The cold and flu season is upon us, and these 20 Amazing Cold & Flu Prevention Tips are here to keep you and your family healthy all year long. Some basic steps will keep your family from falling victim to the many viruses and illnesses that happen to crop up during cooler months. With a good immune system and a few extra steps, your family will be standing strong and healthy.
20 Amazing Cold & Flu Prevention Tips
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Teach proper hand washing. Make sure your kids and everyone in your family understand that soap, warm water, and vigorous rubbing for at least 30 seconds are necessary to get rid of dirt and germs from hands. No more rinse and dry.
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Get enough sleep. 4-5 hours a night just isn’t enough time for your body to do what it needs to function properly. You need a good 7-8 hours of sleep, possibly more. Your kids will need 8-12 hours of sleep each night depending on their age.
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Exercise regularly. 30 minutes of exercise at least 3 times a week is a minimum. The best choice is to exercise daily to get your heart rate up and your metabolism working properly.
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Eat a balanced diet. This is a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and water. It is light on meats and fats. Avoid junk food and processed foods. Instead make meals from scratch with a focus on vegetables and nutrient dense foods.
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Don’t eat or drink after each other. This can be hard with your spouse or kids, but spreading germs back and forth by eating and drinking after each other is one of the toughest things to avoid. Make it a family rule and stick to it.
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Clean frequently touched surfaces regularly. Wipe down counter tops, bathroom counters, toilets, door knobs, handles, light switches. Things like your remote control, keyboard, mouse, and even gaming system controllers also need to be wiped clean regularly.
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Use a proper disinfectant on surfaces. For an eco-friendly option use vinegar, water, and a few drops of lemon or tea tree essential oils.
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Get fiber through green vegetables each day. This is an odd one that I am not sure actually works, but it can’t hurt. Many individuals say that the fiber from green vegetables will keep your gut health in order to help your body fight off stomach viruses. It only works if you aren’t already displaying symptoms of a stomach bug.
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Take a daily Multi-vitamin. A daily vitamin is a great way to make sure you are getting everything your body needs.
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Take extra Vitamin C during the cold and flu season. Vitamin C has been proven to help build your immune system.
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Limit exposure to illnesses. When you know someone is ill, change plans or avoid them to keep the germs away. Simply try not to expose yourself if at all possible.
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Stay well hydrated. Drink at least 8 glasses of water per day. More may be good depending on your weight, body type, and other health concerns.
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Take a daily Zinc supplement. Zinc is a great choice to add to your daily supplement regimen to help prevent and get over colds.
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Avoid touching surfaces in public places. Handrails, chairs, counters, and door handles sometimes can’t be avoided, but do your best to avoid as much as you can. If you do touch them, remember to wash up before eating or touching your face.
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Keep your hands away from your face. Touching your face is one of the fastest ways to spread germs around. Keep your hands away from your mouth, nose, and eyes.
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Use essential oils in your home. Essential oils are a much safer and eco-friendly way to cleanse, add aromatherapy, and eliminate some health symptoms.
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Limit stress. The more stress you have, the harder your immune system has to work. Try to avoid as much stress as possible.
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Skip the alcohol. Drinking alcohol can promote dehydration as well as cause you to not rest as well as you should.
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Get the flu shot. Preventing the flu by taking the precaution of getting the flu shot is definitely a good idea. If you have no issues with vaccines, it is a great precaution to take.
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Quit Smoking. Smoking hurts your immune system, stresses your lungs, and makes you susceptible to illness.
These amazing cold & flu prevention tips will keep you and your family healthier this season.
More Tips for Cold & Flu Season
10 Ways to Keep Your Family Healthy This Winter
12 Tips for Staying Healthy When Caring for Sick Kids
Tips for Avoiding the Common Cold
4 Tips to Help You Stay Healthy During Cold and Flu Season
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Laura @ Little Bits of Granola says
Great list! Getting outdoors to get some natural vitamin D is important too. Vitamin D supports the immune system.
Cathy Rogers says
Flu shots are dangerous for all people. Seniors are receiving twice the dangerous amounts of ingredients in each shots,into their system. Its referred to by health care providers as a “super dose”. Their body systems cannot handle it, resulting in horrible side affects, even death. Kids are victims to this vaccines ingredients also. No one should take this vaccine. There are harmful chemicals and metals in it. Please research it before encouraging it. I appreciate the “natural” precautions tips though. These natural options are a safer alternative, compared to the horrible outcome of taking dangerous flu vaccine injections.
Thanks,
Cathy (A concerned registered nurse)