It's that time of year...cough, cough...when people are starting to...snorrrrk....get sick. Don't let it happen! Here are a few tips...hack, hack...to help keep those colds and flus at bay.
1. Wash your hands! It doesn't matter what type of soap (of course, something natural is nice) or the temperature of your water. The environmentalists would have you choose cold water to spare the waste of running water while it heats and the energy to heat it. Cold water is just as effective as warm or hot water with soap to kill germs. But honestly, rubbing my hands under cold water when the weather is cold just has no appeal to me! Wash whenever you think to do it - of course after you use the toilet, but also after you've shaken someone's hand, pushed a shopping buggy, handled money, opened public doors and anytime you pass by a sink.
2. Limit your sugar intake. Nothing (besides #3) damages your immune system quite like sugar. It'll wear you down, make you weak and keep you susceptible to all those little germies floating around.
3. Limit your stress. Stress really is the downfall of mankind. It'll kill you quicker than you can say "deadline," "foreclosure," or "prognosis."
4. Get ample sleep. We should all be hibernating more this time of year - it's colder and it's darker. Our bodies need more sleep to restore and rebuild. Cut yourself a break! Sleep in, be a little lazy, cuddle up, stay cozy and bask by the fire.
5. Stock up on citrus - and eat it!. There's a reason why citrus is in season - it's because you need it! Nosh on oranges, grapefruit, tangerines, tangelos, lemons, limes and my favorite pumelos to help boost your immune system. Organic, non-GMO varieties are preferred, but eating a conventionally grown fruit is better than eating no fruit at all. Consider washing with soap the rind before you peel the fruit to remove any pesticide or insecticide residue. And/or wash your hands after you peel before you handle the inner fruit to get those chemicals off. Aim to eat AT LEAST one piece of citrus a day.
Stay warm, stay rested, stay washed and full of nature's Vitamin C and you'll have a better chance of not....herrrack, wiiiffth...succumbing to the ill effects - and sounds - of the season. xo-C.
