How to Avoid the Winter Flu

Winter is the season of sneezes and stuffy noses. To avoid this year’s infuriating flu read our top 10 tips and tricks to keep clear of the chesty coughs and hot heads.

Getting out of bed in the morning is hard enough without feeling under the weather!

Winter colds can seem impossible to avoid when everyone around you seems to be getting sick, but with these tips and tricks, you should sail through the season sniff-free!

Everyone’s saying it — get your Flu shot!

Flu vaccination is available every year on the NHS to help protect adults and children at risk of flu and its complications.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends everyone over the age of six months get a flu shot every single year.

You’ve heard it before — eat your fruit and veg.

Support your immune system during the winter weather by eating your fruit and veg! Eat the food, starve the flu!

Fruits and vegetables are packed full of super-strength vitamin C which has long been considered the ideal precaution against catching a common cold.

Runaway from the winter flu!

People who exercise regularly usually get fewer colds and recover more quickly than people who do not exercise regularly.

Why? There is no doubt that regular exercise has health benefits as keeping up a regular exercise routine improves your overall fitness, which helps boost your immune system.

You may want to come home and snuggle up with a sweater and slippers, but those running shoes will be far more beneficial to your health this season!

Try to avoid those who sound slightly snotty this season.

It may difficult if your colleagues or family members have caught a cold to completely avoid them, but where possible it’s a good idea to keep your distance.

If you have to be in close proximity it’s vital to keep washing your hands as much as possible and sending those germs on a trip down the drain pipe. Even better, purchase a pocket-sized hand sanitiser and use it as much possible throughout the day, particularly if you’re handling the same items or using the same facilities as your colleagues.

Keep your surroundings super clean and a germ-free zone.

Germs spread easily throughout your house and workplace so you’re at a much greater risk if you don’t get the sponge out soon enough!

Use anti-bacterial cleaners frequently and encourage your colleagues, friends, and family members to cough or sneeze into a tissue rather than their hand, and to dispose of the tissue right away, then clean their hands with a hand sanitiser or soap and water. The Centers for Disease Control recommends washing hands for at least 10 to 15 seconds to effectively remove germs.

Switch your go-to brew for a green tea instead.

Green tea is known for its great health benefits with its high level of antioxidants, called flavonoids. This antioxidant activity helps support your body when it’s under attack and can soothe sickly symptoms.

As always, keep yourself hydrated with plenty of water throughout your day too

Sorry to say but skipping that post-work pint will keep you healthy.

Some research shows that drinking alcohol can damage the body’s dendritic cells, a vital component of the immune system. Therefore drinking alcohol every evening with your meal can increase your risk of bacterial and viral infections.

Another reason to quit smoking for the New Year.

Smoking is a known risk factor for several diseases, but not many people know that people who smoke, and people who breathe in second-hand smoke, are also more likely to experience severe symptoms when they catch a cold. Studies have shown that cigarette smoke can affect the immune system and reduce your ability to fight off those persistent germs.

Put your woolliest winter hat and scarf on to keep yourself toasty!

It’s important to stay protected against the winter chill as cold weather can affect your body’s ability to fight off infection.

Keep your body warm with hats, scarves, gloves and more, and perhaps crank up the heating at home for extra warmth for the winter mornings.

Make sure you’re resting and getting enough sleep.

Your body needs to get enough sleep to keep it in fighting-shape to protect you from the pesky germs. When you don’t allow your body the rest it becomes weaker and doesn’t have the strength to shield you from bothersome bugs.

8-10 hours of sleep during the snowy season should keep you in tip-top condition.