winter bugs

Avoiding the Winter Bugs

As we begin to head into the winter months, we want to take a few moments to recognize five tips to staying healthy this season and avoiding winter bugs. Between the flu, strep throat, the common cold, and seasonal depression, it’s very important to be conscious of the things we are putting in our bodies, as well as what we are exposing ourselves to. It’s also key to remember our mental health is just as important as our physical health, and being mindful of this can be helpful.

Eat well

Some days as we get busy running errands, Christmas shopping, or watching all the Home Alone movies, it can be easy to run through a drive-thru or eat an entire package of Oreos. Rather than binging on junk food and fast food burgers, try a healthy alternative. When in a hurry, try grabbing a salad bowl from Chipotle or a grilled chicken sandwich from Chick-fil-A. While Netflixing, try a bag of popcorn, a protein shake, or some cookie dough humus. Feeling well starts from the inside out!

Stay hydrated

Drinking water has so many health benefits. It boosts skin health, helps regulate your body temperature, and helps flush body waste. Most health experts recommend drinking eight glasses of eight ounces per day, or 64 ounces of water every 24 hours. This can seem daunting, but by keeping a water bottle within reach, this is easily accomplished. If plain ol’ flavorless water isn’t your thing, you can always get a little creative! Try adding lemon, cucumber, grapefruit, or lime to give your water a little flavor and variety.

Take your vitamins

In a perfect world, we’d eat a balanced meal three times a day, pet lots of dogs, drink plenty of water, and log 10,000 steps a day. Unfortunately, life doesn’t always allow for such consistency, so we can help balance things out by taking a daily multivitamin. Just like drinking water, taking vitamins consistently gives your body the fuel and essentials it needs to be healthy.

Stay active

You don’t need a gym to get moving. Take a walk around your block to admire the Christmas lights, stretch, have a snowball fight, build an igloo, or arm wrestle your brother for the wishbone at Thanksgiving. All of these things can lead to immediate and long-term health benefits.

Get enough sleep

Lights out! Pick a good bedtime that works for you and STICK WITH IT. We all know it’s easy to start watching The Office with intentions of only one episode…and suddenly you’re six episodes deep and it’s almost midnight. While sleep needs vary from person to person, most experts recommend 7-9 hours. By planning accordingly, you’ll feel well rested in the morning, alert, and ready to tackle your day.

Remember: You only get one body and it’s so important to treat yourself well.

Amanda Briardy is an Account Manager with the Cath Lab team in the Nursing division of Aureus Medical Group.

One comment

  1. And wash your hands frequently with soap and water. Carry hand sanitizer and use after touching gas pumps, ATM’s, door handles, railings,shaking hands.

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