Christmas / New Year

10 ways to help you avoid a cold / flu

It’s that time of year again when the common cold and flu begins to get passed from one person to the next. The average person is likely to suffer some or all of the effects of a cold or flu twice a year with sneezing, coughing, sore throat and a runny nose the obvious symptoms.

With hundreds of cold-causing viruses floating around, here are our 10 ways to help boost your immune system and help prevent catching a cold or the flu this winter. Our hand sanitisers and tissues are also great ways
of stopping the germs spreading around.

1. Wash Hands Frequently.   The most effective way to prevent colds and the flu is simply washing your hands properly and frequently. Wash your hands and encourage those around you to do the same, keep a hand sanitiser available as well, and frequent use will help kill germs passed on from shaking hands and touching doorknobs, keyboards, and telephones

2. Wipe Down Surfaces.  It's common sense not to shake hands or get near a sick person but we will all inevitably be in contact with ill people at some time. Wiping down light switches, doorknobs, the phone, computer keyboard, and your TV remote will also minimize exposure to germs.

3. Drink Plenty of Fluids.  Stay hydrated by drinking a lot of fluids, especially water, and avoid caffeinated drinks. Try six to eight glasses of water a day and more if you cannot help but drink caffeinated beverages.

4. Exercise to Strengthen Your Immunity.  Exercise not only makes you perform your job better but it also boosts your immune system and as low as 20 minutes of brisk walking is all you may need to significantly improve the body’s immune response.

5. Get Plenty of Sleep.  Studies have found that getting enough sleep is essential for healthy immune function and that insufficient sleep or poor sleep quality is associated with lowered immune function.

6. Add Some Sunshine.  Researchers are quickly catching on that Vitamin D may be the secret to avoiding the cold and flu. Vitamin D plays an important role in strengthening your defence system to better fight any invading viruses and bacteria. Compounding the problem is the fact that Vitamin D is produced when the body gets adequate levels of sunshine which we have not had too much of this winter and naturally, even less is produced in the winter months. So when the sun does come out, down tools leave the office and spend 15 minutes in the sun.

7. Put down the sugar.  When it comes to fighting cold and flu it is essential to decrease your amount of sugar intake. Sugar has devastating effects on the immune system. Instead of eating high sugar foods, eat plenty of fruits and vegetables this will make sure your body gets enough of the vitamins and minerals that are essential to fighting off the cold and flu.

8. Spend time outdoors. Germs thrive in closed areas, so take time each day to step out for a breath of fresh air.

9. Vitamin C supplementation.  There are a lot of vitamins and minerals that can help boost your immune system but Vitamin C seems to be the typical staple in most people’s “immune booster” arsenal.

10. Hot Winter Soup and a good laugh.  This is not backed with research but soup warms the body and laughter warms the mind.


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