Holistic Ways to Stay Healthy During Cold and Flu Season

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When seasonal viruses spread through communities, people visit their local drugstores to help with their symptoms. Although you can battle illnesses like that, you can also get ahead of feeling sick with more natural ideas. Try these easy, holistic ways to stay healthy during cold and flu season.

1. Wash Your Hands Effectively

Rinsing your hands in warm water and watching the soap mostly wash down the drain isn’t an effective way to banish germs. Reflect on your hand-washing routine and update it if necessary. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends scrubbing for 20 seconds before rinsing the soap away.

2. Try an Air Purifier

Many viruses travel through the air to find their next hosts. An air purifier runs the surrounding air through filters and purifiers to eliminate viruses immediately. You could set one up next to your work desk or in your home to make the air cleaner. You’ll get more peace of mind with each breath during your winter routine and holiday celebrations.

Air purifiers come in many shapes and sizes, so see which options work with your routine. A smaller model on your desk, in your car, or by your bed could better fit your life. It depends on where you spend the most time.

3. Clean Your Home More Effectively

Cleaning your home frequently is another holistic way to stay healthy. Something as simple as a vacuum could use a HEPA filter to remove 99.97% of bacteria and particles that would otherwise carry viruses. Combine a HEPA filter vacuum with virus-killing cleaning sprays to ensure your home is a healthy environment. Cleaning every other day will kill germs before they can affect you or your loved ones.

4. Get More Sleep

People who get less sleep or struggle with sleep deprivation experience higher cellular inflammation, weakening their immune systems. Try giving your body the rest it needs to fight viruses if you always get sick in the winter. The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute advises adults to get seven to nine hours of sleep nightly, and more than nine hours if they’re recovering from long-term sleep deprivation.

Anyone struggling to sleep should talk with their primary care provider to pinpoint the issue preventing them from resting. Working with your doctor will help you reach more effective solutions and easily tackle this immune-boosting strategy.

5. Make Time for Self-Care

Stress affects every part of your body by keeping your brain on edge. It’s so busy trying to reduce the cellular effects of pressure that its complement signaling can’t identify foreign antigens as effectively when your anxiety remains high. They’ll have more time to multiply and affect you with moderate to intense symptoms.

Make time for self-care habits like reading, walking or meditating for five minutes so your brain functions at its best during flu season. If your stress doesn’t remain high every day, your body can protect you more effectively.

It’s an easy, holistic solution to remaining healthy, but it may also take some time. Have fun exploring various self-care activities to find new hobbies you naturally enjoy. Journaling could help you track what you’ve tried and didn’t love to better steer you toward relaxing self-care routines.

6. Exercise More Often

Exercise increases blood flow throughout the body. The improved circulation eliminates inflammation in your organs, so it’s easier for your cells to function properly. Try adding exercise to your weekly routine with two or three weekly workouts. Whether you try walking, running, weight lifting or dancing in your living room, you’ll holistically improve your long-term well-being.

7. Add Probiotics to Your Routine

Your gut microbiome influences how you feel. It regulates your digestive system and keeps your bowel movements on schedule while affecting how your body fights viruses. Research shows people who take probiotics maintain their epithelial barriers, preventing viruses from adhering to their gut lining.

Probiotics are available online, and in local grocery stores or pharmacies. Try taking one according to the package’s directions to see how it makes you feel. You’ll stay healthy more easily, and potentially experience fewer gut symptoms like gas or bloating.

8. Eat Healthier Foods

Those winter comfort foods might hit the spot, but they don’t have the same vitamins and minerals as healthy foods. Remember to eat whole veggies and fruits to stay healthy during flu season. They could become new lunch options, or sides for dinners like mac and cheese or lasagna.

Healthy diets induce better cellular signaling so your body recognizes foreign antigens faster. Get a variety by eating foods like broccoli, apples, bananas and more. A daily vitamin can also improve your immune system if you don’t have the budget for additional fruits and veggies.

9. Enjoy a Daily Cup of Tea

Warm or cold green tea could do wonders for your health this winter. The organic beverage adds helpful polyphenols to the body, reducing cellular inflammation that keeps cells too busy to recognize viruses. A single cup of green tea each day is a delicious and holistic way to stay healthy during cold and flu season.

10. Watch Weekly Flu Maps

The CDC updates its national flu map weekly to help people understand their local infection risk. Check it once a week to see if your area is dealing with higher rates of influenza. Your state’s health department may also have maps with more local data according to town or county.

If the maps say your local flu activity is high, you could make simple changes to decrease your risk of getting sick. Order your groceries or meals instead of walking around businesses full of people who are potentially sick. You could also wear a mask in public places until the flu maps show decreased illness where you live.

Stay Healthy During This Cold and Flu Season

Anyone can explore holistic ways to stay healthy during cold and flu season. You’ll gain more time between illnesses, helping you feel your best and minimizing disruptions to your routine. Add one new change at a time to gradually get used to a more holistic lifestyle this year.