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Get the Edge This Season:  Quick Tips to Prevent You From Getting a Cold or the Flu!

The people who are exposed to germs from flu and colds on a daily basis, such as flight attendants, doctors, teachers, etc. probably know quite a few easy tips on how to avoid catching and even preventing the germs spread from a sneezing child in the classroom or a sick passenger on the flight - many will suggest that you get your seasonal flu shot in order to prevent the bug from taking hold of you.
 
But here are some really good tips from those people who are exposed to colds and flu daily:

  1. Always wash your hands, and quite often too, because, no matter what line of work you are in, you are encountering people who are contagious to you and you will need to wash your hands repeatedly. Even when you are out, and you touch the elevators, the lifts, door handles, you are coming into contact with dangerous germs. It sounds so simple but in fact, soap and water are doctors and nurses’ around-the-clock companions.
  2. Try and use hand sanitizers that are alcohol based because if you are not near any soap and water, the sanitizer can kill off the flu and cold germs.  That means not getting too close to people who are sick, like not shaking hands.
  3. Keep your space around you clean - in other words, if you are sick, it is better for you to stay at home. Your job is to heal and not to pass on the germs to other people, particularly if you are sick.
  4. Live a healthy lifestyle, as it is important to look after your health. That means getting enough rest and nutrition. Many think these are just old wives tales, but it is really important to get good nutritional food into your system, not to smoke and to keep allergies under control. If you don’t, your upper respiratory tract could become inflamed. This makes you more vulnerable to get a virus.
  5. Repair your gut because your gut is the gateway to health and almost 80% of your immune system is situated in the gut. That means it needs to be in peak condition. Take a top-quality probiotic to keep up good levels of bacteria to fight off infection.
  6. Go slow on alcohol and sugar consumption because when you consume too much, you suppress the immune system, causing leaky gut. Just moderate alcohol consumption can suppress your central nervous system too which is part of your important immune system.
  7. Reduce stress because stress suppresses the immune system. Consider things like acupuncture, or yoga, or medication to reduce stress.
  8. Take an immune booster which contains proteins and immunoglobulins which will boost your body’s line of defense.
  9. Take supplements of glutathione and turmeric because they are antioxidants, important for the right functioning of the immune function. Glutathione is the main antioxidant in the body and is responsible for enhancing the immune system as well as assisting the liver with detoxification. Turmeric improves cardiovascular function and joint health.
  10. Optimize on Vitamin D, which is a powerful immune system booster as it fights off infections.  Pair your vitamin D supplement with vitamin K to ensure the vitamin D is well absorbed.
  11. Drink a bone broth. Maybe you remember your mother or grandmother giving you chicken broth when you were sick and how it made you feel so much better.  It’s not just folklore – bone broth does benefit your immune system. Studies show that when you eat chicken soup during respiratory infection times, you quell inflammation. It’s so easy to make – you boil turkey or chicken bones and vegetable pieces roughly for around 8 hours. Add some collagen or gelatin to the bone broth to optimize on healthifying your immune system and supporting a healthy gut to protect your body against invasive pathogens.
 
Keep up these tips in the flu and cold seasons and you will not only prevent flu and colds from invading your body but will keep your body on the path to achieving optimal health. Getting sick can really stress out your immune system, increasing your risk of a flare-up of autoimmune conditions, chronic illnesses, and thyroid dysfunction.

Say no to colds and flu and yes to health!