As every year, with the first chills and rainy days, and more time spent indoors, flu and colds also increase due to both the change in temperature and the spread of viruses. 

Flu and colds, although not a serious illness, can be very annoying and, in addition, having fever, cough, headache and any other symptoms also means being absent from work or missing certain appointments, such as the gym or language lessons for example, and meetings with friends.

However, in addition to following common sense, there are some expedients that it is useful to know in order to prevent the classic health complaints that usually occur during the winter months.

Eating fruit and vegetables to fill up on vitamins

It is well known that eating a balanced diet and consuming fruit and vegetables is important for staying healthy. Certain foods are rich in vitamins and phytochemicals and are useful to provide a boost to the immune system. 

For example, peppers, red or green, oranges and grapefruit, kiwi and broccoli are rich in vitamin C, while raw leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables can give you a high quantity of vitamins A, C, E, and K. Instead, you can find vitamin D in egg yolks, fishes such as salmon and tuna, mushrooms and beef liver to enjoy a rapid relief from influenza symptoms.

You can add these foods to your diet, even making delicious smoothies, but if you want to fill up on nutrients, you might consider asking your pharmacist what are the best energy tablets to prevent flu and stay healthy during winter.

Stay active to prevent flu

If you have an active lifestyle, which includes performing an exercise routine on a regular basis, you will have a stronger immune system. Playing sports stimulates the formation of white blood cells, especially macrophages, which are useful for fighting diseases and viruses, but also helps to reduce stress, which instead lowers the immune response. However, despite doing sport is useful for preventing the common flu, over-exerting the body means weakening it, so it is better not to overdo it.

Say bye-bye to unhealthy habits

You surely know that alcohol consumption and smoking are bad for your health, but it is better to avoid these vices if you want to prevent typical winter disease such as flu and colds. 

Smoking irritates the respiratory tract and not only contributes to exacerbate cold and cough symptoms, but is a habit that undermines the body’s natural defence system.  

Furthermore, the cilia, the tiny hairs that catch cold viruses when they enter the nostrils, are inhibited by smoking: one cigarette is enough to deactivate their function for about 30-40 minutes.

Alcohol dehydrates the body and lowers the immune system, too. It also increases the levels of inflammation in the organism and, therefore, reactions can be more severe.

Follow some basic rules of hygiene

Since flu or colds develop due to the spread of viruses, and these are transmitted from one person to another through saliva or contact, it is important to wash your hands frequently and adopt some simple hygiene rules. 

For example, some influenza viruses can persist for hours on surfaces, so it is important to wash your hands, especially if you are in public places or share objects with other people. Alternatively, alcohol-based disinfectants can be used.

When you are about to sneeze or cough, it is best to avoid putting your hand in front of your mouth. You can instead use the bend of the elbow or a napkin. In this way, you will prevent your hand from getting full of germs.