• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

MomsWhoSave.com

Living Well. Shopping Smart. Family, deals, recipes, travel, reviews, home and decor, beauty, fashion, and much more!

  • home
  • all blog posts
  • lifestyle
    • family
    • health / self-care
    • diy / crafts / home
      • diy / crafts
      • home
    • beauty / fashion
    • personal finance
    • pets
    • reviews
    • education
  • printables
  • gift guides
  • deals
    • deals
    • >> search / browse online deals & coupon codes <<
    • daily deal sites
    • local deals
    • freebie posts
    • freebie list
    • free / frugal activities
    • store list
  • grocery & mobile coupons
    • all grocery & mobile coupons
    • Coupons.com
    • SmartSource
    • Savings
    • coupon database
  • giveaways
    • giveaways
    • sweepstakes list
    • ongoing giveaway linky — enter or submit giveaways
  • travel
    • travel posts
    • search travel deals
  • recipes
    • entrees
    • side dishes
    • appetizers
    • desserts & treats
    • beverages / smoothies / popsicles
    • recipe roundups
    • seasonal / holiday recipes
    • misc. recipes & food
  • blogger resources
    • blogger resources
    • blogger opportunities & more
  • about / pr
    • about
    • pr
    • link to us
    • affiliations
    • privacy
    • disclosure policy
home » health / self-care » Whole Family Health: 5 Ways to Keep Illness at Bay This Winter

Whole Family Health: 5 Ways to Keep Illness at Bay This Winter

Disclosure: Articles may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases (at no additional cost to you). See our full disclosure here.

By Teresa

We have all kinds of routines, but among the most mundane and annoying are those routines that comes with cold and flu season. Yes, every year without fail, families everywhere find themselves worrying that their daily lives will be disrupted by a runny nose, a persistent cough, or a fever that keeps kids out of school and parents home from work. And so, in desperation, every family looks for that magical health solution: what can they do to stay healthy this year?

While there’s no surefire way to prevent colds and flus, there are many simple steps you can take to make yourself and your family less susceptible. These five behaviors can all improve your odds of avoiding illness, or at least make it less severe if you do fall ill.whole family health

Get Your Flu Shot

The first and most important thing you can do to protect yourself against illness each winter is get your flu shot every year. Though the flu shot doesn’t protect against all strains of flu, it does offer significant protection – and it’s a myth that the flu shot can cause the flu. What some people mistake for a mild flu following their shot is routine immune activation, which means your body is reacting exactly as it’s supposed to. Besides, feeling poorly for a day or two after the flu shot is still a lot better than actually getting the flu.

Watch Your Diet

During the winter, we tend to hunker down and seek comfort foods, a nutrition issue that’s only compounded by the lack of fresh, healthy food during the winter months. You need those nutrients to fuel your immune system, though, so it’s important to pay attention to your diet during cold and flu season. You might consider trying an anti-inflammatory diet, since such diets can improve immune function, or just focus on getting extra fruits and vegetables; frozen fruits can be added to oatmeal and vegetables mixes into a warm and hearty stew.

Supplement Wisely

If you’re getting a nutritionally complete diet, most doctors will tell you to skip the supplements, but as we’ve noted, many people miss out on key vitamins and minerals during the winter months. We’re also more likely to suffer from vitamin D deficiency during the winter because we stay inside more and don’t get enough sun exposure. Given those facts, it’s worth looking at your family’s diet and identifying any areas in which you may be falling short. Then, choose high quality supplements like those from Nordic Naturals to fill any gaps in your diet.

Whole Family Health: 5 Ways to Keep Illness at Bay This Winter | #health #wellness #healthyliving #family Click To Tweet

Keep Moving



Just as there’s a misconception that the flu shot can cause the flu, many people believe that being out in the cold can make you sick, especially if your hair is wet or there’s some other extenuating circumstance. In reality, though, the cold has very little to do with whether or not you fall ill, and spending more time outside could actually be protective because you’re less likely to exchange germs with your companions since there’s better ventilation. More importantly for your immune system, though, is continuing to exercise during the winter. Exercise is important to overall health and proper immune function, so don’t take the cold as an excuse to stay inside under a blanket – keep moving! (Also read: Snow & Cold Weather Workouts You Can Do Today)

wash your hands

Maintain Hand Hygiene

We’ve all been talking about the importance of hand hygiene for months now, since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, but washing your hands regularly is important all the time. Don’t worry about using antibacterial gel or soaps, though; regular soap is just as effective at fighting germs and won’t fuel antibiotic resistance among bacteria. So, how often should you wash your hands? The best rule of thumb is to wash your hands more often than seems necessary. They’ll get dry, but you’ll just have to invest in a good hydrating lotion to combat that.

Almost everyone will get a cold or two during the winter months, but with proper precautions (and if your kids aren’t in daycare or preschool, which virtually guarantees your whole household will get sick), you can keep things to a minimum. For most people, at least, a cold is more of an annoyance than a worry, and will pass almost as quickly as it came on.

Also read —
Self-Care Checklist Printable (Free)
The Importance of Sleep and How to Get More Of It


 

You can find MomsWhoSave on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter. Join us for updates.

Don’t miss a thing! Subscribe to MomsWhoSave’s blog posts below!

Filed Under: health / self-care Tagged With: whole family health

Previous Post: « Christmas Meringues
Next Post: Sam’s Club December Savings Week + Save on Membership »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube




healthy eating

Mexican Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

Mexican Stuffed Peppers with Quinoa & Black Beans (vegan & gluten-free)

Mediterranean Bowl

Mediterranean Buddha Bowl (Vegetarian & Vegan Options)

Quinoa Spinach Stuffed Sweet Potatoes Recipe

Quinoa & Spinach Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Black Friday Sale: 30% Off Store Wide

MomsWhoSave bio
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
Food Advertising
I know what I'm doing Wednesday! Join me, and tune I know what I'm doing Wednesday! Join me, and tune in at 10:00 AM Eastern time at bideninaugural.org/watch 
.
.
.
.
@bideninaugural @joebiden  @kamalaharris  @drbiden @douglasemhoff @transition46  #inauguration #inauguration2021  #KeepTheFaith #democracy #bidenharris2020 #thefutureisfemale  #usa  #biden #president #bidenharris #joebiden #kamalaharris #madamevicepresident #truthoverlies #unityoverdivision #scienceoverfiction #hopeoverfear #lovetrumpshate #inaugurationday #bidenadministration #washingtondc #presidentbiden #vicepresidentharris #whitehouse #bidenharrisinauguration #buildbackbetter #46 #uniteforabetteramerica #diversityandinclusion #womensupportingwomen
Moms and dads, check out these grape caterpillar k Moms and dads, check out these grape caterpillar kabobs. The could not be easier to make! 👉 mws.tips/grape
.
.
.
.
#kidsnacks #healthyeating #recipes #kidsfood #funfoodforkids #funfood  #grapes #schoollunches #schoolsnacks #kidfriendly #momapproved #grapecaterpillars #grapekabobs #fruitonastick #momlife #parenting #foodforkids  #caterpillars #kidfood #kidfoodideas #ncblogger #ncbloggers #funsnacks #eathealthy #eathealthyfood  #kabobs #fruit #kabob
#MLK #MLKDay #MLKDay2020 #MLKquotes #MLKweekend #M #MLK #MLKDay #MLKDay2020 #MLKquotes #MLKweekend #MLKJr #blacklivesmatter #BLM #MartinLutherKingJr
I miss the beach. . . . . #CarolinaBeach #NC #summ I miss the beach.
.
.
.
.
#CarolinaBeach #NC #summer #CarolinaBeachNC #ncbeaches #NorthCarolina #wilmingtonnc  #beach #ocean #sunandsand #easternnorthcarolina #ncbloggers  #explorenorthcarolina #travel #lovenorthcarolina #visitNC #discover_carolinas #bestofthetarheelstate #oceanlife #beachday #beachdaysarethebestdays #wilmingtonliving #wilmingtonlife #kite #flyakite #letsgoflyakite #capefearliving #northcarolinaliving
#usa #washington #washingtondc #voltairequotes #co #usa #washington #washingtondc #voltairequotes #countryoverparty #democracy  #democracywins #unitedstatesofamerica #25amendment #impeach #thecapitol #thecapitolbuilding #senate #house
Try Our Delicious Beef Queso Dip Recipe! This is Try Our Delicious Beef Queso Dip Recipe! 
This is a great game-day food!  👉🏼 mws.tips/queso
.
.
.
. 
#gamedayfood #queso #recipes #appetizers #gamedayrecipes #snacks #easycheesy  #ncblogger #cheesedip #cheesygoodness #beerandcheese #hotcheese #cheese #cheesesauce #cheeseyfood #quesodip #gamedaysnacks #instayum #superbowlfood #superbowlsnacks #superbowlappetizers #southernbloggers #diprecipe #chipdip #chipdips #tortillachips #southernblogger  #cheeselover #jalapenos
Follow on Instagram

Copyright MomsWhoSave © 2021 · Genesis Framework