Flu and cold: 4 tips against winter ailments
In collaboration with Polase Winter
Colds and the much more feared flu are very contagious infectious diseases, because they are easily transmitted through droplets of mucus and saliva, even simply by talking close to another person or indirectly through contact with hands contaminated with respiratory secretions. Flu and colds occur especially during the colder season, when the flu peak reaches its peak, and for the reasons we have just explained it is really difficult to stay immune from them, unless proper precautions are taken. In fact, there are numerous precautions, ranging from the type of clothing to a specific diet, which can counteract the effects of a severe cold or flu syndrome, minimizing the risk of getting sick. Let's see which are the most effective.
See also
How to dress so as not to get sick: clothing to avoid temperature changes
Avoiding thermal changes is one of the methods of foulard or scarf.
Nutrition: what to eat to strengthen the immune system
When winter knocks on the door bringing its load of seasonal ailments as a dowry, it is essential to support the immune system with a healthy and correct diet, rich in vitamins and minerals. So what to eat to contribute to the healthy functioning of the immune system? First of all, at the table you should never miss five portions of fresh fruit and vegetables a day, seasonal and possibly organic.Fresh green vegetables like spinach, rocket, chicory, and yellow-orange vegetables like squash and carrots. Whole grains, legumes, oil seeds, fresh yeast and wheat sprouts are also fine, since they ensure a correct supply of mineral salts such as iron, zinc and selenium and B vitamins, except for vitamin B12 which is found in fish, in the " eggs, cheeses and bee pollen. We also make extensive use of citrus fruits, kiwi, guava, strawberries, cabbage and pineapple, all rich in the immune system, while those who want to fill up on vitamin D, which instead contributes to the maintenance of normal muscle function, he must look at fatty fish (such as salmon, tuna and mackerel), beef liver, cod liver oil and egg yolks.
See also: Foods with more vitamin C
Ventilate indoors: at home and ... in the office!
With the first cold, the doors and windows of offices and homes begin to remain tightly closed to heat the rooms (and their occupants). That's right, but at the same time, to prevent the risk of contagion with family members and colleagues already struggling with cold or flu viruses, it is necessary to air the rooms several times a day because viral diseases are transmitted mainly through the respiratory tract. and a few sneezes or a simple conversation are enough to saturate the environment. In cases like this, if the day is particularly freezing or in any case cool, it is better to keep an extra sweater or jacket at hand to cover up during the change of the " air (we wrote before about the importance of dressing in layers).
Beware of crowded places and public transport: wash your hands often
During the winter, and especially when the flu peaks (usually from mid-December to early February), crowded places such as banks, post offices and supermarkets and public transport such as buses, trams and subways become the main vehicle for viruses and bacteria. Since these are places that, for work or for other reasons, are frequented by the vast majority of people, the only effective way to avoid contagion is to wash your hands often with soap and water (or, alternatively, with detergent solutions. alcohol based). There is no "minimum" number of times: you have to do it as soon as you have the opportunity, especially after having frequented places and means of transport open to the public. Although the gesture of hand washing is underestimated, it nevertheless represents the first choice preventive intervention, and is a practice recognized by the World Health Organization as one of the most effective for controlling the spread of viral infections.
