Wash your hands often with soap and water

It’s such a simple habit. Washing hands isn’t just for the bathroom (ever notice how many people don’t wash their hands in the public washrooms?). Most cold and flu viruses are spread by direct contact. Wash your hands often to decrease the likelihood of becoming infected or spreading germs. Wash as soon as you get home, before preparing food, before eating, after sneezing, blowing your nose, and so on.

Eat good, healthy food

You know this one – it applies all year round! Eat lots of colorful vegetables and fruits high in Vitamins C and A. Choose broccoli, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, peppers, sweet potatoes and squashes. Try to get three to four servings of fruits and five servings of vegetables a day. Don’t forget your protein at each meal. Choose lean meats, legumes, nuts and seeds. Eating smaller meals more often helps regulate blood sugar and prevents hunger – which is when you’re most likely to overeat. Cook with lots of garlic and onion. These are natural antimicrobials.

Pass the lemon

Lemon is great for restoring alkalinity in the body and maintaining an internal environment that supports healthy bacteria. Viruses and bad bacteria love more acidic environments. Try hot water with freshly squeezed lemon juice, add it to your tea, use it in salad dressing instead of vinegar. Lemon is a good liver cleanse, which is your body’s garbage can.

Forget the sugar

If you do only one thing, cut out refined white sugar. Sugar decreases the function of your immune system almost immediately. 100 grams of sugar, the amount in one 12-ounce can of regular carbonated drinks, can reduce the ability of white blood cells to kill germs by 40 percent for up to 5 hours! A strong immune system is key to fighting off viruses and other illness. It’s especially important to avoid sugar completely if you feel you’re coming down with something.  Keeping sugar out of your diet overall will do wonders for your health and make your body stronger. And don’t substitute artificial sweetener. That’s even worse.

Drink plenty of water

How many times have we heard that you should dring 6 to 8 8-oz glasses of water a day ? But cold weather means drier air. It’s harder to stay hydrated, and a dehydrated body is very susceptible to infection. Water is essential to help your body fight illness. Your immune system can’t function properly without adequate quantities of water. It flushes toxins from the body and helps maintain good health. Avoid soft drinks, alcohol, coffee and caffeine. These will actually deplete your body of water. If you drink coffee, make sure you add an additional two glasses to your water intake per cup of coffee. Drink herbal teas, or hot water with lemon. Keep a bottle of filtered water with you. Don’t reach for fruit juice and sweetened beverages, either. Remember the “avoid sugar” tip? Fruit juice is full of sugar – better to eat a whole fruit than drink juice.  If you have to drink juice, dilute it with lots of water.

Get moving

Exercise can make a noticeable difference to your health and happiness by releasing endorphins. Physical activity stimulates the immune system. You don’t have to run a marathon or sweat over heavy weights. But don’t sit on your duff all the time. Move your body, use those joints. Walk, run, clean your house, shovel snow.

Get plenty of rest and relaxation

Stress and insomnia weaken the immune system. Sleep restores and heals the body. You need seven to eight hours a night. Go to bed earlier on those dark winter nights. Do some deep breathing to relax.

Use your lungs

Fill your lungs with deep, cleansing breaths. Concentrate on slowly breathing in and out several times throughout the day. Deep breathing improves health, helps you relax, reduces stress and maximizes your energy.

If you get the flu…

Homeopathic medicine is very effective for managing and recovering from flu symptoms. Homeopathy can be used by the whole family – adults, elderly,pregnant women, children and infants. Homeopathic medicines will not interact with conventional medicines or other natural health products. Homeopathy complements medical care and supports your body’s immune system. 

The information presented here is for educational purposes and is not intended as medical advice. You are encouraged to be critical of any information relating to your health, whatever the source. Be informed and make wise choices to keep yourself healthy.