Rejuvenate Your Health

We don't know about you, but our family has been hit hard by influenza this year! Despite getting the flu vaccine, 4/5 of my family members swabbed positive for influenza. Luckily we are all pretty healthy folks, so there isn't much we can do for ourselves apart from rest, hydrate, and stock up on vitamin C. 

This bout of illness sent me down a rabbit hole of immune boosting research. There is a lot of pseudo science floating around the Internet, but we found some great information from Shape Magazine and The Mayo Clinic that seemed pretty legit. Of course, both sources advise eating healthy diets rich with fruits and vegetables, especially foods rich in vitamin C. 

The Mayo Clinic placed special emphasis on broccoli and spinach to boost vitamins A and C.

We thought it was interesting that The Mayo Clinic suggests avoiding too much news, as ingesting a great deal of bad or troubling news can be very stressful and upsetting!

One piece of advice that surprised us was the tip to go mingle with people. My instinct during Disease Season (as I call winter) is to hibernate and avoid human contact, but neurologist Barry Bittman told Shape that more social contacts, and more diverse contacts, makes people less likely to contract a cold. He also says that "touch can boost the activity of the cells that seek out and destroy...cells that have been invaded by viruses." 

Other interesting advice from Shape to maintain overall health included listening to or making music, laughing, and avoiding loud or intrusive sounds. 

The advice to rest and hydrate seems so simple, but our family doctor said the importance of both cannot be overestimated. Many Americans are not getting adequate amounts of rest to begin with, and that becomes even more vital when sick. Hydrating is crucial to ward off fever and help the body fight back if you do become ill!

What are your favorite methods to get healthy or avoid getting sick to begin with? Leave us a comment to tell us how you rejuvenate!

Photo by Kaboompics // Karolina from Pexels