Although most people get sick during the fall and winter seasons, the causes responsible
for these illnesses are present year-round.
Hi viewers and welcome back to Bestie.
We are exposed to germs everyday in some way or the other that can make you sick.
The key to minimizing the chances of this, however, is to actively combat the risk factors
of falling ill in the first place.
The last thing you want to do is to expose yourself to any more risk than you have to.
Prevention is always better than cure.
And in today’s videos we will give you tips on how to avoid getting sick.
From avoiding cigarette smoke, drinking enough water, eating healthy, loading up on Vitamin
D to getting enough sleep and more, watch till the end to learn about all of them.
Wash your hands regularly: This may sound basic, but it is surprising how many people
forget it.
The simple act of washing your hands is a key component in infection control.
Hand hygiene is essential to stop the spread of infection.
It can dramatically reduce your chances of
diarrhea, vomiting, food poisoning, gastroenteritis,
flu, and even hepatitis A.
Hand gel is also great as a backup, but it isn’t a replacement for good old soap and
water.
Wherever possible, wash your hands under hot water for at least thirty seconds before and
after eating and always after going to the toilet.
What do you prefer for cleaning your hands, hand gel or soap water?
Tell us down below in the comments section!
Avoid cigarette smoke: Smoking is a known risk factor for several diseases, such as
cancer, asthma, and respiratory infections.
Breathing in secondhand smoke can also increase your risk of developing these conditions.
People who smoke or regularly inhale cigarette smoke are also more likely to experience severe
symptoms when they get colds or the flu.
According to a review, cigarette smoke can affect the immune system and reduce your ability
to fight off infections.
Quitting smoking and avoiding secondhand smoke are great ways to improve overall health and
reduce the chances of getting sick.
Exercise Regularly: Exercise is another immune-boosting
activity, helping to support your body’s
ability to fight illness.
It has been shown to help manage stress, an immune system downer.
It also helps keep your immune system in tip-top shape and you healthy.
Hitting the gym to exercise?
Be sure to use disinfecting wipes on the gym equipment, as they are a great source of germs.
Don’t Overdo Workouts: Equally as important as getting enough exercise is taking a break
from it.
Give yourself at least two days a week rest from strenuous exercise to allow recovery
and help avoid the effects of stress on your immune system.
You should also avoid high intensity workouts when you’re ill and stop it entirely if
you have a fever, fatigue or other acute symptoms.
Sleep also plays an important part in avoiding illness and repairing your body when you’re
sick.
It is an essential tool in recovering from the day’s wear and tear.
You should aim for seven hours of sleep a night, and more if you have an infection.
Disinfect your phone: Think of all the places you put your phone down during the day: the
kitchen counter, a bathroom stall, your restaurant table—talk about a germ-fest.
In fact, a study found that cell phones may carry 10 times the amount of bacteria than
toilet seats.
To disinfect your devices, use a disinfecting wipe.
Just be sure to shut down your phone and squeeze out any excess liquid.
You don’t want a pool of the stuff sitting on your screen.
Finally dry it off with a soft lint-free cloth.
Keep in mind that while bleach is great for banishing viruses, products containing the
substance might damage your phone.
Drink Enough Water: Make sure that you drink enough water every day.
This will help you stay hydrated and cleanse your system of harmful toxins.
Drinking an adequate amount of water will also help balance fluid in the body as well
as carry nutrients to the body cells.
Maintain Proper Hygiene: You will be surprised by how many diseases result simply from the
absence of a sense of hygiene.
Maintain personal hygiene every day of your life.
Brush and floss your teeth twice a day, scrub yourself clean, and wear freshly laundered
clothes.
You have to ensure that the raw materials you are using to prepare your meals are fresh
and free of bacteria.
Use clean and washed utensils for cooking.
Lack of cleanliness in your daily routine could lead to infections, diarrhea, tooth
decay, flu, food poisoning and jaundice.
Eat Healthy: Simply avoiding junk food does not imply that you are eating healthy.
You have to be very fastidious about what you put in your tummy.
Your diet should be a mix of all the vital nutrients, all of which serve a different
purpose.
Some strengthen bones, some improve vision, while others improve the health of your heart
and keep blood levels in check.
Make sure you pile your plate up with colored vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and
dairy products.
If you are lactose intolerant, focus on soy products.
Don’t touch public surfaces: You can’t live in a bubble.
But you can take certain measures to prevent exposure to public surfaces that harbor germs.
Your hands can be covered in germs from others
based on everyday interactions with your environment,
such as opening doors in public or using shared resources at work.
Your hands serve as transportation for these germs to hop between people.
What can you do?
Consider pushing an elevator button with a knuckle instead of a fingertip, and look for
opportunities to open swinging doors with a foot, elbow, or shoulder.
In general, if you can avoid touching something with your hands, do it.
Keep a Positive Mental Attitude: Sustaining a positive mental attitude or PMA won’t
only help your life in general; it can also help to prevent illness.
This is because your body releases different hormones depending on your outlook.
Thinking positively releases the immune boosting hormone DHEA, while thinking negatively releases
the immune suppressing hormone cortisol.
So staying positive can help you stay healthy.
Don’t stay up late: You might be tempted
to watch just one more episode of that binge-worthy
Netflix show, but resist the urge and head to bed to keep your immune system strong.
Chronic sleep loss decreases your immune system’s production of cytokines, which are necessary
to fight infection and inflammation.
Conversely, when you sleep well, your immune system produces more cytokines that help your
body resist colds, flu, and infections.
Studies have shown that sleep-deprived people who are exposed to the common cold virus are
more likely to get sick.
Apart from making your immune system stronger, sleeping well can help you lose weight as
well.
Surprised?
To know what we are talking about, watch this video titled “Ways To Burn Fat And Lose
Weight While You Are Sleeping”
Now back to ways to avoid falling sick.
Stand tall on public transport: When it comes to catching a cold on the bus or train, it
really is a numbers game.
Many disease-causing bacteria can spread up to four metres and remain alive in the air
for up to 45 minutes following coughs and sneezes.
Short of living in a bubble, what can you do?
Standing during your commute may be unpleasant, but if you must, then research shows there
are far fewer germs on ceiling poles than on vertical poles on public transport.
And once you’ve arrived at your destination, try not to touch your face if you’ve touched
surfaces on the trains, buses or escalators.
This is the easiest way for viruses to spread.
Boil Over: Viruses that cause foodborne illnesses tend to loiter on produce.
So to further slash your chance of sickness, try blanching your greens--kale, spinach,
and chard, for example--in boiling water for two to three minutes.
Then dunk them into ice water to stop the cooking.
Blanching can give your greens a different kind of flavor.
Heating to 212°F greatly reduces norovirus in spinach, one study reports.
Stay at least three feet away from anyone who's coughing or sneezing: Ideally, you should
be six feet away from anyone at all times, even if you're wearing a mask.
The flu virus is a parasite that hangs around in respiratory secretions that travel through
the air in small droplets.
When projected by a cough or sneeze, they can fly through the air before gravity takes
over.
A flu patient who's actively projecting these droplets by coughing or sneezing can contaminate
the air you breathe.
There's no practical way to assess whether someone has a benign nose tickle, a cold,
or the flu.
So, it's best to keep your distance from anyone with suspicious symptoms.
Load Up on Vitamin D:
Another way to avoid falling sick is to make sure your body’s vitamin D reserves are
well-stocked.
It’s a super-important vitamin for immune function.
One study found that adults with lower vitamin D levels were twice as likely to catch the
flu, compared to those whose vitamin D levels were higher.
The best dose to take is unclear, but depending on body weight, the Vitamin D Council recommends
that adults take 5,000 to 10,000 International Units per day.
Apart from loading up on Vitamin D, there are other vitamins which are equally important
for your body.
And you should never be deficient in them.
You can identify the signs when your body is lacking these vitamins by:
Recognizing the Warning Signs That Your Body Is Low On Essential Vitamins
Or
Finding out Signs You Have Vitamin B12 Deficiency
These 2 videos will definitely help you by making sure your body is never short of essential
vitamins.
What do you do to make sure you don’t fall sick?
Let us know in the comments section below!