I Want to Feel Better in 2013
Friday, January 11, 2013
Sniff.
Cough.
Achooo!
Ah, yes! The unmistakable sounds of my least favourite time of the year: cold and flu season. As a teacher of over two hundred students between the ages of five and ten, it is almost a given that I will catch a bug of some sort and end up in the doctor's office or at home nursing a fever. I also have two young school-aged children of my own and they rarely escape the viruses themselves. Over the holidays, while home with the kids for two weeks, each of us showed cold or flu-like symptoms which meant it was time to pull out our arsenal of tips and tricks for keeping sickness at bay. Here is what we do to feel better:
- For congestion, we add drops of eucalyptus when taking a shower which will combine with the positive effects of the steam. We also set up a humidifier at night.
- To alleviate coughs due to colds, we always have honey on hand or a natural cough syrup.
- When it comes to vitamins, I am getting better at including them in our daily routine, especially vitamin D. We will also make more of an effort to eat meats that are high in vitamin D or stock up on vitamin D enriched beverages such as 100% orange juice and milk.
- This is also the perfect time to remind the kids to wash their hands for 15-20 seconds, especially after blowing their nose, using the washroom or before eating.
- Homemade chicken soup, like the one my mom makes, is always comforting whenever I have a cold. Drinking plenty of hot liquids such as tea also helps me feel better.
- Lately, our family has been using an air purifier and we have installed a germ fighting filter. I leave it on quite often now.
In general, I find that eating healthy foods and maintaining a level of overall physical health directly impact on our well-being. This is why I feel I should make it a priority to get into better shape in 2013 and improve the way I eat. Just yesterday, my husband had set up a tray of freshly cut and brightly coloured fruit on the breakfast table before heading off to work. Not only was it refreshing, it was also a great way to start the day. I think I'm going to try incorporating grapefruit into our morning routines, too. Citrus fruit include vitamin C, carotenoids, fiber and other vitamins and minerals. And who knew there were a tonne of recipes that called for grapefruit? The Florida: Feel Better Facebook page has an impressive collection in their Citrus Recipe Swap tab.
Next week, we will be posting details on an upcoming Twitter party with Florida Citrus Canada. Stay tuned!
4 COMMENTS
I'm with you girl! And the orange juice with fresh fruit is such a lovely visual :)
ReplyDeleteThere's just something about eating a bowl full of fresh fruit that makes me feel healthy, ya know?
DeleteYou are both RIGHT! I have fruit for breakfast each morning to keep me healthy! Great post looking forward to the twitter party!
ReplyDeleteI'm suffering from a head cold right now with major congestion. Never thought of adding eucalyptus in the shower. Definitely going to try this!
ReplyDeleteThanks for taking the time to leave a comment here on Toronto Teacher Mom. Hope you have a great day!