Flu season is about to peak. So if you are not already onto it, now is the time to knuckle down with some simple preventative measures (a lot less extreme than a gas mask!) to help reduce your exposure.
Whilst I'm sure you have heard all of these 'tips' before, it's worth having a think about whether any of these areas could be improved upon to reduce your chances of infection.
1.Reduce exposure Obviously try and limit close contact with people that already have viral infection. However if you have small children or other dependants, this is frankly impossible.
Don't worry though, there are many things you can do to bolster your own immune defences.
Where possible, try and encourage the people around you to stay home when they are sick to reduce passing on the infection to others.
2. Be vigilant about hygiene.
I am not talking about dirt here.
Careful hand washing before eating, and after blowing your nose or coughing can really help to reduce germ spread.
Encourage those around you to get into the habit of coughing and sneezing into their elbows, rather than on their hands.
Consciously try and avoid touching your eyes, mouth and nose as infections are often spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth.
Used tissues should go straight in the bin, whilst hankies can be soaked in warm soapy water with a couple of drops of tea tree essential oil until you are ready to do the next washing load.
3. Bolster your own immune defences.
Give yourself a fighting chance by focusing on eating nutritious foods. Go for bright coloured fruit and vegetables full of vitamins and antioxidants. Kids and fussy eaters can be encouraged to eat rainbows (fruit and veggies of each colour of the rainbow every day) as a way of getting the full spectrum of nutrients.
Consume plenty of water to flush metabolic waste out of the system and to keep your cells happily hydrated. Soups, herbal teas and home made jelly can all be great ways of increasing your fluid intake when you are not very hungry.
Try to manage your stress levels. Chronic activation of stress hormones will dampen your immune response leaving you more vulnerable to infection. If you can't afford to take time out for a bath or some meditation then you probably can't afford 2 weeks being sick.
Maintaining physical activity will not only assist with stress maintenance but will also improve delivery of oxygen and nutrients to cells and removal of metabolic waste with every exhalation.
If you are overwhelmed and struggling to stay on top of your health at the moment, consider giving me a call to discuss your options. In addition to the above advice there are many fantastic herbs and nutritional supplements that can be used to augment your health.