5 Ways to Prevent the Spread of Flu & Colds
Disclosure: This post on how to prevent the spread of flu has been sponsored by Loblaw. As always, all opinions are my own.
We had an unhappy boy at our house this past weekend. We were in Calgary for the weekend but he couldn't go and visit his friends because he had a cold. Even though he was disappointed, we knew that staying home was the best bet to prevent the spread of flu and colds. Thankfully, this was just a cold but I am making sure that he understands that when in doubt, stay at home.
So, what are the best ways to prevent the spread of flu and colds?
- Maintain a healthy diet - While this advice is important any time of year, it is vital during flu season. Your body needs to be working at its best to fight off infection. Not sure what you should be eating? Make an appointment with one of the in-store dietitians at Loblaws City Market. You can also read my interview with an in-store dietitian last flu season.
- Get your flu shot! - Your number one way to avoid the flu is to get your flu shot. Depending on how well the vaccine is matched to this year’s common viruses, 70-90 per cent of flu cases can be averted through vaccination. Thankfully, you can pop into the pharmacy at any Real Canadian Superstore or Loblaws City Market to get a shot without an appointment!
- Know when to stay home - At our house, we stay home as much as possible with any new cold or flu symptoms. With the flu, you will likely run a fever. Stay home if your temperature passes 100 degrees. Remember you should be fever-free for at least 24 hours before returning to work or school.
- Keep your body strong - Your body needs certain things to stay healthy. Adequate rest (7-8 hours of sleep per night....turn off the Netflix!), plenty of fluids (at least 8 glasses of water per day), a healthy diet and an active lifestyle (walking is a great option).
- Wash your hands - Make hand washing a habit all day, every day. Germs thrive on hard surfaces, especially at school and work. Washing your hands keeps you from passing those germs to your nose, mouth and eyes which are prime gateways for germs and viruses.
Don't forget to read my 7 Flu Prevention Tips for Fall and 7 Healthy Recipes to Boost Your Vitamins and Minerals to Fight the Flu.
I love the tip to Eat the Rainbow, I try to do that but find it hard to convince my family that the need to eat more veggies . Daily intact of Vitamin C is a must in our house.
I never manage to stay healthy, no matter how hard I try. I drink lots of water (even though I'd rather have a latte), up my vitamin C intake, wash my hands like crazy and even get the flu shot.
We eat well and stay active and use lots of hand sanitizer.
We get our flu shots, take multi-vitamins and wash our hand constantly.
We all get the flu shot every year.
How does your family stay healthy during flu season?
VItamin C, echinacea, laughing, washing hands so many things
We have gotten our flu shots and I carry disinfect wipes to wipe off the handles of my shopping cards and to wipe my hands when water is not available.
Great suggestions. Lots and lots of rest
We get the flu shot, wash our hands frequently, and stay away from people who have the flu.
We are getting the flu shot and a whooping cough booster shot tomorrow! We have a Grandson who is just under 2 months old, so we are doing everything we can to protect him and others! (ourselves too) 🙂
My family stay healthy during flu season by getting our Flu shot,eating healthy,exercise and getting proper rest!
Wash our hands often. Vitamin C
I've had my flu shot and a healthy diet always helps too.
Honestly, we've just been really lucky so far. At the first sign of sickness we make sure to drink lots of water, get lots of rest, and take echinecea.
We try to eat right, and take our vitamins.
We’re all getting the flu shot this year & we wash hands frequently!
We get the flu shot, we wash our hands often, and I make sure to be diligent about cleaning/disinfecting commonly touched surfaces.
i am fighting a bug right now despite the fact that we use sanitizer we sneeze in our elbows and drink a ton of orange juice and we was hands all the time,
we haven't had a cold or flu in years, we never get a flu shot, we eat loves of fruits and veggies and take vitamin C & D daily.
We wash our hands a lot, sneeze into our sleeves and not our hands, we try to get enough rest, we dress in layers (because Calgary weather can go through 3 seasons in one day and we need to always be prepared) and we try to eat a well balanced diet including fresh vegetables, plenty of water, etc.