How to Avoid Getting Sick During Cold and Flu Season
Learn how to boost your immune system with natural remedies so you can stay healthy and avoid getting sick during cold and flu season.
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While it can be nice to slip into cooler temperatures, fall and winter also bring cold and flu season.
The cold, dry air tends to be a breeding ground for the flu virus. Before hermetically sealing yourself in a bubble until Spring, try some of these natural remedies to boost your immune system and avoid getting sick with the cold or flu.
How to Avoid Getting Sick During Cold and Flu Season
1. Sleep
Sleep is the time that your body repairs itself. If you’re not getting adequate sleep (read how to here), you can be more susceptible to getting sick.
Give yourself an added boost in the health department by making sure you’re getting some solid zzzz’s.
2. Eat Your Vegetables
While I always recommend eating lots of vegetables (here are 78 ways to increase your veggie intake), studies show that eating fiber can help boost your immune system and fight the flu.
And those leafy green veggies are packed with vitamins to keep you strong and help you avoid getting sick during cold and flu season.
If you’re unable to get out, then have a look at the best healthy food delivery services.
3. Exercise
Moving your body is not only good for your overall health, but it has also been shown to boost your immunity. Another study found exercise and meditation were good tools in warding off respiratory infections.
Bottom line: stay healthy and avoid getting sick with regular exercise.
4. Chill Out
You know stress isn’t good for you. It doesn’t feel good and isn’t doing your body any favors. In fact, studies have shown that stress can cause inflammation and reduce your immune system’s overall effectiveness.
So try and relax with one of my 6 ways to meditate without sitting cross-legged on the floor.
5. Drink Clean Water
Make sure to keep your body hydrated during cold and flu season.
Drinking clean water will help your body’s systems move things along.
6. Lay Off the Booze
While alcohol may help you initially fall asleep, it will wake you up in a few hours. Not only that, but alcohol can also suppress your immunity.
So give your liver and your overall system a break and reduce your intake if you feel a cold or the flu coming on.
7. Reduce Sugar
The holidays and cooler winter months can lead to increased sugar consumption. Unfortunately, refined sugar can cause blood sugar imbalances in your body.
It’s also difficult for your body to break down so eating a lot can lower your immune system and ability to fight off the flu or a cold. So try and keep your sweet intake to a minimum while you’re sick. Or try some of my healthier, sugar-free desserts.
8. Ditch the Dairy
If you’re a long-time reader of Tasting Page, you may not eat dairy. If you do still eat dairy, it’s best to eliminate it when you get sick.
Dairy has been known to increase the production of mucus, so if you’re already sick with a cold and stuffy nose, dairy will only make it worse.
9. Wash your hands
With all those other people not following these guidelines to avoid getting sick, you have a lot of germs floating around.
From the grocery store to your coffee shop, and if you have kids, well, it’s a germ-fest, so wash your hands under warm water with soap for 20-30 seconds. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says, “washing hands prevents illnesses and spread of infections to others.”
10. Keep Your Hands to Yourself
While you’re doing plenty of hand washing to avoid getting sick, you should also avoid touching your face.
One of the easiest ways for germs and viruses to get into your system is through your eyes, nose, and mouth. So make sure not to absently rub your eyes or lips to stay healthy.
11. Supplement
There are many supplements on the market claiming to help fight colds and flu but the truth is, there’s no cure. Some supplements can help reduce the severity and duration of your illness.
I prefer getting my Vitamins from real food but if the cold or flu has hit you, here are some vitamins and supplements I’ve found to be helpful. As always, work with your health provider before starting anything new.
Elderberry
When people around me are getting sick, I load up on Elderberry. Studies have shown that elderberry can reduce the duration of a cold.
I start my prevention plan by making this elderberry tea. If I don’t have time to make tea, I’ll down elderberry syrup as soon as I detect anything.
That combined with most of the above, usually helps me avoid getting sick with a cold or flu.
Zinc
Zinc has been shown to cut your cold’s duration by as many as 3 days.
Zinc lozenges can be effective when taken early and often.
Vitamin C
I know I always got a glass of orange juice when I was sick. Oranges are a great source of C, along with berries, broccoli, spinach, and green and red peppers.
If you’re not getting an adequate amount of Vitamin C through your food, it could be a good idea to supplement when you’re getting sick.
Vitamin C is water-soluble which means you don’t store it in your body so you need to take it regularly to maintain balance.
Vitamin D
I prefer to get my Vitamin D from natural sunlight but if that’s not possible for you, supplemental D has been shown to help with immune function.
Many of us are deficient in D so keeping reserves high can help boost your resistance to illness.
With all of these natural remedies at your fingertips, you now are equipped to avoid getting sick during cold and flu season this year.