imagine planning your much-needed vacation for weeks only to get the flu or cold right on the day you’re about to leave. Being sick is definitely out of the question, especially during colder months.
To avoid ruining your plans, here are some cold and flu prevention tips you might want to keep in mind:
Get Your Dose Vitamin D
Many people often fail to get their necessary vitamin D requirements per day. Vitamin D deficiencies may cause symptoms like a weak immune system, cardiovascular issues, and poor bone growth.
Good vitamin D food sources include beef liver, canned tuna, egg yolks, mushrooms, and salmon. Vitamin D supplements are also available. Be sure to choose supplements containing D or cholecalciferol because it helps increase the vitamin D levels in your blood.
Load Up on Zinc
Your immune system won’t perform its job well if you have a zinc deficiency. Studies reveal that children living in developing nations with low levels of zinc are more prone to pneumonia as well as other types of infections. This also applies to older adults because both might not get adequate amounts of zinc from their consumed foods.
Zinc also supports the growth and function of immune cells. Even a medium or small deficiency can affect how effective your immune cells will be in keeping your body safe from viruses and bacteria.
Some of the good food zinc sources include baked beans, nuts, chickpeas, dairy products, oysters, poultry, red meat, nuts, and whole grains.
Make Your Meals More Colorful
Cooking with all of the rainbow’s colors can help you get a plethora of vitamins including vitamin C. However no evidence shows that vitamin C reduces the length or severity of illnesses. A study showed that it might help your immune system prevent flu and colds, especially if you are stressed out.
Sip Your Green Tea
Green has long been linked with good health since time immemorial. The health benefits of green tea might be thanks to its high level of flavonoids, which are a type of antioxidant.
Drinking several cups of freshly brewed green tea per day can offer some excellent health benefits like a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and lower blood pressure.
Much on Some Green Veggies
Green leafy veggies contain vitamins that help retain a more balanced diet while supporting a healthier immune system. Consumption of cruciferous vegetables can send a chemical signal to your body to boost some cell surface proteins essential for the efficient function of the immune system.
Stack Up on Your Zzzs
Making sure that you always get enough sleep is extremely critical if you have an exposure to a virus. Sleeping for at least eight hours per night can improve your resistance to this virus while sleeping less might make you more prone to getting sick after a virus exposure. This is probably because your body releases cytokines, a type of protein, while you sleep. Cytokines regulate your immune system to help your body ward off infections.
Keep cold and flu at bay with these prevention tips!