{"id":10449,"date":"2020-03-06T16:56:09","date_gmt":"2020-03-06T16:56:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.personanutrition.com\/blog\/?p=10449"},"modified":"2022-12-05T06:06:33","modified_gmt":"2022-12-05T06:06:33","slug":"health-during-cold-flu-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.personanutrition.com\/blog\/health-during-cold-flu-season\/","title":{"rendered":"7 ways to be smart about health during cold and flu season"},"content":{"rendered":"As everyone is anticipating the start of spring, in reality we are still knee deep in cold and flu season. You should be mindful of protecting yourself against germs and supporting your body\u2019s immunity system throughout the year, but especially in the months from November through April.When people are together there is always going to be a higher likelihood of exposure to bacteria and viruses. Whether you\u2019re in the gym, catching a flight or meeting friends for drinks, you\u2019re in close contact with other people.There are a number of different ways you can minimize your exposure to germs and support your body\u2019s own immunity system. Here are my top seven ways.\r\r\rSleep is extremely important as it refreshes the immune system. The length of sleep is variable per person, but typically the sweet spot is between 6-8 hours. If you\u2019re sleep depleted, you\u2019re much more likely to get a cold.\r\r\r\r\r\r\r\rWash up whenever you can, but especially before and after eating. Also, it\u2019s better to use antibacterial soap for at least 20 seconds instead of gel hand sanitizers. However, if you don\u2019t have the option for soap and water, you should use what you have available.\r\r\r\r\r\r\r\rClean your seat, headrest, armrest and table trays too. When you\u2019re traveling be sure to pack antibacterial towelettes so you can easily wipe down the space you\u2019ll be occupying for the next few hours. If you are flying, turn the overhead air nozzle all the way up and direct slightly away from you to create a laminar airflow away from you.\r\r\r\r\r\r\r\rSupport your immunity by finding just the right balance of exercise \u2013 the key is not to overdo it as over-exercise can make you more vulnerable to most viral illnesses.\r\r\r\r\r\r\r\rNutrition research points to the use of some dietary supplements to help support overall health and wellness, especially for those who aren\u2019t getting at least five servings of fresh fruits and vegetables daily \u2013 more than 80 percent of us. For instance, if you have a slight deficiency in vitamin D, you may be more susceptible to contracting influenza according to a study published in the BMJ. Curcumin is another nutrient that supports health, and may have anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties. If you couple it with black pepper, it can help elevate curcumin levels. Tip: Persona offers vitamin D3 in its foundational multivitamin as well as curcumin coupled with black pepper in its foundational formula.\r\r\r\r\r\r\r\rUse a sauna, if you have access to one, 2-3 times per week as it can support immunity.\r\r\r\r\r\r\r\rIt\u2019s now socially acceptable to replace the traditional handshake greeting with an elbow bump. And, turn the other way when you see someone coughing.\r\r\r\rDon\u2019t underestimate the power of your body\u2019s immunity system. It\u2019s important to take measures to optimize it throughout the year and especially during peak cold and flu season.","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As everyone is anticipating the start of spring, in reality we are still knee deep in cold and flu season. You should be mindful of protecting yourself against germs and supporting your body\u2019s immunity system throughout the year,","protected":false},"author":65,"featured_media":10450,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[675],"tags":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.personanutrition.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10449"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.personanutrition.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.personanutrition.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.personanutrition.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/65"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.personanutrition.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10449"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/www.personanutrition.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10449\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16697,"href":"https:\/\/www.personanutrition.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10449\/revisions\/16697"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.personanutrition.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10450"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.personanutrition.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10449"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.personanutrition.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10449"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.personanutrition.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10449"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}