How To Prevent A Cold

At work last Monday I noticed a little kid had accidentally left a tissue on the floor. I used two pieces of paper to try and retrieve the tissue off the floor, but it accidentally touched my hand. Usually my two paper technique works well for picking up undesirable objects, but this time my hand accidentally slipped. That night I became so busy I was unable to run to the rest room to wash my hands. Washing our hands important to help stop the spread of germs, but this is very unrealistic when we get very busy at work. When I came home Monday night I noticed I started feeling weak and needed to rest. Over the next couple of days I started feeling an itchy sensation in the back of my throat, and by Wednesday night I had a full blown sore throat. By Thursday morning I was slammed with the worst head cold I have had in years, but I have had to work every day this week and tried to deal with it. I love my job and do not want to miss work, so I am following these strategies more closely to help myself feel better and stay healthy.

I always remember my mom nagging me to wash my hands frequently as a child. My friend is also a preschool teacher and she reminds me to wash my hands to the happy birthday song. Unfortunately we get so busy and often it is impossible to pause and wash our hands after every single business transaction. Sometimes people hand me wet money and smile, and I wonder why the money is wet. Just imagine everything we touch through out our busy days, and how many times we are just too busy to wash our hands.  Taking time out of our busy days is essential for curbing the spread of germs. 

As an adult it is easy to forget the simple childhood lessons, such as frequent hand washing, but after I got very sick on Wednesday I am making a concerted effort to lava las manos (Spanish for washing hands). The horrible head cold I had this week was enough incentive to remind me to sing the happy birthday song to myself as I wash my hands.

What a simple rule I have known since I was a child. However, I know I accidentally rubbed my eyes soon after I touched an object that had germs on it. I am now trying not to touch my eyes and nose since I got this severe head cold. A stuffy nose, sore throat, and fever are enough to remind me to follow these simple rules. Thursday was such a horrible day and I never want to make that mistake again.

As an insomniac it is usually impossible for me to sleep eight hours straight. However, I have been taking naps and resting whenever the mood strikes this week. Spending time away from the Internet is a good way to get adequate rest and sleep. I noticed when I go online right before bed I feel really wound up and cannot get to sleep for awhile. Thus, I now prefer to read a book or just listen to soothing music before bed.

It is a no brainer when we hear over and over again that eating healthy is essential, especially when it comes to getting over a cold. I love to make myself homemade chicken noodle soup when I am sick, even if the research is inconclusive about whether this home remedy helps cure a cold. However, what I do know is chicken broth is soothing for my throat and a great addition to a healthy diet. Eating junk food and drinking soda weakens our immunity, so getting back on track is always a good move when it comes to beating the flu season. I have a quick recipe for making my own chicken noodle soup.

Cut up part of an onion and add some crushed red peppers. Saute the onions in a little bit of olive oil until these become translucent. Cut up some celery, carrots or any other vegetables that you might like to add. Add the chicken broth and a little bit of water to dilute the soup. Next, add any type of noodles you wish or have on hand. Personally I love to add Ichiban noodles and I save the ichiban flavor packets for other recipes later. This is a quick and easy chicken noodle soup that you can make when you are sick because quite frankly no one feels like standing over a stove when they are ill.

This video has a few common sense recommendations on how to prevent and get over a cold.  Basically this is common sense about washing your hands and eating right, but it does not hurt to hear this often.