Go Natural – Ways to Prevent Cold and Flu
With the cold weather fast approaching, it’s important for one to start taking steps to prevent common health conditions like the cold and flu. Of course, you may get flu shots for yourself or your family, but if that’s not an option, you can also stop flu dead in its tracks by employing easy and natural techniques.
The Basics
Adequate sleep, lots of fluids, a proper diet, and exercise are some of the things you should work on if you want to prevent the flu. These elements are known to be the basics of having good health, and it works for preventing the cold and flu as well. Get enough sleep, drink lots of water, add Vitamin C enriched foods and beverages to your diet, and get moving, to boost your immunity and lower your chances of getting the flu virus.
It’s All About the Hands
Most virus and bacteria are spread through direct contact. Just think of a flu carrier who sneezes into his hands and presses the buttons on the office elevator. The next person who touches the same buttons may catch the flu. To avoid this, frequent washing is necessary. A tip is to sing two ‘happy birthday’ songs when washing your hands. It should take that long for it to be effective. Wash thoroughly.
Another natural way to avoid getting the cold and flu is to keep your hands away from your face. If your hands have already come across the virus from somewhere, it could get into your body through your eyes, nose and mouth.
Getting All Warmed Up
Traditional Chinese medicine will tell you that colds and flu are not caused by virus or bacteria, but by the body’s inability to adapt quickly to the changing external atmospheres from warm to cold. During the cold season, the heart (a fire organ) has to work double time to keep the body warm. When it’s not able to adjust to the external cold temperature in time, one can ‘catch the chill.’ To avoid this, one should aid the body in keeping warm, such as taking warm baths, soaking hands in warm water, or going for saunas. Eating warming food which can provide fuel for the heart, such as chicken, turkey and fish also helps, as well as drinking warming herbal beverages like ginger and ginseng tea.
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