Healthy Habits #4

Stay healthy during the cold, flu and all the other sicknesses this season!

A lot of people have been sick this winter.  So I thought I would share a few of my best healthy habits for staying well.

1. Hand Washing (Seven Times or More)- It's a big, duh, right? You're saying to yourself, but, "Renee, I learned that one in kindergarten, thanks for nu-thin!" You want to know the rest of it?  A few years back during a winter flu epidemic, I read an article that said folks who wash their hands seven times a day or more are 20% less likely to get sick than the average person.  I thought, that's good enough for me.  I tried it.  I made it my policy to wash my hands every time I passed by a place to wash.  I also started wiping down shopping carts and carrying hand sanitizer.  I never miss an opportunity to wash my hands.  I feel that I, personally, have caught a lot fewer viruses. 

2. Don't Eat Out - After college, grad school and a few years of marriage, my husband and I stopped eating out.  We were poor and exhausted parents.  There was no time or money for eating out.  When we stopped eating out, we stopped getting sick as often.   Food prepared by others in dining facilities, where masses of other people eat, it is no wonder how we were getting sick.  I do not even like to eat out anymore.  I am usually disappointed.  I like fresh tasting food.  There's nothing like a home cooked meal.

3. Zinc - a little boost from a zinc supplement at the first show of symptoms does help reduce the severity of the illness.  That's why there are a plethora of zinc supplement products on the market.

4. Drink Water -  Heat it up.  Make it warm and add honey and lemon.  It will help you body heal and produce more antibodies.  If you have a sore throat, chest congestion or the like, the honey, lemon and warm liquid helps loosen phlegm and soothe a tender throat. 

These tips are so simple, yet work.  Feel better, okay.