7 Simple Rules to avoiding Cold and Flu Season
Dr. Arturo Portales and the entire OC Medical Tustin wants to share these 7 simple rules to fighting off the cold and flu season.
1. Carry Your Own Pen
Ewwww! You don’t know who touched that pen and where their grubby hands have been. Be a little more selfish, and don’t share as often over the Fall/Winter. It’s better for your health! I’ve carried my own pen for almost 30 years!
2. Wipe Down Surfaces
Use disinfectant wipes on your keyboard and mouse. Make a pass through the house/office and give a quick wipe on door knobs, the fridge and freezer handle and most frequently used cabinet knobs and stair hand rails. Don’t forget to wipe the toilet handle too.
3. Rest!
Get your rest, at least 7 hours a night. Your body releases human growth hormone during REM sleep and this hormone helps you repair and rebuild your body. It also gives a boost to your immune system.
4. Stay Hydrated!
Drink Water! How much – ½ your weight in ounces every day. If you weigh 150 pounds, that means you should drink 75 ounces of water per day.
Drink Green Tea! – Drink at least 2 cups of green tea daily. The epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) is an immune system booster.
5. Exercise. Regular exercise stimulates your immune system
Regular exercise stimulates your immune system. A word of caution is in order. If you are a workout junkie, exercising 6-7 days a week, for more than an hour at a time, you run the risk of getting sick because this much exercise can depress your immune system and burn through your body’s nutritional supply.
6. Vitamin C*
I recommend at least 1000 mg twice per day. A navel orange contains 83 mg of vitamin C. Other foods that have lots of vitamin C per serving include papaya (95 mg), red bell pepper (190 mg), broccoli (132 mg), kale (2 cups have 160 mg), strawberries (86 mg), kiwi (137 mg), and cauliflower (127 mg).
7. Vitamin D3*
Supplement with vitamin D3. I recommend 5000 IU per day. Even in winter, or should I say, especially in winter, you should supplement with vitamin D3. This is called the sunshine vitamin because the sun converts vitamin D2 in our skin to the active form D3. In the winter, we are not getting much sun, so it is really important to supplement with vitamin D3. I recommend 5000 IU per day. Your doctor can check your levels for you. Optimal levels are 50-80 ng/ml.
So there you have it. A few tips to helping you strengthen your immune system to fight off the cold and flu season this winter. These tips can help you keep your health optimal regardless of the time of year.
If you have any questions about any of this, schedule an appointment today at (714) 442-9625 or click here to schedule online.
* It’s always recommended to check with your doctor when introducing new supplements to your system.