As a mom of five kids, illnesses like to come and spread very quickly. It was worse when all my kids were in schools, and now with Sisi doing online schooling it’s one less place to bring in illness from. Still, Kat and Aussie work are entirely different places and with Var and Lisi in middle school.. well… Illness still finds it way in pretty easily.
Image by: Jack Moreh
from: Stockvault.net
Sisi is a lot like me, getting sick pretty easily in the winter as a teenager. I spent most of ages 13-16 getting sick for about 3 months total between October and March. I know, October is technically spring, but with how dang cold it gets up here it’s pretty much the start of winter tpy weather.
Thankfully my immune system is better than it used to be, there are still some things I follow to help us with staying healthy in winter, or at least get us over illnesses faster.
With a large family, they can drag out for awhile! Some of the advice you can find on various websites, and some is just my own advice:
- Drink enough water – Even though it’s cold it doesn’t mean your body doesn’t need a fair bit of water. Don’t go crazy, the right amount is when your urine is a somewhat light-clear yellow color.
- Wash your hands – You don’t need to use hand sanitizer and antibiotic soaps. Just regular hand soap, warm water, and proper washing techniques can help.
- Clean hard, frequently touched surfaces – Keyboards, door handles, fridge handles, cell phones! There some of the only things I use antibacterial type wipes on.
- Wear a mask when you’re sick – Yes, I know they look “weird” to many people, but it’s pretty common in other countries to wear a mask over your mouth and nose when you’re sick. Don’t spread your germs easily all over.
- If you are sick, rest – Yeah, I know work can be a real stickler about sick days and the like, but if you use them only when sick and you make sure you’re resting (and not playing video games or hanging out with friends..) and getting sleep, drinking water, or going to the doctor if needed. You’ll be better than if you decide to skip work or school and decide to take it as a do whatever day. Sleep is important to let your body take care of fighting off illnesses. Though I should say that just getting enough sleep in the first place will help your immune system.
- Eat a balanced diet – I know that can be hard if your income isn’t the best, but find a way to work a vegetable into at least every meal of the day. Or even a fruit at breakfast. Make it whole fruit, and not fruit juice if you can. Even canned and frozen vegetables are better than no vegetables.
- Exercise – Yeah, I am guilty of not doing much of this especially when it’s cold. Find something you can do indoors if you are like me I don’t like the snow and ice, and also don’t want to be in a gym full of already thin attractive people. Just Dance games, DDR, or even a walking exercise program can be perfect to get some movement in.
- Reduce sugar intake – I know, I’m a sugar addict too. I have to force myself to go for real food and not just something that’s quick and sugary! Too much sugar is really not good for your immune system as a whole. So while sugar is delicious, try and at least cut down your intake a little at a time. Reduction is better than going cold turkey, hating it, and going right back to bad habits.
- Replace your toothbrush after being sick – It doesn’t matter if you just opened it before getting sick, toss that sucker out and toss any lingering yuckiness along with it.
If you’re sick and just can’t kick it, go to a doctor. Ones like Dr. Summit Shah can help you figure out how to stay happy and healthy not only in winter, but year round. You might even have winter time allergies. You can find out more about them by checking with an allergist or E.N.T (ears, nose, throat) doctors office in your area.
What do you to do keep yourself staying healthy in winter?
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