Avoid the Flu This Winter with These 15 Essential Tips
When the holiday season rolls around, so does the cold and flu season. It’s an inescapable fact of life. We increase our travel; we increase our social interactions; and we tend to get burned out in the hubbub of it all.
Still, there are many things we can do to get ahead of the curve. Here are a few integral tips on how to avoid the flu this winter.
1. Don’t Go Out
We’re kidding, of course. But, the best way to avoid the flu and stop the transmission of germs is to not pick any up in the first place.
If you’re about to head out to a holiday party and you hear your best friend’s kid coughing and sneezing in the background, think twice before entering their house and giving out merry little hugs.
2. Don’t Touch Your Face
This is one of the best ways to prevent the flu. Did you know we touch our face approximately 23 times per hour? That’s something to keep in mind, especially during cold and flu season because that’s a prime way to get the germs into our systems.
Basically, the pathogens that carry the disease enter our bodies through the mucous membranes on our face – our eyes, nose, and mouth. From there, they can enter the throat and lungs and the rest is, as they say, history.
3. Avoid Close Contact
This is another chart-topper in a list of healthy habits to help protect against the flu. The pandemic started the six-foot social distancing effect. It’s a safe practice but, at minimum, try to stay three feet away from folks who may be sick.
The concept here is similar to touching our face; we want to avoid creating entry points for the pathogens that could knock us out for several days or more.
4. Don’t Kiss and Tell
Don’t be afraid to avoid the European double kiss when heading out to holiday parties; it’s a surefire way to prevent the spread of the flu.
Position yourself to politely decline because you never know who’s carrying those pathogens in with their dinner and dessert trays.
5. Stay Home If You’re Feeling Sick
Once a cold or flu starts to set in, your immune system is already compromised. Typically, we know our bodies well and know when something’s a miss.
Don’t try to go out if you sense something’s coming on; at this juncture, you’re more likely to pick up a stronger flu bug than whatever it is you may be dealing with at the moment.
6. Keep Your Hands Clean
Sure, there are those studies that say the more we wash our hands, the less likely we are to combat germs naturally.
But, especially for this time of year, don’t be afraid to stock up on some hand wipes and hand sanitizers to give your hands a fresh pass every few hours to help prevent germs and avoid the flu.
Every time you return home, make it a point to wash your hands once you’ve put your bags down or taken your coat off. It’s a great practice to head to the sink and wash off everything you touched while you were out and about.
7. Stock Up On Supplements
If you’re kind of hit or miss about your vitamins and minerals throughout the year, promise yourself that you’ll stick by them during the sneezing season.
The age-old truth about Vitamin C still holds true: it’s a great way to help prevent the flu. Zinc is another powerful option in preventing the flu.
Other immune-boosting supplements may include:
Vitamin D
Elderberry
Selenium
Garlic
Echinacea
Ask your doctor about dosing and which combination will set you up for the greatest success.
8. Focus On Your Diet
How many times have we heard the expression, “You are what you eat,”? It’s often repeated because it’s often true.
Green vegetables, in particular, are nutrient-rich. Yogurt is packed with probiotics which can boost our immunity. Oranges and berries are also nutrient-dense foods that our systems will rejoice over. These are just some of the foods to help prevent the flu.
If ever you’ve wanted to get serious about changing your lifestyle and putting healthy foods into your system, allow cold and flu season to be the time to make gradual and steady changes.
9. Drink Plenty of Liquids
Drinking the recommended amount of water each day has a plethora of health benefits. But, what it’s really doing is flushing our system.
Be conscientious of your daily intake during flu season and, whenever possible, make it a hot dose of water. Green tea is loaded with antioxidants and you know what they’re good for – eradicating toxins from our body.
Other teas rich in antioxidants include:
Jasmine tea Rooibos tea Hibiscus tea Lemon verbena tea
Imagine a warm cup of lemon verbena with a soothing drop of honey. It’s a delicious way to stay hydrated and help support a healthy immune system.
10. Keep Your Surfaces Clean
If you’re not diligent about cleaning the surfaces, knobs, and handles in your home, try to step up your game during cold and flu season. Stock up on Lysol wipes and use them regularly.
You can also create a DIY cleaner with water and vinegar. It’s a nice, holistic approach to cleaning that can pick up germs and other contaminants.
If you prefer reusable cloths over a roll of paper towels, you know what to do as soon as you finish cleaning: run in through the washing machine with warm water and a healthy dash of detergent.
11. Get Plenty of Rest
There’s something about the winter season that beckons for extended naps and early bedtimes. Don’t fight the urge.
By getting plenty of rest, you’ll beef up your body’s ability to fight off all the germs coming your way. When we’re sleep deprived, our infection-fighting antibodies stop working at peak performance levels.
12. Manage Your Stress Levels
If you’ve ever felt an urge to queue up a YouTube series on guided meditation or yoga, now’s the time to get serious. There are many ways to manage stress levels and they should all be explored during cold and flu season.
Unfortunately, the more stressed we are, the more we wear down our system. Like a lack of sleep, high stress levels reduce our body’s ability to fight off foreign invaders.
With our minds spinning, not only are we less likely to sleep well, we’re also less likely to eat well. In those times, it’s far easier to hit up a drive-thru or pick up a Snickers.
13. Stay Active
This may contradict all the advice that says stay clean and avoid germ-ridden surfaces at the gym. So, maybe the gym isn’t your best friend during cold and flu season. But, if you’re able to securely bundle up and get a walk in, you’ll be glad you did.
If you have a home gym that serves as a clothes hanger more than a workout machine, consider committing to a few workouts per week.
Working out is a good way to keep the immune system in fighting shape because, while we’re active, our immune cells move throughout our body. It’s sort of like increasing the patrol so they can knock out as many toxins as possible.
14. Consider the Flu Vaccine
People’s stance on vaccinations vary wildly. Some say they work; some see no discernible difference.
Do your own research and speak to your primary care physician to see if the flu vaccine is something you should consider in your quest to prevent the spread of the flu.
15. Be Aware of Flu Symptoms
Typically, doctors tell their patients that, since the flu is a virus, there’s not much they can do. It’s not like they can knock it out with an antibiotic the way they can with strep throat or other seasonal illnesses.
Often, we just have to wait it out, drink plenty of fluids, and get as much rest as we possibly can. But there are a few treatment options; Tamiflu is a popular prescription during these times.
The sooner you can recognize flu symptoms and get to a doctor, the sooner they can test you to see what you’re dealing with. Then, the treatment options can begin. Best case scenario, you can at least trim down the amount of time that you’re struggling with the virus.
Helpful Tips to Avoid the Flu This Winter
It can still be the season of joy, even in the midst of the season of sneezes. As you can see, there are countless tips on how to avoid the flu this winter.
Even if we only employ three or four of them, we’re still boosting the odds in our favor. Go out there and live your best life armed with the knowledge that you’re doing everything you can to stay safe this winter.