I love the summer and I’m a bit of a wimp when it comes to winter. It seems like in Canada we have two months of “summer” and ten months of winter and winter-look-a-like. But there sure is something about October. The air is crisp and cool, the leaves are a beautiful colour and the weather is still usually mild with the sun out for most of the day. But we can’t forget that now we’re getting into the lovely cold and flu season. In all of my classes someone is sniffling, sneezing, or coughing. I’m sure we all have our ways to keep healthy during the winter months but I’m still going to throw a few out there and hopefully that will boost my immune system just by writing it!
- Drink a lot of water and eat green! – When you go out for a night on the town drink a glass of water to every glass of alcohol.
- Take your vitamins – and when you feel a cold brewing try taking Cold Fx as an immunity booster.
- Sleep – I know it’s the most complicated five letter word in the dictionary but try it out, it’s a pretty cool idea.
- Workout – Winter is a great season for fitness; swimming, skiing/snowboarding, sledding or go for a run around the Corn Maze.
- Wash your hands – but not too much; washing or sanitizing too much will kill all the bacteria on your hands, and having healthy bacteria is important for keeping you healthy (that’s why some doctors suggest letting children eat dirt… so if you’d prefer you can eat dirt as well – tasty.)
- Flu shot? – Doctors are pretty 50/50 on whether or not to get your flu shot because there is no universal flu vaccine as there are different strains of the flu virus. It’s really important whether you get the flu vaccine or not to keep your immune system strong at all times so your body is ready to fight back at any time.
If you do by chance get sick after “Dr.” Veronica has prescribed all of these fabulous preventative tips I’m sure we all have our home remedies to get healthy as soon as possible and I’m going to share a couple with you! Whenever I was sick with a cold my Nana (Grandma) always put Vicks on my feet with a pair of thick socks before bed and still to this day I do that whenever I feel under the weather. Also, a hot toddy is a great relief and a fantastic sleep. My Dad likes to make it with Whiskey (yuck), hot water, and sugar but I prefer to make mine with hot water and Amaretto (Disaronno is my favourite). Drink it while it’s hot! It’s sure to cure a sore throat and cough and allow you to sleep so you can get back up to speed to keep up with the student life.
In the words of the great Hal Johnson and Joanne Mcleod; “Keep Fit and Have Fun.”
