It's Flu Season!

It's flu season and this year is going to be a bad one.  Luckily for us, it's takes some time for the bug to travel westward from the areas it's hitting most, like New York and Pennsylvania, where flu shots have sold out in many areas.  CNN says we are actually on our way to a "flu epidemic" this year, with the virus showing up even earlier and with more severe symptoms than the past few years.

You can find many ebooks online about the flu and how to treat your kids right from your computer at home.  Go to ucclibrary.com and click on the link labeled "Academic search + eBooks", it'll take you to the website.  Just type in any key words and it will bring up a variety for you to choose from, from the history of flu to trends and things you should know.

Flu shots are available at a multitude of places like Walgreens, but there are some other ways to keep you from getting sick!  Getting the flu is bad, getting over the flu is much worse.

Prevent, Prevent, Prevent ! 

Some things you can begin doing now to build up your best defense, your immune system, is to make sure it's getting the right nutrients.  Supplements are great but it's way more beneficial to get Vitamin C and other vitamins from your food.  Most medical professionals say that eating only 2 1/2 cups of fruit and vegetables a day is plenty!

It's important to keep your body in balance during this time so it has all the strength it needs to ward off unwanted visitors. 

Some fruits that have high amounts of Vitamin C include:

• Cantaloupe
• Kiwi fruit
• Mango
• Papaya
• Pineapple
• Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, cranberries
• Watermelon

Vegetables that have the highest amounts of vitamin C include:

• Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower
• Green and red peppers
• Spinach and other leafy greens
• Sweet and white potatoes
• Tomatoes and tomato juice
• Winter squash

 Make sure you're getting full sleep and drinking lots of water to keep your body hydrated.  Try to keep warm and dry and most importantly-- relax :)  Stress really brings down your body's ability to fight any sort of sickness.

 

Missing school or work is not much of an option for many of us, and it's even worse to spread it around.  You can stay contagious for up to 5 days after experiencing your first symptoms, so wash your hands and try to stay away from this: !