It?s cold and flu season (blech). So, either be prepared to be laid up in bed buried in a pile of used tissues ?or maybe this is the year you stay well. What it comes down to, essentially, is self-care.
?Young women who are busy working often do have trouble taking care of themselves and protecting their immunity, so they come down with all these little colds during the year,? says Joyce Gottesfeld, MD, an OB-gyn at Kaiser Permanente in Denver, Colorado. That includes things like eating well, finally going to bed on time, and taking a breather when you need it.
We asked medical pros what they tell their patients during this oh-so-sick season. Here are their smart tips.
Cap Your Social Media Time
This is your gentle reminder to not get sucked into Instagram right before bed, since good sleep (seven to eight hours for adults) is what keeps your immune system running at a strong clip. ?Sleep is the time when your body restores itself and when all of your repair work takes place,? says Susan Blum, MD, MPH, Founder of Blum Center for Health and author of Healing Arthritis and The Immune System Recovery Plan. Blum explains that when you don?t get enough or quality sleep, your body cues up its stress response and releases cortisol. ?The stress hormone suppresses your immune system,? she says. It can also prompt your body to pack on belly fat, too. Designate a cut off time before bed where you’ll stop looking at your phone?those posts will be waiting for you in the mornin...