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.
We wash our hands regularly and use hand sanitizer when we can
Great tips! We remember to wash our hands frequently during cold season.
We take the flu shots, wash hands and keep wipes handy
We make sure to wash our hands lots (and we each have our own hand towel from Norwex in the bathroom so as not to share germs), take vitamins and are sure to get extra rest when feel something coming on to fight it off.
We get the flu shot every year, eat healthy, eat lots of oranges in the winter and take vitamin c if we feel a cold coming on (it usually keeps it at bay).
Wash hands and cover mouth as well as keeping hands away from our faces
We eat healthy and make sure we do outdoor activities for some fresh air.
We stay healthy by lots of hand washing, The Flu Shot,Vitamins especially lots of B & C. Lots of Ginger, Garlic and onions Proper sleep and Fist bumps instead of hand shakes. Nothing is fool proof but these things help. Thanks for the chance. Love all the great recpies on your blog. I have been saving for the Holiday entertaining.
We try to stay healthy by getting outside lots; fresh air seems to help. We take vitamins and try to make sure to eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables too.
Flu shots, all around!
Lots of hand washing, and ducking and diving away from people who are obviously sick at Yuletide gatherings :0
We stay healthy by eating well, washing our hands often, and getting a good sleep at night.
We keep our hands and home clean and take our vitamins.
We wash our hands often and keep our home clean and take our multivitamins.
We all get the flu shot each year and wash our hands!
We have egg allergies in our family so we cant take the flu shot so we have to be extra careful and wash our hands alot
We wash our hands and sanitize door knobs and light switches.
We do a lot of hand washing and avoiding sick people when possible!
Healthy eating and wash those hands!
We try to sleep well, eat well, and wash our hands a lot!