08 Dec Survival guide for flu season
Each year, the typical adult can expect to contract two or three colds, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But it doesn’t have to be this way! Aside from good hand washing (with soap, for at least 20 seconds), there’s a lot you can do to drastically cut your risk of getting sick. And even if you do catch a bug, you may be able to cut short the duration of your illness. Arm yourself with these tips from the experts, and make this cold and flu season your healthiest yet.
Eat yogurt for breakfast
The same live cultures that help ease digestive distress can help stave off a cold. A 2011 study backs this up: scientists found that people who consumed probiotics via supplements or fermented foods (think yogurt, kefir and ayran) had 12 percent fewer upper respiratory infections.
Crack open a window
Spending the day in a stuffy room with anyone who’s under the weather raises your risk of catching a bug. Letting a little fresh air circulate keeps airborne viral particles on the move, making them harder to pick up.
Have some mushrooms
New research published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition offered evidence of their immune-boosting powers. People who ate cooked mushrooms daily for a month showed higher numbers of T cells and less inflammation.
Quit touching your lips
Not touching your face greatly cuts your odds of getting sick. But that’s easier said than done: The average person puts a hand on her mouth or nose more than three times an hour. To break the habit, try sitting on your hands when they’re idle.
Score regular sleep
Take advantage of longer nights and log enough shut-eye. A study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that subjects who slept for fewer than seven hours were nearly three times as susceptible to colds as people who slept for at least eight hours.
Have some zinc
Zinc is a mineral essential to the cells of the immune system, and a 2013 analysis of 18 trials found that ingesting it within 24 hours of the onset of cold symptoms reduces the duration of the illness. The study authors recommend a daily dose of 75 milligrams.
You could also ramp up your intake of these zinc-rich foods: sea food, beef and lamb, wheat germ, spinach, cashew nuts, beans, mushrooms, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds and dark chocolate.
Tap your chest
There’s an acupressure point in the middle of your breastbone, at the level of your third rib. A series of gentle taps there, for about a minute every couple of hours, will prompt the thymus gland to produce more T cells to attack pathogens.
Inhale essential oils
Several times a day, add a few drops of thyme or eucalyptus oil to boiling water, then breathe in the aromatic steam. The menthol-like smell should make your airways feel as if they’re opening up. Plus, it’s thought that antimicrobial particles in these essential oils coat the mucous membrane lining the nasal cavity.
Have a spoonful of honey
Honey is believed to be antimicrobial, and its thick, syrupy consistency coats and soothes an irritated throat.
