Flu season is here and the weather is starting to drop, which means that everywhere you go there are people sneezing and coughing, and before you know it you’re feeling achy, tired, and feeling kind of sick, but not full sick just yet. What do you do?
The best thing you can do for your body is to prepare your antibodies in your immune system for an attack, which is what happens when you get sick, these germs attack your body, which is why you begin to feel sick, have a fever, and other cold symptoms. Here are a couple of things that you can do to stop a cold before it starts:
Hydrate: People don’t realize how important it is to keep hydrated all year-long. Drinking plenty of water, tea, and fruit water, which can help thin the mucus your body produces when you’re sick. Keeping hydrated helps clear the mucus out of your system faster before it gets stuck and you have a stuffy nose. Drinking tea with lemon and honey can not only help you keep hydrated but lemon thins mucus and the honey is antibacterial. Eating soup especially bone broth is a great way to stay hydrated, but the bone marrow inside the bones have anti-inflammatory and gut healing properties, and also helps keep your immune system strong.
Gargle: Even dentists tell you to gargle with salt water after you’ve had a dental procedure and this is because using half a teaspoon of salt in a cup of warm water helps flush away bacteria and viruses. In addition, the salt helps remove excess water from your throat’s tissues, which reduces inflammation. Another thing many counts on is mouthwash. Some people believe that the alcohol in mouthwash also helps clear a sore throat from germs.
Hot shower: Taking a hot shower before going to bed is always a good idea because you rest better. But, when you’re feeling under the weather, the warm moisture can also help clear nasal passages. This also helps wash away any bacteria that is on your body. It’s also important to continue to wash your hands throughout the day, especially if you encounter a lot of people throughout the day, at work, at school, on the bus, or train. Airborne viral particles are always circulating, which is how people catch them, so it’s important to wash them away.
Get plenty of sleep: Many times we’re tired, but have a million things to do in the afternoon when we get home from work. Get something to eat, stay hydrated and go to bed. When you’re feeling tired, this a sign your body is trying to tell you that you are getting sick, so listen to your body and get the rest you need. Make sure you get plenty of sleep because even though you are sleeping, your body is not, it’s working hard to recover and fight the viruses out of your system.
Take some pills: If you’re feeling under the weather, then make sure you take some cold medicine as soon as possible, that way they’re able to work quickly to tackle the virus. Some people believe that taking zinc can also help fight a cold faster and this is usually true, but only very early in the process.
Get a Flu shot: People hate taking the flu shot because they say it makes them sick afterward, while this may be true, they might feel tired a day later, but it’s only because of the ingredients that are getting injected into you. This may include egg protein, preservatives, stabilizers, and antibiotics. But, this is your best protection against catching new flu viruses.