Tips for Preparing for Flu Season

By Neville Street  

Autumn is here, and hopefully you are out enjoying yourself in the crisp air and taking part in all of the seasonal festivities. In order to keep having fun all fall and winter long, it is important to remember that this wonderful autumn air also means that flu season is just around the corner. Taking certain simple precautions to protect yourself and your family can make all of the difference in keeping yourself well this year. Here are some important steps that you can take to prepare for flu season and stay healthy.

Eat and Drink for Health

One of the simplest steps we can take to ward off the flu is a practice everyone should ideally adhere to all year round: choose a healthy diet that will help your body to maintain a strong immune system. This does not really require any special or complicated diet. The basics are to stay well hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids and to eat a diet that is healthy and balanced. Food choices that may be particularly beneficial will include lots of fruits and vegetables that are high in antioxidants. Antioxidants carry many benefits, and are becoming more and more known to the public. One of these wonderful benefits is they can work as immune boosters, helping you and your family to have a healthier life overall.

Avoid Germs

There are many steps you can take to limit your contact with germs. Some of these may be more obvious than others, but if you begin a mindful routine of keeping yourself and the objects you come into contact with sanitized now, you will likely have formed good habits by the time flu season is in full swing. Proper hand washing is a hugely important practice. Many people know that they should wash their hands, but are not necessarily washing properly. To really benefit you should wash in warm, soapy water for between 30 to 60 seconds. It may help you to keep track of the time if you get into the habit of singing a song like the ABC's as you wash, and this will definitely help young children with washing their hands. In public places, try to wipe off surfaces like doorknobs with sanitizing wipes, if possible, as the flu virus can live up to 48 hours on hard surfaces. A good alternative is to use a hand sanitizer after touching these surfaces, but remember not to eat or touch food immediately afterwards. Wait a few minutes first so the sanitizer has time to kill the flu germs.

Get a Flu Shot

Though you should definitely follow every step to keep yourself healthy, the method of protection that is by far the most effective is getting a flu vaccination. The flu shot is recommended for almost anyone over six months of age, with a few exceptions, including people with severe allergies to chicken eggs or a history of Guillain-Barre Syndrome. If you do decide to get a seasonal flu shot, be sure to get it as early in the season as you possibly can, because its effectiveness only really kicks in by developing the right antibodies in your body about two weeks after the shot is administered.

Neville Street is the Administrative Director for Rodriquez MD, a bilingual medical practice in Lawrenceville, GA that provides health care to infants, children, adolescents and adults. Lawrenceville doctors Deborah and Veronica Rodriguez are sisters with a combined 27 years of experience. The doctors are Board Certified in Family Medicine and Internal Medicine and both Gwinnett physicians have extensive experience working in private practice.

For more information visit: http://www.lawrenceville-doctors.com

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3 Vital Facts About the Importance of Drinking Water

By Gerry Deligencia

If you are a person who is living an active and fast-paced lifestyle, or a regular guy just going about your daily routine, you probably know that you need to drink a lot of fluids in order to keep you healthy, hydrated, and a sustained energy level with a lot more to spare for some "extra" activities after work and/or play. When it comes to hydration, there is no better drink than the good, old, crystal clear water. But did you know that hydration is not the only benefit or function that water provides to your body? Here are at least 3 very vital facts about the importance of drinking water that you should know. This should be enough to encourage you to drink plenty of water daily, if you haven't already.

Hydration
• Daytime fatigue slows down metabolism by as much as 3% and is primarily caused by dehydration.
• Mental focus, concentration, and physical performance is affected and impaired even with just a 1% - 2% drop in body water.
• Colas, coffees, teas, and other such beverages that contain caffeine actually stimulate fluid loss and even promote dehydration.

Electrolytes
• The body needs a regular dose of electrolytes or minerals such as calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, and chloride, and all these can be found in water.
• Peak physical performance can be achieved by quickly replenishing lost electrolytes.
• Vital electrolytes, which are critical for nerve impulses and muscle contractions, is constantly lost from exercise and prolonged physical activity.

pH Balance
• Diseases and illnesses cannot survive in an alkaline environment, but will thrive in a highly acidic environment.
• A single point drop in the pH scale generally means "10 times more acidity". A beverage with a pH reading of "2" for example, is therefore, around 100,000 times more acidic than a beverage with a "7" pH reading (such as water).
• "Alkalinity" is synonymous with oxygen, and having enough oxygen generally translates to good health.

It is obvious with these facts that drinking water cannot be taken for granted, and neither can there be any substitute for it. The importance of drinking water is just too vital to your well being and general health to be overlooked.

Now that you know these very important facts about drinking water, the next time you are thirsty or feel the need for a drink, hopefully you will make the right decision in deciding which type of drink to choose. Have a tall glass of your cold, good old water from your refrigerator instead. Isn't that refreshing!

Gerry Deligencia is a BS Accountancy graduate and has been writing and researching on various health topics and issues for more than 10 years. He is especially interested in the importance and benefits of drinking appropriate amounts of water for optimum health, and does extensive research on information about drinking water supplements and alternatives [http://www.energywaterx2o.info]. Visit this site [http://www.energywaterx2o.info] for more information on how you can transform your drinking water.

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