Nobody likes getting sick. But few people take these 5 steps to prevent getting the cold or even worse, the flu. These 5 tips are no guarantee, of course, that you will prevent getting sick, but if followed during late fall and throughout winter, you'll increase your chances of staying healthy.
So let's jump right in:
Exercise Regularly ... But not too Much As winter weather bears down, we tend to hibernate and become sedentary. It's very important that we continue to get movement and activity in our daily lives. Exercise has been clinically proven to boost immunity. But what to do if it's dark and 20 below when you wake up in the morning? And just as pitch black and cold as when you get home from work? Take just 5-10 minutes in the morning before you go to work and walk, jog, hop or jump in place. It will speed up your metabolism, make you feel energized and warm your body up. If you feel like you'd rather jump off a tall building rather than doing that, then simply stay in bed and do some deep breathing and stretches. Try to repeat one or two more bouts of brief periods of movement throughout the day. We eat three times a day and we should also get movement/activity three times a day. So before or after lunch, go for a walk. If you live in say, Fargo, North Dakota, and you'd risk hypothermia just stepping outside of your office building, simply walk up and down the steps. And while you're watching TV at night, get off the couch during the commercials and do some pushups or jumping jacks. Make this a daily habit and you'll feel great. But don't do too much exercise! Even though you might be saying, "Aw, shucks, why not?" it's important to note that your body does not distinguish between stress types. If you overdo it, say running a triathlon when you're not properly trained, it will suppress your immune system.
Eat a Low Carb Diet Of course you'd expect Miracle Noodle, leader of low-carb pasta, rice and noodles to tell you to eat low carb. But at no other time of the year is it more important than winter. Because of our hibernation tendencies, we also crave high carb snacks. Eating high carb foods promotes inflammation in the body. Inflammation, in turn, can manifest as a runny nose, or sinusitis or any other "itis" (the suffix, 'itis' means inflammation), or even worse, a full blown cold virus. High carb consumption raises blood sugar levels, which promotes inflammatory conditions in the body and can also result in joint pain or swelling. Elevated blood sugar levels weaken the immune system. While it's true that cold viruses can thrive in colder conditions, could it be that the prevalence of colds this time of year is more attributable to poor eating habits, lack of exercise and stress? If you crave comfort foods replace them with equally filling and delicious low-carb versions. A big bowl of spaghetti and meatballs can contain well over 50 grams of carbs, maybe 100 grams if you have seconds. That's a lot of carbs. Click here for a great alternative to high-carb spaghetti. You can even use Miracle Rice as an alternative to many high-carb desserts.
Manage Stress Running around frantically driving from strip mall to strip mall shopping for everybody's holiday gifts is stressful. So is every other year-end activity. It's important to take time and do things for yourself that will manage your stress. Go get a massage, take a yoga class, learn some breathing/meditation techniques, listen to classical music, garden (if you can outside), draw, write ... whatever reduces your stress. In this hectic world, it's impossible not to have stress. Stress isn't necessarily bad; it's how you deal with it that can make the difference between catching a bad cold or flu, or staying healthy through the winter. Miracle Noodle has arranged a health pack featuring 3 high-antioxidant products that can help you in preventing getting sick. Click here to learn more. This item is seasonal so order before we sell out.
