Showing posts with label Health Tips. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Health Tips. Show all posts

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Tips For Cold And Flu Prevention

It has been rightly said that precaution is better than cure. A healthy person takes early steps to prevent diseases, rather than relying on medicines to cure them later on. During certain parts of the year, flu viruses become active and can attack even the healthiest of people. At such a time, it is advisable to employ strategies to keep influenza at bay, for it can leave you feeling weak and inactive. The article comes up with some very effective and easy tip for cold and fly prevention. Go through them and know how to prevent cold and flu.

Tips For Cold And Flu Prevention

Wash Your Hands
Flu and cold mostly spread by direct contact. When a flu-affected person sneezes into his/her hands and then touches things like the telephone, kitchen glass or anything else, the germs can stay put on them for hours, sometimes, even days. In case you also touch them, the germs, and with them the flu, get transferred. So, keep washing your hands as often as you can. This way, not only do you stay away from the flu germs, but can also prevent spreading them further, in case you’re already affected.

Drink Plenty Of Fluids
Drinking plenty of water is the most effective way to release toxins from the body. Water detoxifies your system and re-hydrates you. It also effectively prevents cold and flu, especially lukewarm water is excellent for health. Drink 8-10 glasses of water a day to avoid the much dreaded influenza.

Take A Healthy Diet
There is nothing like a healthy diet to fight viruses and bacterial infections. A nutritious diet helps build immunity and beat flu and cold. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables to strengthen your immunity system. Fruits rich in vitamin C, like guava, oranges, and grapes, are particularly good at fighting cold. A healthy diet, comprising of lean meats, fish, poultry, low-fat dairy, legumes, whole grains, nuts and seeds, provides your body the required nutrition to keep infection at bay.

Restrict Smoking & Drinking
There are reliable statistics to establish that heavy smokers and alcohol consumers are more prone to cold and flu. Too much of alcohol destroys the liver, which is the primary filtering system of the body, making it easier for germs to stay inside you for long. It also dehydrates the body. Same is the case with cigarettes as well. Excess smoking makes your immune system dysfunctional. If you can’t put an end to smoking and drinking, try to restrict their consumption.

Do Aerobics Regularly
Aerobic exercises are extremely beneficial in maintaining good health and avoiding flu. Aerobics speed up the heart and pump up larger quantities of blood, in turn facilitating an easier transfer of oxygen from your lungs to the blood, making you sweat when your body heats up. Such exercises also help activate the natural virus killing cells of your body,

Eat Yoghurt
Studies have shown that eating one cup of low-fat or fat-free yoghurt every day helps reduce your body's vulnerability to cold by 25%. Yoghurt contains bacteria that stimulate your immune system and allow it to function to its maximum ability. In short, eating yoghurt is an inexpensive and extremely effective way to keep cold and flu at bay.


Monday, January 3, 2011

5 Cold and Flu Season Prevention Tips

As the cold and flu season approaches, it becomes increasingly important to be health conscious. There’s nothing worse than catching an annoying cold or being stuck in bed all day with the flu. One option is to get your flu shot each year, but for those who choose not to — myself included — taking a proven, all-natural approach is the most effective way to go. It basically all comes down to following a few healthy habits and eating right. Although you’ve probably heard about many of these cold and flu prevention tips, it never hurts to reiterate them to help refresh your memory.


1. Wash your hands often
You’ve heard this one a thousand times, but that’s because it’s one of the most effective ways to prevent getting a cold or flu bug. After all, your hands are one of the most bacteria filled parts of your body.

2. Drink plenty of water
Water can actually help fight off the bacteria in your body, and often times you can fight off an on-coming cold by drinking an increased amount of water. Really, any fluids work well for this purpose with the exception of alcohol (aahhh, man!).

3. Eat healthier
An all-natural fix for seemingly every ailment, eating healthier provides your immune system with the vitamins, nutrients and antioxidants it needs to ward off the cold and flu bug. The old saying is true, “you are what you eat,” so make healthier food choices — at least this time of year.

4. Daily multivitamin
Let’s be honest, it’s not always easy to meet all of your body’s nutritional needs, so a daily multivitamin can help. Although it can’t replace the quality of the vitamins you get from eating fruits and veggies, it can help to fill in the gaps. In fact, the Harvard School of Public Health calls daily multivitamins good “insurance policies” for helping you meet your recommended daily amount of vitamins.

5. Stay home if you get stick!
One of the biggest pet-peeves in the workplace, or at school for kids, is somebody showing up sick. Just because you may have come down with a cold or the flu doesn’t mean you have to infect everyone else. If you are sick, take a day off to rest and drink plenty of fluids. You’ll be doing yourself and everyone around you a favor.
Hope these simple tips help you out this cold and flu season. If you have any good tips of your own, please share in the “comments” section below. Thanks!