Have you ever gotten a cold during the winter that has seemed to drag on for weeks or even months? Getting a cold is a lot more common during the winter due to people being cooped up indoors with weakened immune systems. Here are a few tips to help you better prevent getting a cold during the winter.
Eat Well
One way to prevent getting a cold during the winter is to make sure you’re eating well consistently. If you focus on eating foods that are rich in antioxidants and nutrients, your body will be better equipped to fight off infections and bacteria that are so common during the winter months. Eating foods like fish with high omega-3 content can boost your immune system and help you fight infections.
Garlic and citrus fruit have also been shown to reduce the length and severity of your cold or flu. There are also many other fruits and vegetables that are rich in vitamin C, such as strawberries, kiwi, broccoli, kale, butternut squash, blueberries, tomatoes, cantaloupe, and more. Make sure you work some of these antioxidant-rich foods into your diet to keep yourself healthy during the winter.
Maintain Your Hygiene
Another way to prevent colds during the winter is to make sure you’re maintaining your hygiene and healthy habits. Washing your hands is critical, especially if you need to touch your face or mouth.
You should ensure that you’re washing your hands for at least 20 seconds, as this will cleanse your hands thoroughly. If you have unwashed hands, make sure that you avoid touching your face, especially your eyes, mouth, and nose. It is also helpful to keep alcohol-based hand sanitizer on hand to help cleanse your hands when soap and water are not readily available.
Get Plenty of Sleep
Finally, to help keep yourself healthy and prevent colds during the winter, make sure you’re getting plenty of sleep. Getting enough sleep helps your immune system to function properly. When you’re sleep deprived, the infection-fighting antibodies and protective cells that your body normally produces are limited, making you more likely to get sick. When you only sleep for five or six hours, you could even be up to four times more likely to catch a cold. So, if you’re trying to stay healthy, make sure that you get at least seven to eight hours of sleep each night. Depending on your physical health conditions, you might need even more sleep than the average individual to keep yourself healthy.
So, if you’re trying to avoid getting a cold this winter, remember these preventative tips you can try. Make sure you’re eating well, maintaining your hygiene and healthy habits, and getting plenty of sleep. These are just a few practices that can strengthen your immune system and keep you protected from bacteria and infections.
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