Top 10 Tips to Avoid Getting Sick

Some of these tips will be familiar; some you’ve never heard of before.  As always, if you have concerns specific to you, seek guidance from your HCP (health care provider).

1. Probiotics in pill form are popular, but I prefer…

including fermented foods and beverages that contain probiotics and prebiotics. This is an easy way to seed your gut with beneficial bacteria while you enjoy kombucha or fermented vegetables such as sauerkraut or fermented ginger.  Vitamin D-rich foods are another way to strengthen immune response by choosing wisely what’s in your diet: tuna, wild salmon, cod, trout, milk, yogurt, cheese and mushrooms are all good sources of Vitamin D. If you choose to supplement, I recommend cod liver oil or as directed by your HCP.

2. Washing your hands is the one of the easiest way to prevent colds and flu and to keep from spreading them. The best way to wash your hands is to rub them together for at least 30 seconds with hot water and plain old soap. Be sure to get the backs of your hands, in between your fingers, and under your nails. Then dry your hands thoroughly. I don’t recommend antibacterial soap or hand sanitizer, and refrain from being ‘germ obsessed’.  Your best protection is a healthy immune system–and using some common sense. Like cleaning your cell phone, especially after someone else has used it.

3. Don’t touch your face in public–and wash your hands again after you handle a menu. How often does a menu get cleaned??

4. Get Enough Rest and Sleep  Many suffer from insomnia; get daily exercise, practice gratitude daily and remember…you get 75% of the rest you need when you lie in bed and breathe deeply. Even when you’re not sleeping.

5. Drink Herbal Infusions instead of taking expensive pill supplements. That’s what I have done for over 20 years to get my share of calcium, magnesium and a dozen other minerals.  For 20 cents/day.

6. Move your body.  Find forms of movement that are fun, to strengthen your immune system in addition to a ton of other benefits–but know the price of overdoing.  Usually joint replacements.

Regular movement also makes you feel good emotionally, so if the winter months make you less likely to get outside for exercise and more likely to feel blue, it’s time to sign up for Essentrics TV!  After 30 years of weight lifting, 22 years of running and 17 years of teaching yoga, Essentrics is now the only thing I am committed to do for my health every day.  In part so that I can continue to ski, hike and hopefully…learn to surf.

When you are in Steamboat Springs, I hope you will join me for a live class which will not only keep you moving, but will help you finetune some of your movements–in addition to the health benefits of staying connected to others, another great way to strengthen your immune function. Scroll to the bottom of this link for a free sign-up for my twice-monthly newsletter. The next one will include the news on whether the weather allows me to reach my target date of December 5 for teaching again on Mondays and Wednesdays at 10 at Steamboat Dance + Fitness, 1900 Bridge Lane.

7. Cook at Home more than you dine out at restaurants or pick up take-out food.  When you treat yourself to a meal out, avoid fried foods and enjoy salad dressing on the side unless you know they don’t use vegetable oils in their salad dressings. It’s unlikely. Mexican restaurants and Asian foods will usually offer the best ingredients when dining out.

8.Read or listen to the book, Dying To Be Me by Anita Moorjani–not only to avoid colds, flu and Covid, but to stay healthy, positive and grateful in all ways. Though you might guess meditation to be her number one tip to stay healthy, it’s actually laughter.  Lovely.

9. Keep apple cider vinegar on hand for the perfect gargle with warm water if your throat starts to tickle or you develop a cough.  Though each person likely needs their own protocol for Covid, I personally found frequent gargling with ACV in water very effective. ACV is also well-known as a digestive aid and many other things.  Dr. Jarvis’ book is brilliant with advice on its many uses.

10. Enjoy one or more of the Three Musketeers daily to strengthen your ability to fight off most bacteria and viruses; garlic, ginger and onions. For more details.

Stay tuned for my next post–and next newsletter–about the Top 10 Things to do when yo actually get sick.