Staying Healthy

Flu season is upon us. Virus strains seem to be more resistant and colds are spreading like wild fire. There are simple things we can do to stay healthy.

1. Wash your hands with soap and water.
A simple washing of the hands will help fight sickness, but you have to wash your hands for at least 20 seconds. This is about the time it takes to sing "Happy Birthday" or "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star".

Tip for parents: When training young children to wash their hands, use a toy like a rubber ducky that they can wash with soap and water. While they wash the ducky clean, they're also washing their hands in the process!

2. Drink plenty of water.
Drinking water is a very easy way to flush out toxins in our bodies.

3. Drink and eat Vitamin C rich foods.
Vitamin C is the vitamin that helps us fight sickness like colds. You can get Vitamin C by drinking orange juice or grapefruit juice. You can also eat foods with Vitamin C like: orange, guava, red & green sweet pepper, kiwi, cantaloupe, lemon, and lime.

Tip for parents: Read the labels on juice boxes. Sometimes, they appear healthy but are actually mostly sugar. Go for 100% juices.

4. Use hand sanitizer with ethyl alcohol.
Hand sanitizer kills bacteria. It helps keep you and those around you stay healthy because the risk of spreading germs minimizes tremendously.

When to use hand sanitizer:
-after sneezing, coughing, blowing nose, or wiping runny nose
-after helping/handling someone who sneezed, coughed, blew nose, or wiped runny nose
-after touching high traffic items just as doorknobs, gas pumps, grocery carts, children's toys

There are studies that suggest hand sanitizers & other antibacteria products with triclosan helps bad bacteria develop into stronger strains. To be on the safe side, use hand sanitizers with ethyl alcohol.

Tip for parents: Teach your child how to properly use hand sanitizer. Remind children to rub, rub, rub their hands together. Then shake, shake, shake their hands in the air. Rubbing will help spread the hand sanitizer. Shaking will help dry it. Inducing hand sanitizer is a risk, so make sure children's hands are dry before they touch food or their mouths (or eyes).