Consider yourself on top of cold and flu season since you’ve had your seasonal flu shot? According to the Centers for Disease Control, more than half of this year’s flu shots will be ineffective against this year’s most common virus. Further, the dominant strain (H3N2) thought to be prevail this season is expected to be severe than those of year’s past, leading to more hospitalizations, particularly among the most vulnerable populations, including pregnant women, children under the age of two, those ages 65 and older, and anyone with heart or lung disease. Though some doctors say it’s still worth taking the chance that your flu shot will work and getting one before cold and flu season really takes off in January and February, there are other behavioral changes that can work to your benefit, too. Here’s a look at five simple ways to beat cold and flu season, despite the fact that flu shot may be ineffective.
Avoid your exposure to germs. You may not be able to avoid that sniffling co-worker, sneezing cash register attendant or snot-nosed child this season, but you can minimize your exposure to germs by going to back to the basics: Avoid touching your face or biting your nails, cough into your elbor, wash your hands with soap and water frequently, especially after you touch another person, or cough /sneeze. Ensure that each hand washing session is done for at least for the amount of time it takes you to mentally sing the “happy birthday” tune, ideally with warm soapy water. When soap is not available, turn to hand sanitizer. Teach your kids to integrate the same habits into their lives, even when they’re away from your watchful eye at school or daycare.
Add garlic to your recipes. Garlic isn’t just a tasty way to add flavor to meals including soups, pastas, taco meat blends, casseroles, dips and even omelets, it’s an antioxidant that can boost your immunity against minor illnesses, like colds and flus, and perhaps, more major ones impacting the heart, too.
Enhance your respiratory functioning with anise tea. Though sipping hot water with lemon and honey is an effective way to loosen phlegm in general, sipping tea made of crushed anise seeds (which has a licorice-like taste), and flavored with cinnamon and honey is thought to be a natural way to clear out congestion, too. The more you can keep the proverbial juices flowing, the less risk that a minor congestion irritation will evolve into a full blown infection.
Love those Florida oranges. Oranges aren’t just a tasty way to feel like you’re not trapped in the frozen tundra of winter, they can deliver a much-needed dose of Vitamin C to your body (as can any citrus fruit) when you need it most during cold and flu season. Though it may not eliminate your chances of getting sick entirely, studies indicate the high doses of Vitamin C can at least shorten the duration and severity of a cold.
Twist daily. Yoga postures that involve twisting aren’t just great for stimulating your digestive system, promoting a healthy posture and enhancing the fluidity of the spine, they can promote a clearing out of sorts, ridding you of the waste that decreases the efficacy of your immune system. Incorporate this simple twist into your bedtime routine. Stand with feet apart, about the distance of one of your legs. Turn your toes in slightly, and push into the outer edge of your feet for stability. With hands on hips, extend your chest outward, slowly lowering to the ground. When you get there, place one hand on the floor under your heart, and reach the other to the sky. Keep your hips squared, so that you feel a sensation of twisting, and reaching the chest upwards. (Ideally, you won’t see your shoulder in your line of vision when you look up). Hold for five breaths, and switch sides. Though the action is gentle, you can reap the benefits of this simple immunity boosting twist by carving out less than minute of time in your day.