Health & Wellness Guide for cold/flu season

The cold and flu season has begun in the Northern Hemisphere.

#1 Proper hygiene

First and foremost, the important step to protect yourself and others from spreading germs is proper hygiene. Viruses spread most commonly via direct contact from an infected person to another, in particular hands. This means hand washing regularly, including before every meal, after using the bathrooms, when coming into contact with an unwell person, after blowing the nose, sneezing, coughing. Hand sanitizers have been found not as effective as hand washing in removing microbes. Ensure that your hand sanitizers has more than 60% alcohol in it.

#2 Nutrition

Proper nutrition lays the foundation for your immune system. Eat nutrient dense foods, lots of vegetables and avoid processed and junk food (including sugar and alcohol). Processed and junk food have an immune suppressive effect. We want our immune system to be up an running well.

- Onions and garlic are both great for immune system support. Additionally, garlic is anti-viral and also been shown to act against viral infections including rhinovirus and parainfluenza virus. So crush your garlic that helps to activate its potent allicin and put it over your vegetables.

- Eat a variety of vegetables (#eatrainbow) for vitamins and phytochemicals such as antioxidant and vitamin C found in the red, yellow and orange colored vegetables. Red peppers and kiwi fruit are a great source of vitamin C. Berries are rich in antioxidants.

- Green Tea contains the phenolic compounds catechins which has shown to reduce the virus’ ability to bind and replication in the body .

- Pumpkin seeds and oysters provide a great source of zinc, which is essential for healthy immune function.

#3 Sleep

Your body repairs and recover during the sleep. Ensure to get adequate sleep and rest period. I recommend a minimum of 7.5 hours, aim for 8 hours or more. Yes this means, go to bed early and switch all technology off.

#4 Use humidifiers

The use of heaters and spending more time inside has been contributed to the increase in cold and flus in winter. Whilst the use of heaters in winter cannot be avoided, allow fresh air regularly into the room. Open the window frequently.

Due to the usage of heaters, the air becomes dry which causes the mucous membranes of the nose and upper respiratory tract to dry out and in turn reduces defences against infection. Use humidifiers in your apartment or house regularly to moisten the air. Humidifiers can also be used to diffuse essential oils. Essential oils like thyme, eucalyptus, oregano, ginger, tea tree and lemon are fantastic for winter as they are all anti-viral, help to clear congestion. If you don’t have a humidifier, you could just place a bowl of water with some drops of essential oil next to your heater.

#5 Adequate hydration

Often in winter, people don’t drink as much water as in summer as it is cooler outside. Our bodies need water to eliminate waste from the body as well as transporting nutrients in and out of the cells. Add ginger or lemon to your water for added health benefits and drink other herbals teas if you find it hard to drink water.

#6 Exercise

Exercise stimulates our immune system and builds resilience. Ensure to move your body daily, whether a brisk walk, yoga, an F45 class or whatever gets your body moving.

#7 Consider supplementation & stock up remedies

During the cooler months, additional supplementation may be required to support the immune function. Vitamin D to boost immune system and due to reduce sunlight exposure, our vitamin D levels decline.

I also recommend to stock up on remedies so they are available as soon as you feel the first signs of a cold/flu. This way you can fight off the virus before it becomes worse.

References:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Show Me the Science - How to Wash Your Hands.October 2, 2018. https://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/show-me-the-science-handwashing.html(accessed October 24, 2018).

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Show Me the Science - Situations where hand sanitizer can be effective & How to Use it in community settings.October 15, 2018. https://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/show-me-the-science-hand-sanitizer.html(accessed October 24, 2018).

Eagle Natural Health. Healthy Immune Support.April 2017. https://eaglenaturalhealth.com.au/health-wellness/healthy-immune-support/a-rainbow-of-fruits-veg-to-ward-off-that-winter-cold/(accessed October 2018).

#coldfluseason #stayhealthy