Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and power was given to him to scorch men with fire. And men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has power over these plagues; and they did not repent and give Him glory.

Revelation 16:8-9

The other day, I was talking with my brother about the Swine Flu pandemic. He is a health professional and he says he is extremely concerned about what may happen this winter. Hospitals are preparing for the worst and civil defense organizations across the country are stocking up on medical supplies, including face masks.

Government health experts are even warning the public not to shake hands with others at churches and at civil events.

The Swine Flu Pandemic is real.  And it is dangerous.  One estimate has it that 90,000 Americans may die from it this winter.

At this point in this article, I am putting my “natural health practitioner” hat on. Several years ago, I studied natural health modalities with a college in the South through a distance education program.  I’m certainly not the most knowledgeable person in this field; but with close to three years of 30-hour-a-week study, I do know some things about it.

In my personal opinion, the old adage: “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” is what we all should be thinking about. Conventional medicine has very little in its arsenal to deal with influenza. Your medical doctor is not going to be able to “fix it” if you come down with Swine Flu.
The best conventional medicine can offer against the virus is an anti-viral medicine that takes about one day off of the length of the illness.

We all need to be doing what we can to build up our immune system. Here are some things to think about:

* Keep your body rested as much as possible.  When we are exhausted, we are much more vulnerable to infections.

*Keep your body hydrated.  Dehydration makes the body more vulnerable to infection by lowering natural resistance. It also makes it easier for a person to bring a virus into the body through the nasal passages. Drink LOTS of high-quality water every day.

*Explore supplements and herbs to help your body’s immune system.
I am not going to give a “one-size-fits-all” listing of these here because everyone is different and has different needs based upon their particular health circumstances.  Find a natural health care practitioner near you and have a consultation done if you can; if not, talk to someone knowledgeable in a health food store and/or do some research on the internet.

*Build up your body with nutritious food and regular exercise. It has been scientifically proven that regular exercise strengthens the immune system. It is VERY important to eat food that is high in nutrients. The best way to do this is to eat as many uncooked vegetables and fruits as possible. A big salad with an apple at every meal would be a good idea. Try to stay away from fast food as much as possible and buy organic vegetables and fruits.  They are available today at most grocery chains.

*Spend daily time in the presence of God. In prayer and in silence.
We need to stay “connected” to God during this challenging time.  He is our ultimate healer. We also need some time to get away from the stresses of daily life in the fast-lane.  Take that time. An hour or  two away from the TV in the evening isn’t going to hurt that badly (smile).

*Help other people who have illness in their families.  As Christians, we should be looking out for the well-being of others this winter. If you need to, put on a mask and gloves when you are around sick people.  At the very least, call elderly folks you know and check on them from time-to-time to see if they are okay.  If they aren’t, then contact their relatives or local health officials.  We need to show the world that the love of Christ is real in our actions.  The Bible tells us that we are not supposed to live in fear.

In the Scripture passage above, you can see that plagues are a result of man’s rebellion against God.  We are living in a time in which it is considered “trendy” to reject God and even to ridicule Him publicly.  We all need to shine the light of God’s truth and of God’s love on a daily basis in these dangerous times in which we are living!

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