6 Tips to Help You Combat the Cold and Flu Season

No one likes being sick. Before you know it, the cold and flu season will be upon us. A bout with the common cold or a touch of the flu can make for a miserable time at home, school, and the workplace. Although it can be hard to avoid, there are simple things you can do to help reduce your chances of getting ill. Here are 6 tips for preventing colds and the flu this season.

Tip 1: Stay active and exercise

Practicing a regular exercise routine and staying active does wonders for the mind and body. Something as simple as walking or running three times a week is a great way to support overall health.

Exercise contributes to maintaining your health and mental wellbeing in a number of ways:

• Helps reduce inflammation and the chances of chronic disease
• Lowers stress and aids in the reduction of stress-related hormones
• Supports the circulation of white blood cells, which are critical to helping the body fend off illnesses, like the common cold and influenza
• Exercising causes the body’s temperature to rise briefly, which may help prevent the growth of bacteria (mimicking a fever – the body’s natural response to illnesses)

Tip 2: Take your vitamins & supplements – Especially vitamin D & CBD

Did you know that deficiencies in vitamin D may lead to adverse medical symptoms? Any number of ailments, such as poor bone growth, cardiovascular issues, and a weak, faltering immune system can be tied to not getting enough vitamin D from your diet, according to MedLine Plus, a division of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

Making sure you have an adequate amount of vitamin D in your diet is a great way to help support and boost your immune system. Egg yolks, mushrooms, tuna fish, beef liver, and salmon are all good sources of vitamin D and can be delicious additions to your grocery list. You could also pick up vitamin D supplements at your local grocer, supplement store, or pharmacy.

In addition to Vitamin D, adding a CBD product, such as CBD gummies, CBD oil, or CBD tinctures to your supplement regimen can be helpful. CBD helps support overall health and homeostasis. Simply put, homeostasis is our body’s keen ability to regulate internal balance when assaulted with external stresses, like bacteria or viruses. Taking CBD can help keep our body’s endocannabinoid system in balance and functioning at peak performance, which in turn helps support homeostasis and immunity.

Think of it this way, if you’re too hot or too cold, if you need energy or rest, if hormone levels are a little of out of whack, this is where the endocannabinoid system jumps into gear and helps mitigate those imbalances. Adding a CBD product to your supplement regimen is a great way to support these processes in your body and improve overall wellbeing, especially during the cold and flu season.

If you aren’t already, consider adding Vitamin D, vitamin C, CBD, and elderberry to the list of supplements you take on a daily basis.

Tip 3: Sleep and rest are important

It goes without saying that rest and sleep are crucial to maintaining your health. It’s vital that we are getting enough sleep each night, especially if our bodies have been exposed to a virus or illness. It’s common knowledge that a healthy adult should be sleeping between 7-8 hours a night. Anything less than 7 hours of sleep and we may be putting ourselves at risk for an increased chance of getting sick. Not only is getting enough sleep important but also getting quality rest! CBD products are a wonderful way to help promote quality sleep and rest.

Additionally, did you know that during our sleep cycle, our bodies produce and release a type of protein called cytokines? These proteins are known to help the body fend off infection by aiding in the regulation of our immune systems. Not only do cytokines help reduce our risk of catching the common cold, but they also help boost anti-cancer activity by sending signals that can help make abnormal cells die and normal, healthy cells live longer according to the American Cancer Society.

Tip 4: Eat & drink colorful meals

Eating nutritious and healthy foods is one of the best things you can do for your body and a fabulous way to boost your immune system and help you avoid getting sick during the cold and flu season! Do you have trouble remembering to eat enough fruits and vegetables at every meal? Try cooking the rainbow!

At each meal, attempt to incorporate at least one fruit or vegetable representing all the colors of the rainbow. This will help increase the number of vitamins you’re ingesting, especially vitamin C and vitamin D.

In addition, consider using CBD oil as an additive ingredient in your cooking. A few drops in a smoothie, cup of coffee, or soup can be an easy way to incorporate the benefits of CBD in your eating habits.

Another great method of improving the quality of foods we ingest daily is to try drinking them. Invest in a juicer or pick up cold-press juices from your local grocer, juicer, or coffee shop. Rather than picking up a latte the next time you’re visiting Starbucks, look to the cold case and grab a delicious juice beverage!

Getting plenty of vitamin C helps your immune system ward off the flu and colds, especially if you’re under a lot of stress. If you’re feeling stressed out, try a CBD product or ice-cold juice drink to help!

Tip 5: Keep social – and we don’t mean on Facebook or Instagram

Health care professionals have long linked loneliness and chronic disease together. There are medical experts who have surmised that a lack of social engagement or increased social isolation could be a contributing factor for chronic disease and illnesses.

Social isolation could potentially increase stress too. Under too much stress, our body’s immune system stops functioning at optimal levels, slowing the body’s immune response and reducing our ability to heal quickly. Take time to visit with family and friends whenever possible. Even simple acts, like picking up the phone and calling your mother, setting up a video chat with your nieces or nephews, enjoying the fall foliage on a hike with close friends, or spending an evening around a bonfire with your neighbors can help.

Tip 6: Good Hygiene

As we mentioned earlier, it really is the little things that can add up to make a big difference in limiting your exposure to illness. Avoid germs by maintaining good hygiene. Here are some simply ways to ensure good hygiene:

• Shower or bathe daily.
• Before eating or preparing meals, wash your hands.
• Wash your hands before putting in your contact lenses.
• When washing your hands, be sure to scrub under your nails and count to 20 seconds – Try singing Happy Birthday to yourself. That lasts about 20 seconds.
• If you have to cough or sneeze, cover your mouth and nose.
• Use hand sanitizer products regularly, especially if you’re not in a place where you can conveniently wash your hands.

Here’s the gist

There are no short cuts to staying healthy during the cold and flu season. It takes the conscious practice of all the little things that can add up to a healthy mind and body, like regular exercise, taking our vitamins and supplements, adequate sleep, eating and drinking nutritious diets, social activity, and practicing proper hygiene each day.

Our bodies naturally work to keep us in top-notch shape. Let’s make sure we’re doing our part to support them. Consider adding EcoLife CBD supplements to your health plans during this upcoming cold and flu season.