Part 1 focused on some biology and history. This next section is relevant to current Coronavirus pandemic but also serves as daily practices to keep yourself and those around you healthy.
Here are 10 basic life tips and hacks that I’ve always practiced, especially when traveling through regions with poor sanitation such as really populated 3rd world cities and downtown LA!
1. TOUCH LESS.
I get really weirded out by door handles, credit card machines, gas station pumps and shopping carts. It’s not even just because of not wanting to get sick! A lot of people are gross. I know they pick their nose and butts, and I don’t trust their biomes so don’t want many of their critters jumping onto my biome! I tend to keep my biome pretty darn healthy, nourished and it is smells nice so I am sure those dirty little scoundrels would love to come over to my side of the world.
I use my knuckles or pinky only for debit machines, usually have a light scarf for travel or in the car which I use to open doors, use gas station pumps or use the signature pens. If I am not wearing a scarf, I use the corner of my tshirt or elbows for doors.
2. JUDGE A PERSON BY THEIR BIOME.
It’s not really like judging a book by it’s cover, but there is a gut-feeling…
In social situations that are more fun than work related, I don’t shake hands. Still a fan of the old knuckles, or even just the cheek-to-cheek air-kiss. Even a hug can be a bit more protective since there are layers of clothes in between.
If I do shake your hand, it’s because my biome senses that your biome is cool. It is an intuitive-type thing. If we are full buddies, like my closest-closest, I’ll even share a toothbrush (after washing with soap + water of course!), water bottle and my favorite blanket! I’m not a germaphobe. I’m just quite aware a lot of people have funky cooties. And, I will admit, especially since I have been in the city and the current dating app culture makes it seem like everyone is making out with everyone, I get even more weirded-out. That part of my life where there was sharing of intimate biomes with others is a long-time gone, and even at my wildest, I was never very promiscuous because I have always been able to visualize the interactions of the microscopic (and we didn’t have dating apps). I did have myself plenty of fun kissing boys behind Charlie’s Bar in Missoula until i started thinking about cooties and the fact that a lot of those dudes didn't brush their teeth....
3. GENTLE SOAP IS WAY BETTER THAN SANITIZER.
This is real. Alcohol or Triclosan sanitizers work in a pinch, but they wreak havoc for your skin in the long-run. Plus, they don’t work nearly as well. You don’t need harsh detergent soaps. I fill soap dispensers around the house with natural baby soap, and use a glycerin-based bar soap in the shower. In my purse, I keep a small bottle with baby soap for washing hands in public places, rather than use the aggressive, toxic soaps in dispensers. The SSB Purse Kit Serum bottle is perfect!
4. KEEP SKIN HEALTHY.
You know that “tight” feeling a lot of people equate with being squeaky-clean? That’s called stressed out skin that has lost it’s protective acid mantle and will now require up to 8 hours to rebalance!
Resilient, luminous skin is really nice to look at and touch, but it is also provides the best protection against all the things we are exposed to daily. If your skin isn’t balanced, the environment becomes more conducive to infections. Keeping your skin strong is a powerful ally in helping prevent all kinds of infections.
I work with my hands, I build sh*t, and my hands are never going to be perfect because of it. I am proud of them. But I do take extra steps to slow the damage, including wearing gloves when I wash dishes….
I cannot fathom going to sleep without feeling nearly embalmed with Skin and Sky Overnight Age-Defying Creme or heading out into the world without the protective layer of Multi-Tasking Antiox Daily Body Serum. Seriously, cannot deal with it.
5. HOLD YOUR BREATH.
If someone coughs or sneezes near you, try to hold your breath as you step away a few feet. Covid19 droplets are heavier than most, which means they will fall to the ground quicker. By holding your breath and stepping away at least 3-4 feet, you have significantly reduced the chances of those droplets landing on you.
6. KEEP MUCOUS MEMBRANES HEALTHY.
Saline nasal sprays and mouthwash won’t necessarily kill virus droplets, but keeping the two most prominent points of infection healthy means your body can do it’s badass job of protecting you and minimizing infection. I didn’t think of this as much before living in a very polluted, urban environment in a loft that requires constant air-conditioner, but I am quite aware of it now. I use a nasal spray in the shower, make my own mouthwash with distilled water, aloe vera juice and sea salt which I use a couple times a day.
7. SPRITZ!
I don’t have a ton of science to back this up but have been doing it for years and am a big believer in it. I always have a small spray bottle of 1 part Distilled Water and 1 part Sake with me, and in my bathroom. As soon as I get out of the shower, prior to the SSB ANTI-AGING ROUTINE, I spritz head-to-toe with sake, use a bit on a cotton pad on face, neck, chest and arms. A few times a day, if I have been around a lot of people + pollution, I spritz again. After washing hands, prior to moisturizing, I spritz.
Sake has a relatively low alcohol concentration so it won’t prevent all infections, but I do believe it can minimize. At the very least, I think it supports skin and keeps things cleaner without having to use harsher cleansers. I like an unfiltered sake. Store bottle in fridge, and refills your spray bottles as needed.
8. TREAT YOUR GUT
Again, I am sure this is not a CDC or WHO opinion, but, I think a lot of imbalances are due to gut biome disturbances. Staying healthy won’t keep you from getting sick, but it will shorten duration and minimize effects! I add a few splashes of apple cider vinegar to most meals because I love the flavor and have a sense that the critter sin my belly that keep things working properly like it as much as I like my daily glass (or 2) of Brut Champagne!
9. BE INTELLIGENT. DON’T BE RIDICULOUS.
Total hysteria is not doing anyone any favors. Fake news is not helping. Shady scam artists should probably just be exposed to something that gives them a lifelong case of diarrhea.
10. BE KIND. BE GENTLE.
Run some errands for neighbors and friends with compromised immune systems. Make some soup to share. If you feel a bit sick, choose to self-quarantine to protect others. Get extra sleep.
None of these tips + tricks are unique to current pandemic. All of these tips are basic life things. I will follow up with Part 3 which is a little more “prepper”. If anything, I hope that this current situation will inspire most of us to take a few steps towards being aware, prepared and alert because at ay point, something could happen. An earthquake, environmental collapse, something, and I do think we should all have a few things ready in our car whether it is just for a weekend in the desert, being broken down on a backroad, or dealing with some kind of catastrophe. Who knows, maybe Corona will Save America!
xo, mpp
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