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healthy winter

Well it's that time of year again. Yep, you guessed it...flu season.  Here are some tips to help you say healthy this winter

1.) Wash your hands often.  Well duh! But, don't forget to wash between your fingers as well as the backs of your hands.  

2.) Get at least 7 hours of sleep per night.  Your body may produced too many cytokines, proteins that trigger cold symptoms when you're sick, when you are sleep-deprived.

3.) Eat food with lots of antioxidants.  Vegetables, fruits, red beans, and green tea.

4.) Invest in a humidifier that keeps the humidity between 40 - 60%.  The droplets in the air that contain the virus may shrink quickly in dryer environments, so they float around longer. If the air is moist, the droplets are more likely to fall to the floor faster.

5.) Skip the drinks.  Alcohol can impair white blood cells' ability to fight viruses for up to 24 hours after drinking a bit too much.  
 

(Adapted from Women's Health, Nov. 2011)

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