Tag Archives: Prevention

If You’re Getting Sick…Try Not to Panic

Lately I’ve been surrounded by people who have been sneezing, coughing, losing their voices, vomiting or weak from a fever.  I have always had a weak immune system because I have several autoimmune diseases  so I was surprised to find myself in pretty good shape this entire week.  If you find yourself getting sick, try and quarantine yourself from others you recognize with cold or flu symptoms (it’s often hard to tell the difference between the two).   Both can be treated with medicine to shorten the time spent sick but once the cold or flu has started, there’s nothing more to do than temporarily mask the symptoms and ride it out.

Experts say that Vitamin C is one of the safest and most effective nutrients.  It protects against immune system deficiencies, cardiovascular disease, prenatal health problems, eye disease and even skin wrinkling.  It may not cure the cold or flu but if you eat enough fruits and vegetables or take an additional supplement to get the recommended daily 500 mg, Vitamin C can play a large role in keeping you out of your bed and on top of your daily life.  If you don’t prefer straight fruits or vegetables, visit www.smoothieweb.com for over 500 healthy, multi-purpose smoothies.

I’m sure everyone could feel this one coming but exercising daily is a great preventative to battle the cold, flu or fatigue.  Exercise not only helps your immune system fight off simple bacterial and viral infections, it decreases your chances of developing heart disease, osteoporosis and cancer.  Physical activity can help by flushing bacteria out of the lungs (preventing cold, flu and other airborne illnesses) and prevent cancer-causing cells by increasing output of wastes, like urine and sweat.  Read more…

Last but certainly not least, your water intake is the key to any aspect of your physical health.  The average human body is comprised of 50-65% of water; mental performance and physical coordination start to become impaired after about 1% dehydration.  Water flushes toxins out of vital organs, carries nutrients to your cells and provides a moist environment for ear, nose and throat tissues: the main tissues affected by a cold.  For more information on the cold, flu or any health-related topics discussed above, visit mayoclinic.org or webmd.com.