Colds

The workplace can be a party for germs. Protect yourself and your co-workers by preventing some of the airborne illnesses that go around. Here are three quick fixes you can make today for better health, immunity, and even concentration for the workweek.

Get a plant or succulent for your desk top: Although they're also pretty to look at, plants help with air quality. Potted plants have been used for their ability to elevate mood and concentration and reverse indoor pollution. Scientific research has even been able to prove these live desk ornaments are better air regulators than a mechanical humidifier. Go for Bamboo Palm, Chrysanthemums, or Peace Lillies for the full effect.

Open a window if you can: It's no surprise that good ventilation decreases airborne infections. Even hospitals are brushing the dust off their window sills to let in the fresh air. While sanitizing your space can be beneficial to fighting germs, simply opening a window may be even more beneficial, and less costly. Cleaning a surface in excess can fight even the good microbes in an area, while opening your window will simply ward off the bad ones by circling in fresh air.

Keep an antibacterial gel at your desk: The workspace is full of handshaking, touching elevator keys, and sharing doorknobs, so washing your hands is crucial. By keeping an alcohol-based sanitizing gel at your desk, you can make sure you keep the germs off without having to run to the restroom after every encounter. It also serves as a handy cleaner for others to use while they visit your side of the office.

When it's cold and flu season, it can seem like every cough and sneeze is out to get you. Washing your hands often and getting the flu shot are two simple habits that can prevent you from getting a virus, but arming yourself with a few more cold-preventing items will take your immune-boosting habits up a notch. Here are four things you should always have on hand to help prevent a cold.

1. Zinc: Taking zinc has been proven to significantly shorten the duration of your cold, so pop a few zinc tablets as soon as you feel a sore throat coming.
2. Water: Don't go anywhere without your reusable water bottle; drinking water prevents dehydration, and while studies haven't definitively proven that drinking more fluids prevents colds, staying hydrated does keep you from feeling worse. Gargling plain water can also reduce your risk of getting a cold by 36 percent.
3. Fresh fruit: Don't want to get sick? Grab an apple or orange instead of a less-nutritious snack. Fruits are chock-full of nutrients like vitamins A, C, and E, which all help boost your immune system.
4. Hand sanitizer: Nothing works better than frequently washing your hands, which is the best way to prevent the spread of germs, but if you don't have a sink and soap nearby, hand sanitizer is the next best thing.

What's your best cold- or flu-preventing tip?

Traveling during cold and flu season requires a proactive plan. Keep this list handy as you hurry through the holidays to stay healthy and happily on the go.

Prevention is the best policy: You know it's going around, so a little bit of defense never hurts. Take this tip from naturopathic practitioner Dr. Holly Lucille: water and vitamin C are easy prevention strategies that work. Dr. Lucille recommends that you up your vitamin C intake to 1,000 mg a day, and stay hydrated — especially when flying — to help ward off germs.

Eat for immunity: Maybe your best-laid prevention plans didn't work and you're now nursing a cold. Put up a good fight with foods that boost your immunity, like whole grains, sweet potatoes, and yogurt, to keep your immune system in tip-top shape. Learn more about why these foods (and more) help your immune system here.

Deal with it: You've loaded up on immune-boosting foods and have a thermos of green tea at your side. But dealing with the inconvenience of having a cold or the flu during holiday season is just another side of getting sick. Need relief from cold symptoms while traveling for the holidays? Here are some ways to help:

• Relieve sinus and ear pressure before you take off by placing a warm, damp towel on your forehead and unblocking ears by yawning. Find out more ways to relieve cold symptoms while you're traveling here.
• Got sickness-related aches and pains? Traveling will probably make them worse, so pay close attention to your comfort levels while you travel. These stretches and exercises will help you soothe aches and pains during your journey.
• Being sick is annoying, but catching the common cold is no reason to stop your workout routine. Usually, above the neck symptoms like runny nose, congestion, and headache mean you're OK to exercise — and exercising will help boost your immune system and get you on the road to recovery faster. Need to modify your routine? Read about the best exercises to do when you're sick here.

Coffee may have its place as a healthy beverage, but green tea is often touted as the miracle drink for your mug. That's especially true with busy holiday schedules; here's why you should drink the green stuff regularly this holiday season.

Weight-loss wonder: For many, the holiday season is the worst time for maintaining diet goals. During the season of indulgences, then, every little bit helps. Drinking green tea regularly has been shown to help suppress appetite and increase your metabolism — both of which can help you save or burn a few calories while you celebrate this season.

Sickness prevention: Nonstop shopping, traveling, and socializing can mean the combination of cold-inducing pathogens and a weakened immune system, so give yours a boost with green tea. Several studies have shown that green tea has antiviral properties; one study found that taking green tea catechin capsules helped prevent health-care workers from catching the flu, and another found that Japanese schoolchildren who drank green tea for six days a week or more were less likely to catch the flu.

Stress relief: Curling up with a warm beverage can be relaxing, especially when the rest of your day is hectic, but drinking too much caffeine has its downsides. Too much caffeine can lead to anxiety, stress, and trouble sleeping, so if you find yourself running out for a coffee break or having friends over for a cup several times a day, switch to green tea. Not only does green tea contain only half the amount of caffeine than a normal cup of coffee, but many people also say green tea's fresh, grassy flavor helps them relax.

Staying healthy is tough enough, especially at the height of cold and flu season. But when heading out for holiday travel, the immune system needs to have the best support possible. I chatted with naturopath practitioner Dr. Holly Lucille about the important steps we should all take to keep germs at bay, and our bodies at their best.

Take Preventative Measures
Dr. Lucille's first piece of advice for cold and flu season? Don't get sick. By taking healthy precautions now, you're putting your body in the best position to stay healthy later. While vitamin C is "a sort of pedestrian vitamin that doesn’t have a lot of crazy bells, whistles, or claims," study after study has shown that it works. As a general recommendation, Dr. Lucille has her patients increase their vitamin C intake to 500 mg, twice daily. While Dr. Lucille believes in the power of cultured foods, she's also a proponent of taking a high-quality probiotic supplement since "89 percent of our immune system is driven by having good microflora in your gut."

Pack Right
Airplane travel and jet lag can wreak havoc on our systems. "People might look at you like you have the Bubonic plague," but if you're going to fly with a compromised immune system during cold and flu season, Dr. Lucille suggests wearing a surgical mask. Although it may seem a little silly, she said that those masks successfully "offer protection from people around you." If the mask is too much, staying hydrated is key to helping your body fight off germs in the recycled air. Dr. Lucille also explained that "the only time she ever uses melatonin is if someone is flying over time zones . . . small doses, even a milligram, can really help establish normal sleep patterns earlier."

Keep reading for one more of Dr. Lucille's tips to stay healthy this holiday season.

The seasons are changing, and with that we're welcoming cold and flu season to the mix. Even if you're able to stay healthy, your roommate might not be so lucky. Airborne viruses are quick to both catch and spread, so make sure to protect yourself at home. You might share a living room, but you shouldn't have to share a cold.

• Be a clean machine: Germs love to live on doorknobs and light switches. They also spend a lot of time on kitchen counters. These areas are essential to clean in order to get rid of bacteria. And water isn't enough! Use bleach or another antibacterial cleaner to keep germs at bay. Clorox wipes are a zero-hassle way to clean up quick without resenting your roommate.
• Display hand sanitizer wisely: Think about where you might need it, and that's exactly where you should put it. On bathroom sinks, in kitchens, and by the front door are all places you could use a sanitation burst. Using it before or after entering these spots will keep germs down to a minimum.
• Keep Kleenex handy: The more tissue is available, the less likely your roommate is to wipe germs on her hands, which later travel to furniture you both share. If you set up a box in common areas, such as on a coffee table in the living room, it will prompt the use of disposable tissues versus their sweater or hand.

See more tips for staying healthy after the break!