3 Tips for Staying Well Through Flu Season
By Genevieve Cunningham
Flu season is here and it's brutal. The virus is so rampant that schools are closing in order to let people heal and to stop further spreading. Though the flu is incredibly common, it's a tough virus to deal with. It strikes the very young, the very old, and those with compromised immune systems especially hard. And unfortunately, since it's a virus, all we can do is wait it out. Once the flu invades the body, there's just not much we can do to actively fight it off. But luckily, to avoid the virus in the first place, there may be some things that we can do and some precautions that we can take. If you're interested in staying well through flu season and beyond, take a look at these tips.
Make Hand Washing Mandatory
At this time of year, you must wash your hands often. Germs are lurking everywhere, and when we touch infected surfaces and then bring our hands to our nose or mouth, we're inhaling those germs and getting sick. Instead of allowing this to happen, wash your hands. Then wash again. All day long, wash your hands every time you think about it. Washing the germs away as often as possible is one of the best ways to keep the germs away avoid illness. Drill this into your kids too.
Avoid People
For some people, this probably sounds great! But seriously, this is the time of year to stay out of big crowds whenever possible. You'll still have to go to work and do shopping and go to various public places, but if you can avoid super crowded locations, do it. This is especially important if you're feeling less than healthy. Fever, coughing, sneezing, headaches, and other signs of illness mean that you need to stay inside and away from others. Stay in, stay cozy, and stop spreading the illness to others.
Eat Well and Rest
The food that you use to fuel your body and the amount of rest that you get on a daily basis have a huge impact on the way that your body functions and the way that you feel. Now is one of the most important times to feed it well and to get plenty of sleep. Fill your diet with veggies, fruit, lean meats, and plenty of water. Go to bed on time as much as you can. This helps your body to heal and also to fight off illness as it invades. If you haven't made these two areas of your life priority yet, now is a great time to do it.
We can't completely avoid the flu. It's everywhere! But these tips can help keep you as safe as possible. Keep your body and your belongings clean, stay away from sick people, and protect yourself! Prevention is the best medicine, so use these tips to get you and your family moving toward better health today.
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Brownsville, Tex.