It’s getting to be about that time, the change of seasons along with temperatures jumping from hot to cold. Don’t lie to yourself and act like you don’t feel that tickle in your throat or soreness in your body starting to take over. Ignoring the signs of a flu or cold is the worst thing you can do to yourself; this sets your body up for failure. But don’t despair, there are easy, sensible, and best of all, cheap ways to battle this bug before it becomes a real problem.
- Get a good night’s sleep
Yes, as simple as this tip may seem, it is the most essential. Throw in a few naps in between too while you’re at it. Listen to your body, and allow yourself to get that extra bit of rest your body needs. Sleep is the time where your body recovers from the stresses of the day. Without a good night’s rest your body becomes more vulnerable to catching the flu.
- Drink plenty of hot liquids
Keeping yourself hydrated is already important for one’s own general health, but hot liquids such as tea can sooth your throat. Teas such as chamomile and green tea are high in antioxidants, which we all know have amazing immune boosting properties. But I don’t want to spoil the next tip too much and will explain that concept in just a little; now back to tea. Teas such as chamomile that contain no caffeine are beneficial for the nights to help you relax, unwind, and help you fall asleep. Adding honey to sweeten the tea also helps relieve that scratchy feeling in your throat from all that coughing.
(Fun fact: When I was younger I was taught that gargling with a black tea extract can help fight that nasty flu bug by boosting your immune system).
- Eat foods high in Vitamin C and antioxidants
What foods are high in Vitamin C and antioxidants? Some superfoods such as blueberries, oats, pumpkin, spinach, yogurt, walnuts, green/black tea, tomatoes, and turkey have this amazing property.
Instead of a ham and cheese sandwich at the cafeteria have a turkey and cheese with some tomato. In the morning, start your day off with a parfait; this little wonder has granola (which includes oats) and yogurt, along with berries. If you don’t have the ingredients to make it at your apartment or dorm then go to the Market Basket, Education Hall, or the Rec Center and pick up a parfait because they sell them there. It’s a beautiful thing, I know, plus you can use your Dining Dollars or Boro Bucks!
I hope you found some of these tips helpful and that you’ll incorporate them into your daily routine because the only way to make classes even more stressful is to be too sick to even show up.