Winter arrives and it seems that bugs endeavouring to interfere with our daily lives leap into action. It isn’t that they are around more, it is just that our behaviour changes. We spend more time indoors and closer to other people, who may be very generous and like to share their bugs. It might be hard to avoid people unless you live in the middle of the desert (hmmm, might be a worthwhile option – it is freezing here today!), but you can take measures to help minimise the viruses that love to share our bodies with us.
Firstly – keep your hands away from your face! I know, sounds simple, but you would be amazed how often you touch your face during the day. Your face is probably ok – but what have you touched with your hands? People coughing, sneezing and wiping their noses then transfer their little bugs to surfaces you touch… then you touch that surface, then your face. Yuk. Washing your hands regularly is really important. You could also try to avoid breathing in public places to avoid inhaling airborne bugs, but this brings with it a whole different problem and not a generally recommended course of action.
There are other things you can do, to help control how susceptible you are to getting sick.
Try to do things to minimise stress, as stress can really impact your immune system, making it more likely you will actually get sick. Sleep is really important both when you are not well and in general. The body uses this time of rest to regenerate, repair and recharge. Inadequate sleep combined with stress overload can be a recipe for disaster and you may find yourself succumbing to every little virus or bacteria that is going around.
Make sure your diet is good. I know, I’ve said it before. But it actually is really important to get all your vitamins and minerals so your body has a chance of handling any virus or bacteria you come into contact with. Including garlic is really beneficial – and if eaten in large enough quantities you are unlikely to have anyone want to be too close to you in a crowd! Win-win!! Also ensure that you are getting plenty of foods that contain vitamin C and protein. You can’t cheat on your food intake and expect all will remain well. Obsessive food control is generally not helpful – you are of course allowed to have foods that are not ideal occasionally! Just try to maintain over 80% intake of good food, over 80% of the time. This will generally work for most people.
And don’t forget to drink water!!! Even though it is cold, we still need to keep up water intake. We spend more time in heated rooms and dehydration of your insides and skin can be a problem. Why not have a hot water with a piece of lemon, or maybe some ginger and/or honey? What about an Echinacea or rosehip tea (rosehip is an excellent source of vitamin C). However you enjoy it, you will reap the benefits.