Most of us dread the thought of winter and the colds and flu that come with it. I have found that there are some very simple things that we can do to have better health and help prevent the colds and flu.

1. Eat Healthy. By eating healthy I don’t mean that you have to go out and buy every thing organic or raw. That would be good for us but most of us just haven’t gotten that far yet. Just eat lots of Fruits and Vegetables. If your children enjoy apples, carrots, oranges, and other vegetables make sure that you have them around. They make great snacks. The rule at our house is that if you want a bedtime snack it must be fruit. So that means that I need to make sure that there is plenty of fruit handy.
2. Take Vitamins. You may know of some folks that take lots of pills and they still are unhealthy. You don’t have to take lots or every thing that everyone advises you to but a few simple ones do help. A multivitamin is great for everyone and I know it makes a difference for me. Vitamin C is also another one that seems to help to prevent colds.
3. Dress for the Weather. This time of the year it is hard to know if the day will get warm or if it will stay blustery and cold like today. In the fall I tell my children to dress in layers. Wear a light jacket with a wind breaker on top in the morning when it is chilly and then if it warms up they can just use one jacket later. Don’t run outside with bare feet or without a coat (why do children like to do this or is it just mine?). Also keep your legs warm. Bare feet stuck in shoes with a winter coat might not keep you warm.
4. Stay home more. For me that is an easy one as it has to be a good event for me to go out after dark in the cold. I would just rather curl up on the sofa with a good book. But we all need to get out some days. If you have children with bad colds please keep them at home as much as possible. They probably will feel better sooner and you aren’t exposing the germ to others.
5. Exercise. I find that is hard to do when the weather outside is cold. But it doesn’t hurt any of us to bundle up and go take a short walk. When my children were small I tried to take them outside every day even if it took longer to get them ready to go outside then the time we spent there! Now our children have some chores outside and they walk out our long lane to go to school. Getting fresh outside air is good for you.
6. Drink Lots of water. Why would you buy lots of soda and sugar filled drinks when there is water to drink? This is the one that takes the most effort for me as am not one that drinks a lot.
7. Get plenty of sleep. Usually when I get a cold I can look back over my week and remember that I had too many late nights. I find that one late night a week is fine but when there are too many then that is when we will get colds. Eight hours of sleep for an adult is not too much and children should have 9-10 hours. Feeling tired and draggy all day? Maybe you are not getting enough sleep at night. Yes, I remember those days when you saw every hour at night because you got up for sick children (or in my case twins and a baby 5 months older!). Maybe you could have someone stop in and watch your children while you take a nice nap. And some day your children will get big and you will again have uninterrupted sleep.

These few things are some simple ways you can stay healthy without spending a lot. Hopefully you will have a winter without sickness like we did last winter. What do you do in your home to avoid the colds and flu?