Steps to Prevent Sickness this Winter

by: Reilly Chapman
          As the temperatures drop, the chance of illness increases.  As you walk down the halls of Trident, almost everyone you pass is coughing or sniffling.  There are ten things you need to be conscious about to avoid the common winter cold and flu:

1. Wash your hands: Not only after using the restroom, wash your hands after touching anything that has come into contact with other people, i.e. anything you touch at school. Also, remember to wash your hands before and after preparing food.
2. Don’t touch your face: The easiest place to transmit illness is through mucous membranes such as your eyes, mouth and nose. Even if you just washed your hands, don’t risk it.
3. Avoid sick people: Kind of self-explanatory. Sick people carry germs; germs make you sick. Make sure if you come into contact with them you disinfect anything they touch.
4. Take vitamins: Such as a multivitamin or vitamin C daily to help boost your immune system.
5. Get enough sleep: Even as a college student, it is recommended that adults get six hours of sleep a night. If you feel like you are getting sick—sleep MORE.
6. Hydrate: Give your body everything it needs to function its best.
7. Eat well: Eat things that are nutritious and healthy. It’s not a good idea to eat foods that induce inflammation (simple sugars and starches) when your body is already weakened. Green juice is a great way to get extra nutrition.
8. Don’t party when colds and the flus are around: Alcohol weakens your immune system; cigarettes weaken your immune system; illicit drugs weaken your immune system; and, as already stated, a lack of sleep weakens your immune system.
9. Skip a workout: your body needs to rest; if you overwork it, it won’t have the energy to fight off the illness.
10. Avoid group food: Don’t eat food out of a party dish, such as chips or fruit, where other people’s hands have touched it.