Tips for Staying Healthy

[Dog New Tricks]

A lot of people at my office have colds right now so I'm wondering what are everyone's tips and strategies for staying healthy? I keep hand sanitzer and kleenex anti-viral tissues on my desk since they trap cold and flu bugs. I've also been trying to get more sleep at night. Any other ideas?

[dawnyama]

My husband swears by washing his hands A LOT!! He will also gargle with salt water as soon as his throat starts to hurt. He doesn't get sick, even when everyone else is sneezing and sniffling. But the allergies kick his but!

I take coconut oil (4 TBL a day) and don't get what my kids bring home from school. I have 4 kids and they are in 3 different schools! Haven't gotten a cold from them this year. Last year I did get the flu when I was taking care of the 2 of them that got it. I had neglected to get in my coconut oil--I had slipped for a few days because of the craziness around here and it backfired! Now I have learned my lesson--I don't skip on the oil! It helps keep my immune system running smoothly. Not even a sniffle during allergy season.

[LoraJR72]

I use hand sanitizer, wash my hands, and use Clorox Anti-bacterial spray to clean my desk, phone, keyboard, stapler, calculator, and mouse with.

I make sure to eat healthy and exercise as much as possible during the week.

[Houston Heather]

I take Olive Leaf Capsules, 500 mg.

I ride with a lot of very sick people on the paratransit service so I need to stay healthy!

I am my husband's only caregiver AND employee, as well. We can't afford for me to get sick.

I wash my hands a lot, I use hand sanitizer, I avoid sugar - which is absolute poison to the immune system.

[Dog New Tricks]

Thanks for all the suggestions! I've never heard of the coconut oil trick or taking Olive Leaf Capsules so I'll look into that. And I'll be sure to clean my desk, keyboard and phone and wash my hands a lot. I'm also going to share my kleenex anti-viral and hand sanitzer with my coworkers. I don't want to get sick!

[breehill]

I just found this video on You Tube that really shows how germs and viruses spread. It is so cool. It's meant for kids but I even learned a lot!

YouTube - Swine Flu - teach children how not to spread germs

[Dog New Tricks]

Thanks for sharing! There is a lot of interesting info in that video!

[JoSkids]

[COLOR="SandyBrown"]In the very rare instance that get any sign of a sore throat, I mega dose w/vitamin c and echinacea. Nips it right in the bud.

I have a fairly healthy immune system and rarely get sick. Unless there is no hand washing facility - which happens on sports fields where there is usually portapotties :-/ I avoid the hand sanitizer and anti bacterial anything cause I feel like it kills the good germs. The one year that I routinely used a hand sanitizer when I exited our restroom at work - I was sick all the time. So no more unless absolutely necessary.[/COLOR]

[Dog New Tricks]

I take extra vitamin c and echinacea too when I feel a cold coming on and I'll also take airborne. That's interesting about the hand sanitizer. I use it pretty often when I'm at work at my desk so I hope that I'm not killing the good germs!

The Kleenex Battle of the Bug site has a cold and flu tracker on it that tells you which states have the most cases of flu. It says that there are not many cases in VA which is good!

[MamaLiga]

Originally Posted by Dog New Tricks

A lot of people at my office have colds right now so I'm wondering what are everyone's tips and strategies for staying healthy? Any other ideas?

Whenever my office comes down with some sort of bug, I make sure to take lots and lots of Vitamin C. I also carry around hand sanitizer and try to wash my hands before touching my face,etc. If I start to feel like I'm coming down with something, then i'll take some oregano oil, which will help my immune system knock it out before I really start to get sick.

I also try to give my diet a boost. I already eat alot of fruit, but whenever I really feel like I'm coming down with something, I'll start to eat alot of berries and make fruit smoothies. I guess that kinda goes inline with the "take alot of vitamin c" comment from above. Coconut oil is also pretty good, i put it in my smoothies too.

Here's a pretty good article about coconut oil benefits. Hope it helps. Stay well!

[CramerNH]

Handwashing, drink plenty of fluids, good sleep, eating healthy, etc - the list goes on really...

I think one of the things that matters so much is how you are 'cleaning up' after you sneeze and cough - it truly starts with you.

I swear that ever since my Derm-doc had me jump away from having dairy - my health did change - I used to be accustomed to respiratory-related infections requiring antibiotics - I havent needed them in two years...

But that is my case - Im not gonna start jumping up and down, my head bobbing everywhere saying -GET OFF DAIRY GET OFF DAIRY - LOL, good handwashing practices is where it starts..

[lc-chica]

I just take vitamin C daily (not just when others are sick). If I get lazy about taking it I always get sick! I work in a doctors office and was sick constantly my first 6 mos there and now I never get sick just taking the vitamin C. Really you just need to strengthen your immune system, echinacea is great for that!

[Gnossienne]

I drink a lot of water and supplement my sleep with naps, when needed.

[Dog New Tricks]

Originally Posted by CramerNH

I think one of the things that matters so much is how you are 'cleaning up' after you sneeze and cough - it truly starts with you.

I swear that ever since my Derm-doc had me jump away from having dairy - my health did change - I used to be accustomed to respiratory-related infections requiring antibiotics - I havent needed them in two years...

But that is my case - Im not gonna start jumping up and down, my head bobbing everywhere saying -GET OFF DAIRY GET OFF DAIRY - LOL, good handwashing practices is where it starts..

I agree - it does start with us and how we deal with our germs. That's why the kleenex anti-viral are so helpful since they kill germs and flu bugs in the tissue. We should be sneezing and coughing into them.

I didn't know that dairy was in some way related to respiratory infections and I'm glad that staying away from it has worked for you! That would be really hard for me since most of my favorite foods have dairy products in them!

[CramerNH]

Originally Posted by Dog New Tricks

I agree - it does start with us and how we deal with our germs. That's why the kleenex anti-viral are so helpful since they kill germs and flu bugs in the tissue. We should be sneezing and coughing into them.

I didn't know that dairy was in some way related to respiratory infections and I'm glad that staying away from it has worked for you! That would be really hard for me since most of my favorite foods have dairy products in them!

The Dermatologist I have has published some research (Ive sent him an email asking for a copy to post) along with a few other Derma-specialists on the subject.. very interesting reading too! Thankfully he has the clinical version and a version that everyone can understand.... I love him, he is so good to think of people who need an english-english text! LOL

He has also published a study on the effects of Dairy and Acne - and I can DEFINITELY say there is alot of factual evidence.. my daughter was a subject and by decreasing her dairy intake to no more than 1 svg per day - her acne, in conjunction with Yasmin has helped clear her up within 3 months... she only has the rare one-acne blemish that manages to sneak in. He has asked her to try Dairy free and she gave it a good shot, but.. hehehe come on.. Teenagers - Pizza, sandwiches?? LOL She has done well to be very limiting, and her skin is just amazing!

[CallaneticsRox]

wash your hands whenever you can. The viruses that've got to your skin will wash away. Eat lots of garlic, it keeps the immune system strong. Keep a tissue with you. When anyone sneezes nearby, use the tissue. Don't touch your face or nose during the day and clear your nose and throat out often.

It'll keep viruses away.

[Zenngrl]

I never wash my hands, unless I pee on them and I never use anti bacterial products... EVER.

I haven't been sick in over 10 years, with the exception of one or two boughts of pollen/ragweed allergies.

I think all this preventative stuff is what makes us sick. We kill all the good bateria.


I know I'm the odd one out here, but I'm the only one in my family who isn't obsessed with cleaning and disinfecting and I'm the healthiest one. Coincidence? could be.

[TheMoth]

Originally Posted by MamaLiga

Whenever my office comes down with some sort of bug, I make sure to take lots and lots of Vitamin C. I also carry around hand sanitizer and try to wash my hands before touching my face,etc. If I start to feel like I'm coming down with something, then i'll take some oregano oil, which will help my immune system knock it out before I really start to get sick.

I also try to give my diet a boost. I already eat alot of fruit, but whenever I really feel like I'm coming down with something, I'll start to eat alot of berries and make fruit smoothies. I guess that kinda goes inline with the "take alot of vitamin c" comment from above. Coconut oil is also pretty good, i put it in my smoothies too.

Here's a pretty good article about coconut oil benefits. Hope it helps. Stay well!

I gotta say, this is pretty much what I do too... right down to the fruit smoothies. I also try to work out more whenever people around me start to get sick. I'm not sure if it helps.. but it makes me feel better.

[JoSkids]

Originally Posted by Zenngrl

I never wash my hands, unless I pee on them and I never use anti bacterial products... EVER.

I haven't been sick in over 10 years, with the exception of one or two boughts of pollen/ragweed allergies.

I think all this preventative stuff is what makes us sick. We kill all the good bateria.


I know I'm the odd one out here, but I'm the only one in my family who isn't obsessed with cleaning and disinfecting and I'm the healthiest one. Coincidence? could be.

Well, Zenngrl - I'm almost with you on this. I ALWAYS wash my hands after I use the restroom. However, I do not use antibacterial anything if I can help it. I do have a hand sanitizer I carry with me for when I have to use outhouses at soccer tournaments, but other than that, it's plain old soap.

I think that all the hyper-preventitive stuff is what makes us sick as well. I rarely get sick, but the one year after they installed the hand sanitizer in the work restroom, I used it diligently and I was continually sick. I now don't use it and I am healthy as usual.