Our last post shared how hand washing is your first line of defense against catching a cold or flu. But there are two more easy (but often ignored) ways you can protect yourself, not just against the cold or flu but from anything contagious that’s lurking out there: Eat healthier and move more to keep your body as strong and healthy as possible.

Easy Ways To Eat Healthy To Protect Yourself Against Contagious Stuff

It’s a fact. What we eat either strengthens or weakens us. And if there ever were a time we needed to be strong, it’s now.

But go easy on yourself by making small changes. Nothing drastic.

Consider starting by reducing sugar or cutting it out altogether (okay…so much for starting small and easy) by practicing simple swaps.

Reach for a crunchy apple or sweet banana instead of that pack of M&Ms or bag of chips when you want a snack.

Enjoy scrambled eggs for breakfast instead of that bowl of diabetes-inducing sugary cereal in the morning, or, for our vegan friends, steel-cut oats with strawberries and almond milk.

Next, have a protein-rich salad for lunch instead of that greasy burger, taco, or burrito.

You get the idea. Reduce or eliminate sugar and processed foods with simple, healthier, whole food swaps when you can.

Your Immune System is BEGGING You To Add More Fresh Fruit, Vegetables or A Green Drink to the Menu

Take it up a notch by adding more fresh fruits and vegetables because they are loaded with immune-boosting ingredients.

Make it fun by trying something new! Chances are you’ll stumble across a new favorite food!

Do an Internet search for healthy recipes, and transform your kitchen into a culinary laboratory. Or get creative and find healthier ways to cook your favorite foods.

Experiment. Play. Have fun! Who knows, maybe your tastes will change over time, and a baked or mashed sweet potato might start tasting better than that sad, soggy burger! (Work with me here; stranger things have happened!)

Lastly, consider adding a delicious green drink to your daily routine, if nothing else. If you don’t like the “grassy” taste of traditional green drinks, there’s a new kid on the block called Rewind Greens that tastes pretty good! (No, that’s not an affiliate link, but thanks for asking.)

Add More Physical Activity Into Your Day

If you’re a stranger to the gym, or, well, to basically any activity in general (walking from the couch to the bathroom or refrigerator doesn’t count), then consider adding a short, brisk daily walk outside in the fresh air and sunshine (remember the sun? It’s that shiny, yellow thing way up in the sky).

A great place to start is with an after-dinner stroll because it helps regulate blood sugar and aids in digestion.

Or, maybe the morning is better suited to you and your lifestyle.

Some people enjoy tracking their steps and aiming for a daily target, with 10,000 steps being a common goal, but if you’re new to walking, start with a smaller goal like 3000 – 4000 steps.

Walking works wonders for the body. And, as an added benefit, it’s an incredible stress reducer.

Making these small, simple changes by tweaking your diet and adding a little bit more physical activity to your lifestyle will make you feel so much better, healthier, and stronger! And your immune system will be must stronger, too, better protecting you against whatever contagious germ is lurking out and about to give you the sniffles this cold and flu season.

Next, keep your bones and muscles strong by adding a few weightlifting or bodyweight exercises. You don’t have to get crazy. And you don’t need fancy equipment either if you’re just starting. You’re going to feel so much better, though, that you might even consider joining your local gym or even hiring a personal trainer. But unless you’re already fairly active, start with walking and go from there.

The post Two More Easy Ways To Stay Healthy During Cold and Flu Season appeared first on Lifestyle.

With so much talk about the pandemic, it’s easy to forget that we’re in the cold and flu season.

We want to do everything we can to avoid getting sick because the last thing we need is to weaken our immune system further, especially right now.

BACTERIAL VERSUS VIRAL

Bacterial infections can be nipped in the bud pretty quickly with a round of antibiotics. But with viral illnesses like the cold or flu? Not so much. You pretty much have to let them run their course.

Sure, certain medications can ease their symptoms, and your immune system is probably strong enough to fight off a cold or flu virus. But Why not give your body a break by doing what you can to avoid catching something in the first place?

YOUR FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE

Wash your hands.

That is your first line of defense against catching a cold or flu virus.

And remember not to touch your face, especially your eyes, nose, and lip areas, with unwashed hands.

Whenever you’ve been out and about, wash your hands.

Whenever you’ve touched something while out and about, wash your hands.

Whenever you can throughout the workday, wash your hands.

And just like mom said, always wash your hands with soap and water before you eat or drink anything. If soap and water aren’t available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

THE MOST LIKELY WAY YOU WILL CATCH THE COLD OR FLU

You are more likely to catch these viruses with your hands than any other way.

Sure, someone sneezing or coughing in your face is never a good thing, and although it’s pretty gross, the odds of getting the flu or common cold are much higher by grabbing a handrail or touching the handle of a shopping cart, or by closing a door behind you or touching a doorknob.

Don’t worry about the virus entering your body through your skin because it can’t. That’s not the problem. It’s your face. And we touch our face a lot more than we’re aware of.

We touch our noses, rub our eyes, or stick our fingers near our mouth when we eat or cough. Or we handle our phone with dirty hands, then wash our hands but then touch our phones again, recontaminating our hands, and then we touch our eyes, nose, and mouth. And the virus makes it to a mucous membrane in any of those areas, which is right where it wants to be.

So, please stop touching your phone and then touching your face.

Never touch your face after handling your mobile phone or smart device until after you’ve used an alcohol-based hand sanitizer on your hands.

FINAL WORDS

Washing our hands isn’t some impractical or irrelevant hygiene chore dreamed up by public health officials to trick you into believing you’re doing something to stay healthy.

Nope. Mom was right.

So, what are you waiting for? Go wash your hands right now before you thoughtlessly rub your eyes or scratch your nose because you’ve probably been reading this post on your mobile phone, tablet, or computer!

The post How To Protect Yourself From The Cold & Flu appeared first on Lifestyle.

About two million people in the US catch walking pneumonia every year. Most think it’s a bad cold and go about life as usual, assuming the symptoms will pass. That’s how the disease got its name!

While walking pneumonia isn’t severe enough to knock you off your feet, it’s quite contagious. It spreads easily in crowded areas such as schools, hospitals, and nursing homes. Even worse, while it can take two weeks for the symptoms to show up, you’re still contagious during the two-week incubation period.

How Can You Tell It’s Pneumonia?

Walking pneumonia is particularly hard to diagnose. What differentiates it from a bad cold is the duration and severity of the symptoms.

With pneumonia, the cough is worse, fevers are 102 or higher, shivers are accompanied by teeth chattering, and the mucus is rusty or green with specks of blood. Most people experience a sharp pain in the chest that’s made worse by deep breaths. Other symptoms include shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat, nausea, diarrhea, and confusion, especially in older people.

If any of the above symptoms persist for more than 3-5 days, see a doctor as soon as possible. Keep in mind that pneumonia can get worse really fast, especially in kids.

How is it Diagnosed and Treated?

Your doctor will ask questions to determine if you’ve been exposed to pneumococcal bacteria, will listen to your lungs, and order tests to confirm the diagnosis. If you have bacterial pneumonia, the doctor will prescribe antibiotics. However, if it’s viral, the doctor can only prescribe symptom-relieving medication and lots of rest.

Walking pneumonia sometimes goes away on its own if you have a strong immune system, but it’s not a good idea to wait it out; seek medical attention.

How to Prevent Walking Pneumonia

First, make sure to get your annual flu shot. A bad case of the flu can usher in other infections, so flu prevention is a good place to start.

Second, get the pneumococcal vaccine. There are two kinds available for different age groups; ask your doctor which one is best for you.

Sometimes, a cold is not just a cold, so always pay attention to the duration and severity of the symptoms. If the symptoms keep getting worse and refuse to resolve on their own within a reasonable time frame, see a doctor. Like mom always said, it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Photo by David Mao on Unsplash

The post Is It A Cold or Pneumonia? appeared first on Lifestyle.