No one can argue that the winter of 2007/2008 has been one long hard winter. The snow storms, the record low temperatures, followed by record high some weeks have taken a toll on every one. And to make matters worse the latest rumor is that the cold and flu season is just about beginning. Its seems to me I’ve met a lot of people with colds already and the emergency room of our local hospital was filled last week with lots of patients wearing face masks! So because I meant most of the week there with my father – not because of colds – I figured there was a good chance that I would a cold too! So far I’m still cold free, which brings me to the purpose of this blog…how can I prevent a cold when I’m surrounded by suffering souls like those in the emergency room?

 

Well, believe it or not, natural cold prevention hinges on the usual three simple steps that seem to be a common thread in all my blogs: good nutrition, regular exercise and good sleep. And, if one of these is missing there’s a good chance of infection. The main goal is to keep the immune system up and running so that at the first sign of infection it can fight it immediately.

 

Maintain a good daily diet – including soups in winter, (don’t forget chicken soup even if you think the stories you’ve heard are just stories, they aren’t), include high protein foods in your diet example eggs especially the Omega-3 kind where available – they may cost more but are worth the extra. Fruits and vegetables should be part of your diet at all times but never more so than at this time of year.

 

Sleep is very important – an eight hour uninterrupted sleep for adults and more for children. If you’re tired and run down while still trying to maintain a busy schedule at home and the office then it’s harder for your body to fight off infections.

 

Exercise is needed at anytime of the year and definitely when the cold season arrives. If you can’t get to the gym (I don’t even belong to a gym!) then be creative. The walk to the office from the bus or subway is good exercise, park your cars further away from the office, walk around the house … etc. Also, drink lots of fluids especially water.

 

What happens if you do catch a cold? Get lots of rest, take natural medicines rather than over-the-counter cold medicines (these tend to mask symptoms and can have negative side effects), and if you have lost your appetite then make sure you keep nourished by drinking juices such as fresh juices or water. And as I said above, don’t forget the chicken soup it really does help. Specific home-made natural remedies in dealing with colds can be found in Home Remedies for Better Health. For more information Click Here!