. Use it if you like staying healthy.
Vitamin C--So you've heard how great this little orange tablet is, right? Well, the rumors are true. Everyone who gets their daily amount of Vitamin C will feel better both mentally and physically. There's the added psychosomatic feeling (ie. "I'm taking something for my health, so I must feel healthy!) and there's the science behind it. Vitamin C acts as a natural antioxident that will essentially find "free-radicals" in your body (viruses, germs, etc) and pounce on them. Then, your white blood cells pick 'em up. Get a bottle of Vitamin C at your local Health Food Store for under $20. If you're already sick, SUPER DOSE YOURSELF. This means take a butt-load. It's safe to take a lot. Just read the label.
Vitamin D--Get some of this for the winter. Your body makes this on it's own by being out in the sun. If you suffer from seasonal anxiety disorder, this is a helpful supplement. It acts as an antioxidant and essentially a natural antibiotic.
A Healthy Diet--As much as I like Doritos, I do my best to not eat them. This goes for pretty much everything in that category. I limit myself to one "sweet" a day, usually something on the run to the next place I have to be. My main diet consists of a good amount of veggies like lettuce, peppers, tomatoes, onions, eggs, cheese, and a small amount of meat. I also love pizza, especially in Brooklyn. You can get a lot of the taste of sweets out of good fruit, like apples, kiwis, grapes, and the like. Do your body a favor and stop feeding it the sweets it doesn't need and start giving it the good stuff I just mentioned. As someone who was 20 pounds overweight on a bad diet, I can now say that I'm at a healthier weight level with my new diet. And I feel a lot better too!
Green Tea--After my mandatory two cups of coffee to wake up in the morning, I stop drinking it for the rest of the day. Tea is usually my supplement for the rest of the day. It's good for you, cheap, and feels good. Again, the whole anti-oxidants thing.
A Full Night of Sleep--This means at least 8 hours a night. You can usually skip a few hours if you gotta do a gig or show or whatever, but definitely catch up the following weekend.
Positive Mental Attitude--Even if you do get sick, your mindset does a lot to affect your day. Sniffles are never, ever fun. But that doesn't mean you can't have fun while having the sniffles. Try to catch yourself having negative thoughts and think of something you love. It really works!
It's much easier to prevent these things by taking the steps outlined above. It really is just about doing it, not just thinking about doing it.
Alright, that being said, I gotta keep plugging along on the book, which will be out on Halloween!
Thank you. I totally 100% agree. Swine Flu is a scare tactic.
ReplyDeleteWhy is it that so few people have died (in comparison with the "normal" flu)? And, like you said, why have no healthy people died? BECAUSE FLU SHOTS ARE POINTLESS!
It's the people who get the flu shot every year who get it every year. But this swine flu stuff is just insanity.
Have you heard about Desiree Jennings? The 26 year old Redskins cheerleader who now has a rare neurological disorder that has disabled her. She can't walk without having spasms, she can't speak normally because of spasms... she can only walk backwards and run... and when she does that, she can speak normally. Nope, not making it up. It's called "dystonia" and it was triggered in her 10 days after getting a swine flu vaccination.
Now, yes... they're right that this is like a 1 in a million that it could happen... but that's unacceptable risk to me when the alternative is getting a disease that has killed very few people who were otherwise sick.