It seems that whenever the cold sets in outside, so does the cold inside...your nose, that is! Your mother's voice plays in your head telling you to bundle up and stay warm so you don't get sick. So, you wear every item of clothing you own when you go outside this winter, and still get sick! What's going on?
Truthfully, getting sick from cold weather is a myth. Your immunity may become lowered as a result of consistently being outside in less-than-perfect temperatures, but cold viruses and influenza are spread through the transmission of germs. Since people tend to spend more time indoors throughout the winter months, germs are held captive and easily transferred from unwilling recipient to unwilling recipient. So, how do you fight this seemingly unavoidable part of life?
Wash Your Hands
The number one way germs are transmitted is through touching. Your hands come in contact on a daily basis with door knobs, old friends or clients who want to shake hands in greeting, or touching your school-age child who just came home from a classroom filled with ten sick children. Invest in a few bottles of some good liquid soap and keep it at every sink in your home. Wash first thing when you come in the house, before meals, or after touching anything you feel may have been touched by many hands before you. This cuts down on such a large percentage of germs that it may make all the difference.
Nasal Irrigation
Many people who are prone to certain types of respiratory infections during certain seasons are actually allergy sufferers. The prolonged presence of allergens can overload your system and make it likely you will contract that awful three month bout with bronchitis you get every winter. A wonderful way to fight allergens and cold viruses you might breathe in is to use a nasal irrigation technique every day. It is a method allergists recommend wherein a person uses a mixture of warm water and salt to literally flush their sinus cavity out. This can be done using a simple bulb syringe or a small plastic or ceramic Neti Pot that resembles a tea pot.
Strengthen Your Immunity
The average person forgets about fruits and vegetables when the winter sets in and the holiday parties begin. Who wants to eat apples when there are cookies present? But, the best way to super size your immunity into a force to be reckoned with is to continue to eat the vitamin C, antioxidant and nutrient-rich, naturally delicious super foods that your body will easily absorb and use to fight off viruses and infections. Try to get 5-10 servings a day of different fruits and vegetables to enjoy the maximum health-related benefits. After a few months of eating such healthy foods, you'll surely find more than just your immunity is working at its best.
Don't worry about bringing tissues when you're careening down the snow covered hills on a sled this year. Enjoy the holidays the most healthy way possible!
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