Health magazine’s November issue listed their Top 7 Tips for avoiding getting colds or flu this season.

Here they are:

1. Get the flu shot – this is the first year that the US is recommending that everyone 6 months or older gets a flu shot.  It used to be that only those who had higher risks associated with contracting flu were encouraged to get the shot.  For me, I’m not sure about this one.  I’ve never had a flu shot and I don’t usually get anything more than a short-lived cold during winter.  I know there are evolving strands of flu each year, so this whole flu thing is getting more complicated and more serious, but I’m still not convinced.  For those who know they always get bad flu or for those who would be in bad shape if they got flu, the shot is still a good idea.

2. Eat Well – Food fuels the body.  It either strengthens your immune system and your body’s ability to function or it weakens it.  You need to be strengthening your body each and every day!  In fact, this ‘tip’ about eating well should be number 1 on any list you put together for helping your body to fight illnesses, digestive issues, fatigue, stress, etc.  You need a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, good quality proteins (fish, lean meat, beans), and omega-3 fatty acids (flaxseed, fatty fish.)

3. Exercise – Depending on where you live, winter can be a time where you just want to hibernate and do nothing physical until the sun comes out again.  This is not the right approach!  No matter how hard it is, you need to maintain a good exercise regime during the winter.  This keeps your immune cells stimulated, particularly the ones that target infections.

Health magazine mentions that a University of South Carolina study showed that “people who walked or did other moderate activity for 30 minutes most days averaged one cold per year, whereas less active individuals reported more than four colds per year”.  That is a big enough difference to get you moving, right?  And actually, walking first thing in the morning is a fantastic way to get your metabolism going AND wake yourself up.  Leave the coffee until you’re done with your morning activity and see if you still feel like you need it.  I’m sure some of you think that’s absurd, but just try it

4. Stay hydrated -  This means staying hydrated both inside and out.  If your nose tends to get dry, or if you know you’re going to be somewhere super dry, use a saline nasal spray to keep things moist.  The hair lining your nasal passages work better at keeping things out of your system when hydrated.  Also, humidity kills viruses, so if you live somewhere where there is little or no humidity, get a humidifier for your house.  Health magazine suggests keeping the humidity at about 50% and temperatures at 69 degrees F at a minimum.  Also, drink water!  You should be doing this all year round anyway.

5. Get good bacteria – I’m sure everyone has now heard of Probiotics.  This is what we’re talking about in terms of good bacteria.  Probiotics help ensure your digestive system has the right balance of good and bad bacteria, which is essential to giving your body it’s best chance to fight off germs.  There are natural sources of probiotics, like natural live yogurt or fermented foods like sauerkraut, but there are also lots of supplements to choose from.  You want to get something that is as natural as possible, rather than chemically produced.  If you’ve got a good health food store near you, they should have plenty to choose from.

6. Get Sleep – Anytime your body is sleep-deprived, your immune system will not be working at 100% capacity.  I can’t give you the right answer for how much sleep you should get, but you should have a good idea yourself.  Something around 7-8 hours of sleep each night is the average need.  You know when you are sleep-deprived, so try to get enough to avoid that.

7. Wash your hands – This is a fairly obvious tip, but it needs to be here.  Many people are better now about washing hands and using anti-bacterial hand sanitizers.  Beyond this, also make sure to be aware if there are lots of sneezing or coughing people near you, try to move away.  If that isn’t possible, at least try to turn away from them.  Also, try not to touch your face a lot (this is a hard one for me.)

I wish you well this winter – stay healthy and flu-free!  Most of the tips above also support natural weight loss.  So, by following them, you’ll not only be avoiding illness, but also avoiding putting on winter pounds…and actually losing them instead.

To your health,

Kimberly