I attended the Cayman Islands Chamber of Commerce Business Expo last week and visited the Health Services Authority (HSA), one of the many fantastic stalls exhibiting that during the event. The HSA were giving some great advice on staying healthy and also offering free flu jabs. Being the big scaredy cat I am, when the nurse approached me on Thursday I made up an excuse and ran back to the safety of the CML stand as quickly as I could…….

As it turns out it wasn’t one of the best decisions I have ever made………. I have just returned to work following 7 days in bed with the flu!

With the pressures of working in today’s market many workers tend not to take sick leave and go to work feeling unwell just to keep the work going. Working in recruitment it can be tough to be out of the office and I had to make the decision to work from home to make sure that I didn’t make the whole office sick just because I wanted to keep going.

For those of you reading this from your office with someone sneezing and coughing next to you. I have found some cheap and easy ways to keep the germs at bay!

Airing the Room

Bacteria are transmitted from one person to another through the air, so drafts may drive them outdoors. In Cayman we are usually sat in air conditioned rooms with all the windows and doors closed all day. When there are germs in the office it is useful to ventilate the room you are working in every hour for 5 minutes. If you don’t, the number of viruses in the air will be increasing, therefore, putting you at higher risk of catching cold.

Keep Your Workplace Clean

Usually viruses reach us in few “leaps” like dust particles. On their way, they will accumulate on the things around you, on your table for example. So clean it with wet cloth – at least once a day. This is a simple way to reduce the number of viruses around you.

Hand Sanitizer

Buy yourself a bottle of hand sanitizer to keep the germs off your hands and work equipment and buy your sick colleague one too!

Chew Ginger

Chew the roots of a sweet flag and ginger. They are rich in essential oils with antibacterial properties. Break a bit off the root, put it in your mouth and chew until tasteless.

Chewing releases antiseptic fumes from the roots. However, pregnant and breastfeeding women, those suffering from the common cold accompanied by fever as well as those with high stomach acidity and inflammatory bowel diseases should avoid these natural antiseptics.

Drink Vitamin Cocktails

Unfortunately not the Cayman Mudslide type! Drink vitamin tea instead of office coffee. To make one, grind berries rich in vitamin C, add sugar, pour in boiling water and let stand overnight (the method ensures berries “give” all their vitamins).

You can use cranberry, raspberry, black currant, rose hips or honeysuckle berries.

Keep a Pot of Geranium on Your Table

The leaves of the plant emit volatile phytoncides that exterminate bacteria in the air. Besides geranium, two other houseplants are also rich in phytoncides – begonia and chlorophytum.

If you feel like sneezing, pick a leaf off the plant, then rub it between your fingers – to release more phytoncides –and inhale a pleasant odor for a minute.

Buy Air Ionizer

Ionizing is good way to purify air from dust particles and bacteria. Most ionizers come with two modes: ionizing for daytime when you work and ozoning for the night.

Ionized air is absolutely safe while ozone – though it neutralizes bacteria better than ions – may cause headaches if you inhale it more than half an hour.

Try Citrus Salad

Take 3 peeled oranges, 2 tangerines and 1 grapefruit, cut them into small pieces, squeeze half of a lemon into a salad bowl and sprinkle with coriander.

Mix everything well and let stand for 20 minutes. Eat this salad for the dessert 2-3 times a week. This is a wonderful dish full of plant proteins, flavonoids and vitamin C which strengthen the immune system.

Eat Brazil Nuts

Brazilian nuts are the richest source of selenium (1530 mg per 100 g). Selenium is known as a powerful immune system stimulator and antioxidant. If you lack this element, relatively harmless flu virus starts modifying rapidly inside your body. It leads to various flu complications. A few Brazil nuts can help to prevent the flu and its possible serious complications.