Keep Getting Sick....

[Ravie]

well as you know squatting will make you vulnerable to sickness. but my immune system sucks and i cant allways get to fresh food. so is there like a multivitamin or something that i can take daily to keep my immunity up? because its kinda hard to be constantly sick on the road...well, it sucks.

 

[Ravie]

*sigh* yeah, but beer just sounds better. im looking for the american "quick fix." and i have no idea if my body obsorbs it. i have never had a physical in my life.

 

[finn]

I use Emergen-C packets to keep myself from getting sick, I use about a half-package a day if I can't get fresh fruits and a full pack if I've gotten soaked or into something that will make me sick. Other vitamin supplements will also work, like Airborne, you might have to see what works for you. It's not a full replacement for good food though. Smell your food before you eat it (especially good food) and hopefully your body will start craving for what you actually need for your health. A natural vitamin C supplement is pine needle tea, use the freshest ones you can find and steep it. (Chewing the needles directly usually leads to stomach upset.)

Another thing is fresh air, if you can't get it, try to filter it with a bandanna which you do have to occasionally wash. Along the same lines is to limit how much you smoke, cigarettes or otherwise.

Traditionally, there are three stresses to the body: mental (emotional and sleep-related), nutritional and physiological, so try to minimize all of them to stay healthy.

 

[EaznaZ]

Yup, multivitamins are good. Try it as prescribed on the bottle for 3 months, then stop, and see after two weeks of no vitamins if you feel differently. Just make sure to get a good brand of multivitamin. Sisu is owned by a pharmaceutical company (note: company that profits from sick people needing emergency medicine) as well as many other vitamin companies. Health food stores and vitamin shops often have knowledgeable staff who can tell you what's worked for them and their customers.

I also really like getting something simple like alfalfa powder from the bulk section of a health food store (as long as they store in properly and it's not horribly stale) and either putting it into capsules (also available at most health food stores) or putting it in my food (strong 'green' flavour). (Or if you have access to a dehydrator and grinder for making your own green powders, which would be best)

Also I usually travel with dried wild animal blood (usually deer) for putting into soups, but that's kind of hard to obtain. I got mine from a roadkill deer's bloodclot. I laid it out on some fabric on a dehydrator and waited till it turned hard, and then put it into a coffee grinder till powdered, put it in a bag and voila, super nutritious formula. Maybe you can make friends with a hunter? Or find some really fresh roadkill, but I believe if blood is old and unpreserved it can be harmful to your health.

My health has been affected enourmously by carrying a stove and a pot. Any dumpstered veggies all go in there, a good way to get variety. And with a teaspoon of deer blood, lots of extra vitamin and mineral boosts!

Garlic is really good too and keeps quite well. I also carry a can of tuna in my pack, and a can opener on my multitool. I've also sprouted mung beans in a variety of situations, in tupperware containers.

Mostly before a trip I try to do a big dumpster run and dehydrate everything (can be done in an oven on low heat, in a makeshift tipi, on an old window screen supported by some pallates in the sun, etc.). I usually end up with some veggies and some meats that are dry, light, keep well and are compact.

 

[Ravie]

when i lived with my mom i would put alfalfa powder in water and chug it everyday with multivitamins and all her healthy shit(shes a nurse). i think because i dont get it now my body is lacking from the shock of having to get so much less.

 

[finn]

I've already talked about the air, so I'm guessing you just have to know your limits, without that extra vitamin boost you're used to, you need to have more sleep and less stress.

 

[Rise 609]

You need to stock up on Vitimin C pills and B-12. Its a great way to keep you immune system up and give you energy.

 

[bikegeek666]

vitamin c, dumpster fruit and i highly recommend at least a swig daily of fire cider.

 

[spud]

garlic and onions are great immunity boosters, theres lots of garlic in chicken noodle soup wich is why it "magicaly" makes people feel better and if you can get your hands on sunny d chug a bottle its full of vitamins and shit that make you feel better i always snag a bottle when i start feeling crappy

 

[dVEC]

Sunny D's got tons of sugar, which basically makes your immune system shut down for a few hours, and any bacterial infections you already have (or are developing) go CRAZY about the sugar and thrive.

Way better to get good ol' orange juice, or any good juice with lots of C.

I like to use an "adaptogen" daily, which is a good way to keep your immune system (and EVERY system) in tip top shape. Common adaptogens include Ginseng, Rhodiola Rosea, Eleuthero, Reishi Mushroom, Milk Thistle Seed and Holy Basil. Adaptogens are the fucking shit. Rhodiola particularly is great if you also have trouble with anxiety or depression, but I've found it's only really effective for me in like 1000mg/day+ (at 3% rosavins). Most adaptogens also only start to have their full effects after taking them EVERY day for a month or so, so give it time. Generally there's extract tablets in health food stores that are perfectly pocket-sized.

Another good everyday immunity herb is Astragalus. Helps give you energy, too.

And I pretty much always have a head of garlic in my pack, and put it in/on almost everything I eat.

 

[Ravie]

sunny-d makes me feel like my insides are liquifying.