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How To Stay Healthy When Everyone Else Is Sick

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Charge Up For Good Health



By Nancy Kalish for Charge Up For Good Health

This isn’t just the start of holiday season; it’s germ season as well. That’s why many of us will be hacking away and looking a lot like Rudolph before winter is over. “The average adult gets one to three respiratory illnesses each year, and women, especially if they’re moms, tend to catch even more,” says Charles Gerba, an environmental microbiologist at the University of Arizona and coauthor of The Germ Freak’s Guide to Outwitting Colds and Flu.

So how can you avoid getting sick? You already know you need to eat right, exercise and get enough sleep. And yes, you should get a flu shot now, even if you received one last year (visit FluClinicLocator.org to find out where you can get the vaccine near you). But don’t stop there. Here are six surprising ways to help stay healthy and keep you and your family sniffle-free all season long:

1. Fill up on fiber.
It not only helps you feel full and lose weight, it also boosts your immune system. New research from the University of Illinois shows that fiber, which is abundant in fresh fruits and veggies, stimulates the activity of our white blood cells, which battle infection and help you stay healthy. And don’t forget to add garlic to your dishes. It contains allicin, a potent germ-fighter. Cook it to release the most benefits, and try to eat some at least three times each week.

2. Get your dose of D.
During winter months, it’s hard for your body to make enough vitamin D from sun exposure, and few foods contain a good amount. But vitamin D is the key to a strong immune system. According to recent research published in the journal Epidemiology and Infection, people downing 2,000 IU of vitamin D daily came down with 70 percent fewer colds and flu than those taking a placebo. Other research shows that getting enough vitamin D may lead to less cancer, heart disease, diabetes and other serious diseases.

3. Fend off the flu with sex.
According to researchers at Wilkes University, making love just once or twice a week boosts your levels of flu-fighting antibodies by a whopping 30 percent. If your loved one is sick, however, stay away.

4. Avoid the worst germ hot-spots.

  • Elevator buttons. Push them with your keys, a credit card or a gloved finger. Ditto for ATM screens.
  • The office fridge, microwave and water fountain. Use a paper towel to open them and turn them on.
  • Your co-worker’s candy bowl. If other people have been dipping in, there’s more than M&M’S in there.
  • The handle of your supermarket cart. Carry sanitizing wipes with you to disinfect it before shopping.
  • Public restrooms. After washing your hands, turn off all faucets with paper towels and be sure to open the exit door with one (it’s the germiest spot of all).

5. Choose the right cleaning products.
Using the wrong ones could end up simply pushing the germs around instead of killing them. Unfortunately, most green products won’t do the job. Only the sprays, liquids and wipes labeled “disinfecting” or “sanitizing” will kill germs, including the cold and flu viruses. Look for an Environmental Protection Agency number, which ensures the product has been tested for effectiveness, and follow product instructions exactly.

6. Wash, wash and wash some more.
You know you should wash your hands before you eat to stay healthy. But Gerba advises also scrubbing up as soon as you enter your home or workplace to wash away all the germs you picked up getting there. Rub the top and bottoms of your hands under water (it doesn’t matter if it’s hot or cold) for as long as it would take you to sing “Happy Birthday” twice. Soap won’t actually kill germs, but it helps them slide off your hands. Nowhere to wash? Use a hand-sanitizing gel with at least 60 percent alcohol, which protects against the flu by destroying the outer layer of the virus.

Nancy Kalish is the managing editor of this website and has written for O, The Oprah Magazine; Prevention; Self; Real Simple; and many other publications. She also works with clients one-on-one as a certified health coach.  Learn more at NancyKalish.com.

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When Spores Attack

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germsAs soon as a germ enters our house, I always wonder, “Which one of us is next?!” I put multiple sanitizers around the house, I follow the germ-ee with a tissue, I bark at everyone,”Wash your hands!” “Cough into your elbow!” I use sanitizing wipes on everything, I try to minimize the damage. Because I’m in charge of the “damage control.”

And inevitably, I get it. Which makes sense. I’m the primary caretaker and I’m (almost) ok with being the fall guy. In fact, I claim victory if the son who brings it into the house from school and I are the only ones who get sick.

Since the preschool years have begun, we’ve gotten all of the colds and flus (except for the swine flu — not yet, anyway!) We’ve also been lucky to avoid that stomach one. You know the one.

Until this year.

And it.was.evil. Truly evil. I have heard how evil that stomach flu is and there truly are no words for just how evil that one is. There is only one man left standing and it’s my husband who never seems to catch anything that levels the rest of us. Lucky.

So after the dust settles, did you know that the evil germ still lurks everywhere? Of course you do, you’re a mom! It’s in the couch. It’s in the blankets. It’s in the towels you used. It’s in the carpet, on the toys, on the surfaces, it’s everywhere!

So here are some ways to avoid getting sick again, and also to avoid spreading it to your visitors.

  • First, try to make sure whoever is sick stays in one area of the house while they’re sick so it’s easier to clean up if things get messy. Also, other family members can avoid that area. Bonus if there’s a second bathroom for that person to use.
  • Take all the garbage out and sanitize the garbage can with bleach diluted with water.
  • Clean all linens, sheets and towels that were used by washing them on the “hot” or “sanitize” cyle of the washing machine.
  • Sanitize any and all surfaces that may have come in contact with the sick person with sanitizing wipes or a bleach and water solution. You can also use Lysol spray on light switches, door knobs, remotes, phones, almost anywhere. Go crazy with it. I do!
  • Sanitize the bathroom, from the toilet to the floors and the faucets. Don’t forget the toilet bowl handle!
  • Shampoo the carpets and/or upholstery.
  • Vaccuum.
  • Bleach the toys. If you can limit the number of toys the sick child/children are playing with, all the better! If not, grab a bucket, pour one or two teaspoons of bleach per gallon of water into it, and put as many toys as you can that will survive this type of washing in it. Repeat. The ones that won’t survive, like the motorized toys, spray with Lysol. You can also wash stuffed animals in the washing machine. I personally have a “survivor” policy with stuffed animals. If they “survive” the washing machine and the dryer, then they get to stay. We have too many stuffed animals anyway.
  • Wash hands all the time. Everyone.
  • Buy an air purifier.

The best case scenario here is that everyone stays stomach-flu-free this season! We weren’t so lucky, but we hope we’re in the clear now! Stay healthy!

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Sick-day Strategies for Keeping Kids Entertained

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By Ella Brooks for Sniffle Solutions

Sick-day Strategies for Keeping Kids Entertained “Mommy, I don’t feel good.” Sound familiar?

It’s the call of a child who’s stuck in bed with a dreaded cold or flu. It breaks your heart, but there are plenty of things you can do to entertain her until she feels better.

Experts say the best course of action includes activities that are low-key and keep a child busy without wearing her out. “There are lots of great ways to keep children entertained and distracted when they’re home from school with a cold or the flu,” says Dr. Vivian Lennon, a pediatrician and the medical director of primary care at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.

Here are 11 comforting and clever ways often used by Lennon and moms like you to help kids have fun while they recover.

Symptom Soothers
These strategies help your little ones fight common cold and flu symptoms and keep boredom at bay:

  • Throw a tea party. Serve afternoon tea in bed for your child, her dolls and stuffed animals. Decaffeinated tea with milk and honey is the perfect beverage: The warm liquid soothes a sore throat and eases congestion, and the honey helps kick a cough.
  • Make a splash. Feverish kids often feel better after a bath, so stock the tub with toys: floating animals, cars and boats, and special crayons to draw designs on the sides of the bathtub. A steamy bathroom can also clear out a stuffy nose.
  • Care for a sick stuffed animal. If your child feels very ill, rest is best. Make catching extra z’s more fun by pretending your child’s favorite animal is under the weather too. Tell your daughter that Teddy needs to take a nap so he’ll feel better, and she can tuck him into bed with her.
  • Go camping. Resting is more exciting when it’s in a special spot. Pitch a tent in the living room or make a fort by draping a blanket over a table. Make it a comfy, kid-friendly zone with pillows, blankets, a sleeping bag and a lamp.

Feel-good Projects
Take your kid’s mind off the aches and pains with a crafty creation:

  • Make a sick-day tool kit. Decorate a plastic bin with stickers; then fill it with comic books, Mad Libs, beads and string, crayons, coloring books and more. The lid can double as a lap desk. The catch? This super-fun box only comes out when your little one is sick.
  • Play post office. Remember how your daughter’s teddy bear is feeling under the weather too? Have your child design a colorful get-well card for Teddy while you make one for her. Then be the postman and deliver the mail.
  • Show off. Create cheerful animal puppets together out of paper bags or socks. Then put on a puppet show while your child rests in bed. Does she need a pick-me-up? Focus the plot on an animal that stays home with the flu and then makes a speedy recovery after receiving a card from your child.

Get-well Games
Laughter can sometimes be healing, so here are some ways to put a smile on an ailing child’s face:

  • Play “Sick Simon Says.” Let your child give you silly commands to do for five minutes every hour (“walk like a duck,” “hop on one foot” or “oink like a pig”).
  • Picture this. Make a DIY puzzle: Have your child choose a favorite photo, and print it on 8-by-10 paper. Glue it to a piece of cardboard and then cut out pieces in the shape of a jigsaw puzzle for her to put back together.
  • Have fun with cards. Stock up on card games from the dollar store. Go Fish and other kids’ classics like Crazy 8s and Old Maid are easier than board games to play in bed. Short on cards? Set up a game of memory with photos of family and friends.
  • Keep in touch. When you have chores to do or need a little me-time, give your child a walkie-talkie so she can contact you if she needs anything or feels lonely. Tell her jokes, check in frequently and keep her updated on what you’re doing so she doesn’t feel like she’s missing out on any fun.
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