How to avoid the flu

Eat more fruit and veggies

Vitamin C, Vitamin B and antioxidants will help make your immune system strong. The best way to get more of the vitamins and minerals that your body needs is to eat more fruits and vegetables. Citrus fruits are high in Vitamin C and contain B vitamins. Adding a grapefruit or an orange to your normal diet is an easy way to strengthen your immune system. Keep some fruit with you at work or in the car so you can reach for a piece of fruit instead of a chocolate bar in the afternoon.

Exercise

One of the many benefits of exercise is that it helps to keep your whole body in good shape. Just 30 minutes of exercise each day will not only help you manage stress and strengthen your muscles, it will also improve the health of your cells – including those that fight illness and disease. The boost that your body gets from exercise will help your body function more efficiently and stave off illness. You don’t have to slog through an intense workout to get the benefits of exercise. Pick something that you like to do, such as going for a walk, riding your bike, dancing, or doing yoga. Anything that gets your heart rate up for at least 30 minutes will give your immune system a boost and help your body fight off any illnesses that come your way. You can also keep your immune system in good shape by getting plenty of sleep.

Focus on hygiene

It would be a lot easier to avoid catching influenza if you didn’t interact with other people – but since that’s not an option, the next best thing you can do is to have good hygiene habits. Wash your hands frequently, especially after touching doorhandles, phones or anything else that other people are frequently in contact with. If someone in your office is sick, make sure that you wash your hands whenever you have had any contact with that person. Use hand sanitiser and sanitising wipes for when you’re out and about or for cleaning your desk area at work.

Get a flu shot

Not everyone likes getting vaccinations, but these shots can help protect you from the most common virus strains. The vaccination works by causing the body to develop antibodies that provide protection against certain viruses (depending on what researchers believe will be the most common strains during the season). It’s not possible to get the flu from a flu shot, as they don’t contain active viruses. However, it can take about two weeks for your body to produce the protective antibodies in response to the vaccine, to if you’re exposed to the flu in that period, you still might get sick. The vaccine also doesn’t protect you from colds or other viruses with flu-like symptoms – only those targeted by the flu shot.

Learn how to get more energy, no matter what season it is.