It’s winter again, and that means one thing: cold and flu season. And since our immune systems weaken as we age, we have to proceed into the season with a little more caution than we did in days gone by.
But there are still plenty of ways we can stave off the winter sniffles without having to rearrange our lifestyle completely. Here are a few quick tricks for not getting sick this winter you can employ today.
Buff Up Your Diet
If you’re looking for the motivation to keep up with your New Year’s Resolution diet, here it is: eating a healthy, balanced diet will help bolster your immune system. If you’re looking for a few immune system-friendly things to add to your weekly menu, try adding some of these to your ingredient list:
- Leafy greens like spinach
- Ginger
- Garlic
- Citrus fruit
- Turmeric
- Fruit
- Chicken
Additionally, you will want to keep up on your water intake. The dry winter air is likely to leave you feeling dehydrated, and water will help clear your body of toxins.
Have a Nice Warm Drink
Many of us have fond memories of a parent or grandparent fixing us a nice, warm drink when we were feeling sick. And now, a scientific study has found that our folks were right all along. The study found that a warm beverage may provide immediate relief to many common cold symptoms.
But what kind of warm drink should we choose? Without a doubt, green tea is the best choice, containing a plethora of immune system-boosting ingredients. But any tea or cider will do the trick, especially when you add some of the ingredients mentioned earlier.
Wash Your Outerwear
At this point, most of us are aware that cleaning up surfaces is one of the easiest ways to avoid getting sick in the winter. That’s why we always wipe down our countertops and doorknobs and wash our hands.
Even so, we often forget to wash some of the surfaces we touch the most this time of year: our coats, hats, and gloves. And given how much our noses run in that frigid outdoor air, that means we’re walking around with a lot of germs next to our faces. Try to take time to wash your wool hat or clean your coat at least a few times a season.
Fight the Winter Blues
Our physical health isn’t the only thing that suffers in the winter. Countless people experience a dip in our mood in the winter. For a sadly large number, this dip in mood reaches depressive levels. Unfortunately, depression and anxiety can weaken our immune systems too.
With this in mind, taking care of your emotional health is equally important. A few ways to fight seasonal depression include:
- Seeking help from a therapist or psychiatrist
- Trying light therapy
- Avoiding isolating
- Getting active
- Spending time outdoors
Winter can be a challenging season for health. But with a little extra effort, we can help stave off cold and flu season at any age.
