There are plenty of late-night infomercials out there that try to sell you the latest “natural cure” for whatever disease you may have or think you have. Kevin Trudeau even made a dirty fortune touting a book full of false claims of “cures” that “The Man” doesn’t want you to know about. However, not all natural remedies and immune system boosters are fabricated by crackpots on your TV at 4 a.m.
Winter is obviously a time of year when a lot of people get sick. The cold weather lowers your immune system, thus making you more susceptible to whatever germs happen to be floating around on that crowded T you ride every morning.
Staying healthy starts with the common sense things that your parents tried to tell you when you were younger-eat your fruits and vegetables. Around nine to ten servings total per day, as well as eating a wide variety of foods (because the same thing every day gets boring), sets you on the right road. Also, eight 8 oz. glasses of water does wonders for your insides and give your skin a nice, healthy glow.
And all those commercials with old people talking about daily vitamin supplements? Those very vitamin supplements can help you out, too. The extra boost of vitamins C and E, natural antioxidants that are inexpensive and found in many foods, also helps cut the risk of some cancers and heart disease.
If you need another reason to work on that New Year’s Resolution of losing weight, it turns out that 30 minutes of moderate exercise each day can temporarily boost the cells that kill bacteria, and, if stuck with, can potentially provide a longer-term boost.
Avoiding stress is another big one. Stress does some awkward things to your body, so taking some time to yourself and “finding peace” can keep that lingering cold at bay.
In the same way that vaccinations and inoculations help you ward off disease, hanging out with friends is another way to help your body out. While you’re not directly putting the little germ friends into your system, spending time out in public helps your cells know who the enemy is. Plus, it never hurts to have a little fun.
These are just a few of the many things you can do to prevent yourself from getting sick this winter. There are a lot of homespun remedies on the Internet for many different ailments (I came across remedies for anorexia and erectile dysfunction), so you need to be careful with what information you follow. As always, if you’re really feeling ill, go to the doctor first and run any natural cures by them to find out what will work and won’t work.