Winter Colds and Sniffling

Winter Colds and Sniffling

Even if you are the cleanest, healthiest person, you may find yourself sick in winter. Germs are spread around the home, the office and the supermarket quite easily. There are a number of precautions you can take to ensure that you beat the winter cold and aren't sniffling all the way through to Spring.

The flu season is June to November and there are three common strains, all as bad as each other. The standard variety flu will give you a snotty nose, a sore throat and a cough and a little bit of a temperature

The flu is quite contagious and can be spread around an office or home instantly. The best way to ensure you don't spread a sickness is by washing your hands regulary and covering your nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing.

You can protect yourself from the common cold by staying healthy this winter, eat a healthy and high fibre diet whilst cooking most of your food at home. Use fresh ingredients and stay away from canned foods and high-processed foods. Bake products rather than fry or cook in oil and if you do choose high-fat processed foods remember to eat these in moderation.

Along with healthy eating and exercising give your body a vitamin boost. If you think you are susceptible to the sniffles take a combination of Zinc, Echinacea and Vitamin C along with your healthy high fruit and vegetable diet.

If you do become sick, try to beat your cold by eating lots of fruit and vegetables especially those that are purple, blue, red, orange or yellow. Try to eat them raw or steamed so the value isn't lost through cooking.

Soup always makes us feel better, hot chicken soup will help fight cold cells, add mushrooms to your soup to make it even stronger as they destroy disease-causing cells. Or for an even bigger boost add spices to your soup, such as garlic, chilli and ginger.

Hot water, lemon and honey help sooth a sore throat and have great benefit at beating bacterial infections. Also keep up the water and don't get dehydrated!

The worst flu-type virus is, Influenza. Influenza is a virus that makes many people very ill, it is more than just the flu. Influenza is a high temperature and feelings of high sickness, so unwell that it is hard to get out of bed. It also includes muscle aches and pains and headaches, whilst feeling generally unwell.

How important is the influenza vaccination? Should you get it or not? The best idea is to speak with your doctor about if the vaccination will work for you or not. Professor Robert Booy believes the vaccination is "very affective. It is the most affective way of preventing influenza. Healthy lifestyle and all of that is good for you, but it is not very affective in regards to the flu because it is something that is passed between humans very easily, it is very infectious."

Influenza vaccination is strongly recommended to everyone over the age of 65, people of Aboriginal background over the age of 50. As well as anyone else who has a chronic medical problem, perhaps if they have severe asthma, or a problem with their heart or diabetes or kidney failure. Children are at increased risk so there may be a recommendation for children to have the vaccination within the next two years.