10 tips to avoid catching a cold

It is not always enough to cover yourself with 3 scarfs and a huge jacket in order to avoid getting sick in the autumn. Discover these tips that could help you eliminate or limit your chances to catch a cold.

During the change of seasons our immune system is usually weakend and we are therefore very sensible to viruses and bacteria. Sometimes stress or a bad night sleep can be sufficient to make us a victim of a bad cold, which is not only a nasty illness but a contagious one. This is why we need to prepare ourselves for a long battle against flu by paying more attention to our everyday actions.

Here is some useful advice on how to avoid getting sick during the cold season or to tackle the illness in the very beginning:

1. Wash your hands regularly to eliminate the bacteria;
2. Consume products and foods rich in vitamin C (kiwi, banana, etc), which makes your immune system stronger;
3. Prepare yourself some inhalations using boiled water and some drops of eucalyptus or tea tree essential oils;
4. Drink a lot of liquids in order to avoid dehydration. Green tea and herbal teas made from thyme or ginger are excellent remedies against flu symptoms;
5. Add honey to your hot drinks. It stimulates the immune system and contains antibacterial and antimicrobial nutriments;
6. Sleep with an onion cut in two on your night stand. Your companion might be a little against the smell but the anti-inflammatory properties of this vegetable could help you liberate your respiratory tracts;
7. You are starting to have a sore throat? If you breathe with your mouth this may irritate the mucous membrane. In order to ease the pain, you can chew some cloves or make an herbal tea with them;
8. When you are sick it’s extremely important to let your organism rest in order to get strength to fight the illness. Try sleeping a minimum of 8 hours per night or take naps during the day to get enough sleep;
9. If your job allows you, try working from home a day or two in order to avoid passing your microbes to your colleagues;
10. Doing some exercise in the beginning of the illness allows you to stimulate your immune system. Take a quick walk or practise some yoga movements at home.

Hopefully you will find these tips useful, and what is more important, hopefully they will work. If you have something to add to this list, you are more than welcome to do so! Share your experience in fighting this tricky seasonal disease!

source: Santemagazine.fr