There are so many people getting sick nowadays!! I put together here some advice from different sources. Everyone try to stay healthy and keep your immune system strong

This was from Tito Rico- He stresses EATING AND DRINKING LIKE A SMART PERSON

Flu, Colds, and Other Bugs: How to Stay Well During Virus Season

By Mehmet C. Oz, MD, and Michael F. Roizen, MD

Busted! We admit it: We can be manic about shooing people home at the first snuffle or sneeze, even if they swear they feel well enough to work. Fine; work from home. Just don’t spread that virus.

Part of it is selfish. We don’t want to catch a bug or see half of the staff get it. Part of it is on your behalf. The more often you come to work sick, the more likely you are to get really wiped out down the road.

The evidence behind this: Researchers (love their nitty-gritty brains) have figured out that if you come to work sick at least six times during 12 months, you’re 50% more likely to be out for weeks within the next 18 months. Why? They think that when your body never gets a chance to completely recuperate, you get more and more run down. Eventually, your immune system cracks, and the next little illness spells big trouble.

What if you can’t afford to be sick? Follow our six basic YOU Docs rules for boosting your immunity. They’ll help you stay well in the first place.

1. Get enough ZZZs. You need 7 1/2 to 8 hours of shuteye. Every night!

2. Get enough vitamin D3. Take 1,000 IU a day; 1,200 after age 60.

3. Get your ahhhs. Both periods of big stress (e.g., the holidays) and quick hits (e.g., parking rage) take a toll. Carve out 10 minutes a day for meditation, deep breathing, and serene stretching. Don’t let stress get the best of you.

4. Walk. It keeps your body humming and your head clear.

5. Eat and drink like a smart person.

6. Wash your hands. Scrub 100 times a day. Okay, 150.

You know the type. Everyone else is dropping like flies from the latest bug, but there’s that one person who never seems fazed by it.

Know what her secret is? Look under her desk. You’ll probably see a pair of walking shoes at the ready. A new study revealed that people who exercise regularly experience shorter, less severe cold symptoms compared with sedentary folks.

Sweating Away Colds

The study followed about 1,000 adults for a 12-week period during either the fall or the winter cold-catching season, comparing their health to their fitness track record. And analyses showed that the people who broke a sweat for 20 minutes at least five times a week spent 43 percent less time being sick compared with the exercise slackers. The active folks’ cold symptoms also tended to be about a third less severe.

Buffed-Up Immunity

How does a good sweat make people more immune to colds? It’s all about aerobic exercise. This type of exercise seems to ramp up blood levels of neutrophils and natural killer cells, two cell types critical to immune system operations. In fact, a single bout of aerobic exercise can boost immunity for hours, making your body better guarded and more resilient. So keep those walking shoes handy. And try these other strategies for shrugging off colds:

Brew yourself a cup of hot tea. Sure, it’s a psychological comfort. But studies show it might provide much more than that when it comes to soothing your symptoms.

A Cuppa Cold Relief

In a small study, drinking a hot, fruit-flavored beverage seemed to offer wider-ranging cold and flu relief than sipping a room-temperature drink did. Specifically, sore throats were better soothed, and fatigue and chills were kept more effectively at bay. So follow doctor’s orders and keep the liquids coming — just warm them up first. Know how to tell a cold from the flu? Take this quick quiz to become an expert.

How Heat Heals

Researchers suspect that it was the taste, smell, and temperature of the drink that did the trick, with the heat being particularly helpful at stimulating the production of throat-soothing saliva and mucus. Although it’s possible that there was also some placebo effect in drinking a warm, fruit-flavored beverage.

Take less sick time this year. Follow these tips for keeping the colds away:

· Go natural. The YOU Docs have a long list of natural ways to boost your immunity.

· Be happy. Find out how you can stave off sickness with the right state of mind.

Go to bed. Even just 1 lost hour of sleep may set you up for sniffles.

From Pam