With summer holidays having come to a close and Christmas being right round the corner, no one has time to get sick in the winter. However, all too many people find themselves coming down with a bug quicker than they can say 'a-choo'.
With people coughing and sneezing all around on public transport and in work, catching the common cold might seem inevitable. However, there are a number of things that you can do to safeguard yourself from winter illnesses; none of which involves spending too much money on expensive supplements and health remedies.
The rewards? Peace of mind and a healthy, happy approach towards enjoying the winter season.
Wash Your Hands
The importance of washing has been emphasised with the onset of swine flu this year; and for good reason. Cleansing your hands on a regular basis kills flu germs that could get transmitted orally by making contact with your food.
Tip: As an extra, carry around alcohol-based hand gel (which needs no water) for when a bathroom isn't handy.
Dress Appropriately with Thermal Clothing
It is yet to be proven whether a prolonged exposure to cold weather causes cold. However, a drastic change in body temperature is known to aggravate illness; it is certainly better to be safe than sorry.
Tip: Thermal regulating items of clothing, which prevent the wearer from either freezing or overheating, are widely available in outdoors shops and are worth investing in.
Eat Well and Regularly
Stick to the standard 5-a-day portions of fruit and veg in order to maintain a healthy immune system. Food particularly high in vitamin C (oranges, kiwis), fibre (prunes, wholegrain), protein (eggs, lean meat) and antioxidants (berries, broccoli) is recommended in winter, as is eating 3-5 light meals a day.
Tip: For those who find eating fruit a chore, whipping up a breakfast smoothie is an easy way to ensure a healthy start to the day.
Get Plenty of Rest
Sleep is particularly important for those who take on more work than they are capable of. The body is most susceptible to illness during periods of stress (which often result in irregular sleeping and eating patterns). Sleeping lowers blood pressure and heart rate, allowing the body to relax and stress to decrease.
Tip: Taking a glass of milk and a banana to bed boosts melatonin, the hormone that promotes healthy sleep.
Keep Active with Regular Exercise
Exercise kick-starts the metabolism, so that important nutrients provided by food can be absorbed into the blood stream. Consequently, keeping fit helps the immune system to stay healthy and strong.
Tip: Although the thought of exercising may not be an appetising one whilst the weather is cold outside, there is no substitute for exercising in fresh air. Even going for a brisk 20-minute walk twice a day is better than no exercise at all.
Moderate Your Excesses
Ingesting too much caffeine, refined sugar, alcohol and fatty meat has bad implications for the immune system. But if you balance out your guilty pleasures with the appropriate diet and lifestyle, you might just get away with spoiling yourself from time to time.
Tip: Drinking too much milk can provoke an infection in the sinuses. Swapping from lattes to lemon tea will reward your body with the antiseptic properties of lemon, whilst staving off catarrh.
For further winter health tips see here.
Sources:
The Nature Doctor, Dr H. C. A. Vogel. Mainstream Publishing. Edinburgh, 1990. ISBN: 185158 274 6
Healing with Vitamins, ed. Alice Feinstein. Rodale Press. Emmaus, 1996. ISBN: 0 87596 292 0
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