Five Ways to Keep Healthy During Cold, Flu Season

And so it begins. People calling in sick to work as the seasonal bug makes its way around offices and homes near you. Here are a few things you can do to prevent the virus from attacking you:

Eat Healthy
This one might surprise you, but most of us don't eat a nutritionally balanced diet and this can lead to a weak immune system. Vitamins A, B, C and D are essential in fighting off a cold or flu virus. Oranges, carrots, eggs, tuna. A few examples of the variety of foods you need to stay out of the pharmacy line.

Wash Your Hands A Lot
You think it's a not a big deal to wash your hands? It could be one of the main reasons you get sick. Your hands come in contact with everything and washing them properly, which means scrubbing with soap for at least 20 seconds and rinsing with hot water, should do the job of killing germs.

Drink Lots of Fluids
If you get thirsty you are already behind in the dehydration battle. Your body needs water to function. Everything from your tear ducts to saliva glands use water to function properly. The best thing to do is drink 16 ounces of water as soon as you wake up and drink an 8-ounce glass of water every hour. Also, drinking water before and after meals helps you digest your food better and has been known to eliminate heartburn.

Get Plenty of Rest
Most of you super moms put this on the back burner, but it could be to your detriment -- it could take you out of action even longer than trying to get to bed sooner. Your body needs rest to keep your immune system strong. I know it's not always realistic to get eight to nine hours of sleep, but try for at least seven.

Avoid Touching Your Eyes, Nose and Mouth
In a touch-screen world, that brief contact with your eyes, nose or mouth could be the moment you infect your own body with a cold or flu virus. This plays into washing your hands often.

Listen to the Bull
Blake Shelton has no scientific proof that he prevent colds, but I know the amount of alcohol Blake drinks should disinfect you through the airwaves.