Stay Well This Winter!

You're in the middle of doing laundry and it hits you- headache, sniffling nose, and fever. You're sick. It's hard to believe, but it is that time of the year where colds and the flu runs rampant through immune systems. I don't know about you but I at least get the cold once during the winter months. I get the flu about every other year. Sometimes you just can't prevent the cold or flu, but there are ways to shield yourself as best as you possibly can:

Pick up some hand sanitizer. I know it's cliche, but it truly works. Use it before you leave the house and when you get back. If you don't use it before you leave the house, you run the risk of catching the cold/flu germ and touching your face. When you use it before leaving home, you have fully cleansed your hands of bacteria, which is a breeding ground. If you don't use it when you get home, the germ will just stay on your hands until you touch something or your face.

Fortify yourself with fruits and vegetables. We all know that fruits and veggies contain lots of vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants. But with all that delicious food around, it's hard to concentrate on getting your 4-5 servings of fruits/vegetables a day. Instead of dreading it, consider cooking the fruit or vegetables into something you would definitely consider eating!

Take Echinacea daily. I know some people and studies don't believe Echinacea really works. This has been a debate that has been going on for YEARS. Each person has their own opinion and I have mine. I take Echinacea daily and have found (personally) that it actually works in shielding against colds. It doesn't completely keep you from catching a cold, but I have less colds now that I take it daily. Consult your doctor if you're unsure how your children, or even yourself, will react to it.

Clean what gets touched the most. No one will think you're weird if they come over to find you cleaning the doorknobs, phones, or other things your family touches the most. If done every day, you can keep the chance of getting sick down to about 25%. If your family hardly ever gets sick, then that number could be lower.

Take care of yourself- and your family. Taking great care of your family and yourself is one of the best ways to make sure that you don't get sick. Making sure everyone is getting the vitamins and nutrition they need will help them fight any cold or flu.

Get the flu shot! While it's not 100% effective on some people, it can help prevent you from getting the flu. It's effectiveness varies on the person getting the shot, but it still may provide some protection. To find out where the flu shot is available in your area, call your local health department and they may be able to help you.

How do you prevent you and your family from getting sick?