The flu battle is heating up across North Texas and some are turning to a combination of expert advice–get the vaccine–and home remedies to stay well.
“Cod liver oil,” insists Chejuana Martin, who also admitted that it sounds awful, because “it is… a teaspoon every other day and just chase it with a little lemon or piece of sour candy and you’ll be okay. I swear by it.”
Michelle Neely says both she and her husband are teachers– so they are constantly waging war with germs. “They love to give hugs, when they are very snotty,” adds Neely with a laugh.
So her family relies on essential oils to stay well. “Peppermint oil. Lavender oil… those are the things that we put on the bottom of our feet and put socks on at night before when we go to bed and that keeps us healthy,” while adding that no one in her family has had the flu in years.
Amid the holiday hustle and the abundant hugs and kisses, the Balbuena family had a strategy to stay well– even when hosting sick relatives.
“Stay away from them!” Jorge Balbuena added with a laugh– and then pointed to Carlotta, who he called the family’s “neat freak”, always armed with bleach wipes and vinegar.
Carlotta Balbuena says the trick is to wash hands, clean often, and no kisses!
“We can hug,” says Carlotta, “but, no kisses. And clean with vinegar.”
Meanwhile, friends Lena Oren and Hannah Scow had a combination of good health strategies– that included lots of water and not “touching things in public places.”
But, that advice may have come too late for Oren– who admits she’s feeling a little under the weather.
“I’m pretty confident I don’t have the flu,” says Oren, and then adding with a laugh after I had come too close, “I’ll let you know if I get the flu.”
I think I’m going to the store for cod liver oil.
