I'm allergic to China

[xiaocai]

I don't know where you have been, but Chinese often x-rays are bought from the west. Those machines are no longer in use in the West because of their killing high dosages, but they are okay for the general public of China. After I got an x-ray in China I researched this. These machines could give you the dosage of radiation that is the maximum healthy dosage for several years according to modern western medical standards. I really hope you got x-rayed by a modern machine, otherwise it really might kick your ass for 30 kuai! Not so kickass after all...

Really? I am Chinese and I had TB (yes, it is not something unusual in China) when I was 2 yo. Have a good guess how many chest x-ray sessions I've gone through. Should I be feeling lucky that I haven't die of leukaemia or something...yet?

Back to the topic, a lot of my friends who have spent a long time overseas tend to get sick more easily when they just come back. Yes China is not a very friendly country in terms of health (any many other aspects). It even hates its own people. TB, pneumonia, malaria... all these are part of my childhood memories. So I think know how it feel when you have to stay at home for weeks or even months when you are supposed to go to school, to meet up with friends, to have fun.

Anyways, I get cold during winter time often, and I reckon that my immune system has been permanently damaged and nothing much I can do about it now. But there are some practice which I do to keep it from dropping to zero and it might be helpful to others as well:

1) Eat more veggies and fruits. Apparently mushrooms are good immune boosters, and I think they are quite cheap in China;

2) Take Vit B complex and Vit C supplements if necessary;

3) Maintain a good sleep hygiene, such as regular sleeping pattern, etc;

4) Try to avoid crowded places (kind of impossible in China, though), or wear a mask if you have to go, esp. during flu outbreaks;

5) Keep yourself hydrated; I know it is quite dry in winter in northern China;

6) Have regular exercise daily, only if you can, coz I can't;

7) A fungus call 灵芝 is said to be very good for your immune system. A friend of mine studying medicine recommended it to me last year. Now I just get the extract sachets from local 中医大学 and drink it with water, cheap and easy and I think it works. But if you are not a believer of traditional medicine, forget about it then...

That is what I can think about at the moment, hope it helps.

[skylee]

Eat apples. Drink red wine.