Reduce your risk for colds and flu

Also start on Nutriferon for you immune system.  Purchase here.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 5 to 20 percent of the population will get the flu every year, and more than 200,000 people are hospitalized every year because of flu-related complications.1 The cold is much more common, with the average person getting the cold around 2 to 3 times per year.2

There are ways to reduce your risk of getting these viral infections—both before (and during) the cold and flu season.

Stop touching your face: Studies suggest that people touch their face around 3 to 4 times every hour.3 While that may not sound like that often, you touch your face far more than you wash your hands. The key here is that each time you touch your mouth or nose you are risking transferring bacteria and viruses from contaminated surfaces to your body. This "self-inoculation" is the primary way colds and flu spread through a population (you can also contract a cold or flu when someone coughs or sneezes and you breathe it in). Scientists who study the spread of disease suggest that learning to avoid touching your face may be the most important thing you can do to reduce your risk of getting a cold or flu.4

Wash your hands often: Even if you train yourself to avoid touching your face, you still need to wash your hands often. Every surface your hands come in contact with has the potential to be contaminated with bacteria and viruses. Washing with warm soapy water and scrubbing for at least a minute is a good habit to practice throughout the year (and not just during cold and flu season).

Exercise: The key to understanding the benefits of exercise on our immune systems is that it all depends on how much you exercise. Moderate exercise does appear to boost immunity and inactive people do seem to get more colds than active people, but extreme exercise (especially in elite athletes training for competition) does the opposite.5 If you have a moderate exercise program, continue that throughout the year to get the most benefit from exercise. If you don't currently exercise, start slowly and build up to a regular routine.

Sleep: The importance of good sleep to your health can't be underestimated. While not many studies look at sleep quality and the immune system, a small study of healthy young men reported a drop in the number and function of white blood cells (neutrophils) with just one night's poor sleep.6

Diet: Your immune system relies on you to nourish your body well in order to have on hand the basic building blocks for its many functions. The general recommendation for a healthy immune system is to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, avoid excessive alcohol intake, and eat a low-fat, low-sugar diet.

The cold and flu season is on its way and starting now is the best way to be prepared. Developing healthy habits not only helps you in the upcoming season, but for the rest of your life.

---

1. http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/qa/disease.htm
2. http://www.cdc.gov/features/rhinoviruses/
3. Alonso WJ, Nascimento FC, Shapiro J, Schuck-Paim C. Facing ubiquitous viruses: when hand washing is not enough. Clin Infect Dis. 2013 Feb;56(4):617. PMID: 23155148.
4. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13548506.2011.564188#.VE_Wk1ftiiA
5. Moreira A, Delgado L, Moreira P, Haahtela T. Does exercise increase the risk of upper respiratory tract infections? Br Med Bull. 2009;90:111-31. PMID: 19336500.
6. Christoffersson G, Vågesjö E, Pettersson US, et al. Acute sleep deprivation in healthy young men: Impact on population diversity and function of circulating neutrophils. Brain Behav Immun. 2014 May 28. PMID: 24878171.