7 Unconventional Ways to Prep for Cold and Flu Season
Cold and flu season is right around the corner, meaning things might become a bit more difficult for your household. Whether your loved ones go to school or the office, they risk catching something they could bring back to everyone else. Then, it’ll spread like wildfire through your entire household.
If you’ve gotten the flu vaccine or stocked up on cold and flu meds, you may feel ready but still wary about illness. Luckily, you can take a few extra measures to ensure your family remains safe and healthy for the whole season.
1. Start Taking Elderberry Supplements
Does your family take vitamins? If you don’t, there’s no better time to start than the present. However, a multivitamin may not be enough in many cases. If you can work an immune supplement into your diet, you might feel better protected against the upcoming season.
Elderberry has been used to treat colds in folk medicine for years, and it makes a great supplement to add to your diet when you’re anticipating the spread of illness. Some research confirms that it’s great for respiratory infections. Ask your doctor what elderberry supplement they recommend for the adults and children in your household. It might just save you from a painful winter.
2. Get an Air Purifier
Life doesn’t stop just because cold and flu season comes around. Even if someone in your home doesn’t catch it or show symptoms, they may still spread particles around that could get more vulnerable family members sick. You should watch out for babies or older adults in your home. An air purifier can help clean the air as you enjoy your time at home, ensuring you breathe in only the freshest air, free from pathogens.
3. Eat Seafood
What you put into your body can ultimately help you heal and protect you from several conditions. You might not expect seafood to be one of the most powerful things to protect you from illness, but some variations of seafood can be considered superfoods.
For example, crab is full of protein, with over 15 grams per serving. Eating regular servings of crab might lower your inflammation and risk of certain diseases, and it has plenty of vitamin C to keep your family well throughout the cold and flu season. Plan to implement some into your weekly meal rotation — or more often if your family loves it.
4. Spend Time in Nature
Nature is healing — it makes sense that your immune system improves when you surround yourself with green. Tell your family to wrap up so you can take nature walks outside and enjoy the turning of the seasons. Spending time outdoors can also decrease your stress, which is a good thing. Stress tends to take a toll on the body and leave you more susceptible to illnesses.
5. Get Proper Sleep
Many people believe rest is only for after you’re already sick, but getting enough quality sleep is crucial to giving your body time to repair itself. You may get sick more easily when you’re running on a significant sleep debt. That’s why you need to prioritize higher-quality sleep for your entire family.
For example, you could get your family to unplug a few hours before bedtime, as blue light can make it harder to fall asleep. That way, you’re all working on building healthier habits together.
6. Know Where to Go When Feeling Sick
Don’t wait until it’s too late to know how to receive care. By preparing your “treatment route” ahead of any sickness, you can know what symptoms to look for and what steps to take to ensure the family member receives treatment. Though you may not want to think of things worsening, you should plan for every situation — that preparation allows you to act quickly if things go wrong.
7. Rely on a Humidifier
A humidifier can be a great investment for anyone who foresees a household of stuffy noses. Using humidifiers can break up even the toughest mucus, making it a staple for a home that passes around sickness quickly. You can typically find one affordably. Until someone gets sick, having it in shared spaces is a good idea.
The machine can chase away dry air without making a room feel too damp. You’ll be grateful for the extra moisture in the air, as dry air typically leads to more allergies or nosebleeds. Remember to clean it whenever you use it, and don’t leave it running for more than a few hours at a time.
Make This Cold and Flu Season the Healthiest Yet
Sometimes, no matter what you do, someone will still get sick. If that happens, you’re not at fault — you just have to know how to handle things to minimize symptoms and get your loved one feeling 100% again. These unconventional tactics may help your family feel better than ever, on top of what you already do to protect your loved ones.
Remember, cold and flu can strike any time, not just in one particular season. Though these illnesses might be most common in the winter and late fall, you can still contract them just as seriously throughout the rest of the year. Being prepared for anything is the best thing you can do for your household. Then, you can spend more time together, happy and healthy.
