Tips for Staying Well This Cold and Flu Season
November 22, 2011
Fall leaves have begun to change, that means cold and flu season is here. As the temperatures cool down many people will catch that first cold of the season. With the dreaded cold comes loss of productivity and even fun.
Nobody enjoys being sick but few people actually understand the simple ways you can safeguard your health. I am not talking about a flu shot either.
Consider your diet and make adjustments.
Poor nutrition is the first invitation for a cold. As the stress of the holidays approaches and the culinary temptations abound we gradually eat more and more junk. Plus, fall and winter are jam-packed with celebrations revolving around foods, many that aren’t that great for you.
Concentrate on eating your fruits and vegetables to ward off the cold and flu. The more raw and unprocessed the better. Remember cooking, packaging, and processing strips key nutrients from products that your body needs.
Consider a smoothie or shake to get all those vegetables and fruits for the day in one swoop.
Keep active, consistency is key.
Winter is seen as the season of hibernation but that doesn’t mean you have to succumb to the winter blues and pack on the holiday weight. It may be too cold for running our outdoor activity but that doesn’t mean you can’t find ways to keep active.
Consider simple yoga poses done over a 20 minute period or so. This can be done easily indoors and your body will benefit immensely. Simply holding yoga poses tones and energizes muscles you don’t normally use every day and can go a long way to word off depression, insomnia and more. Plus, the focused breathing in yoga is great for holiday stress relief.
Take your vitamins.
Now that colder temperatures are keeping us indoors we can all benefit from taking our Vitamin D, which is normally something we get from being out in the sunshine. Even if you are outdoors this winter you may not be getting enough vitamin D.
“An international team of researchers found that vitamin D, which is a natural hormone, is linked to human immune reactions and might also help protect against cancer and autoimmune diseases.” – HealthDay News
Vitamin D is critical for immune system strength as well as preventing the cold and flu – and most of us are lacking it.
Also, taking a good multi-vitamin is something everyone should do, regardless of how well they eat. This is especially true in the winter if you want to prevent a weak immune system because it is harder to eat a well balanced diet with with sufficient nutrients this time of year.
Fall and winter are filled with so much to enjoy, cold and flu aren’t one of them. Take steps now to decrease your chances of coming down with a bug so you’ll have more time for all then enjoyable stuff. It is a easy as diet, exercise and supplementation!
