Tips for keeping healthy in the winter
Zoe Eisenberg
Issue date: 11/20/08 Section: Health & Lifestyles
As the weather grows colder it is necessary to take extra precautions in taking care of your body to make sure you remain healthy and prevent illness.
The winter is flu season, and according to The American Red Cross (ARC) there are many ways to keep yourself from becoming sick. One way is to make sure to dress in layers so you can remain comfortable as you travel from the crisp outdoors to the heated classrooms.
While it is always important to wash your hands, make sure to pay special attention to this in the winter as more viruses circulate during these months. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP) says it is easy for germs to be spread through coughing and sneezing, and as you walk around campus you can easily pick up these germs in classrooms, bathrooms or on computer keyboards.
Many buildings around campus, such as the gym, cafeteria and library have already taken steps to make it easier for students to stop the spreading of germs by placing hand sanitizer out for them to use. CDCP states that hand sanitizer is your second best option for killing germs, if soap and water are not available.
According to the guidelines of the Healthcare Infections Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC), it is a good idea to take a multivitamin during the winter months to help aid your immune system. Strengthening your immune system may not only prevent you from getting sick but it will help your body get rid of toxins faster, decreasing the length of time the virus remains in your system.
Maintaining a balanced diet will also help your body remain healthy, so while it is tempting to indulge in comfort foods during the colder months, try and make sure you are still getting the nutrients your body needs to stay strong and ward off disease.
Chris Gibbons, the SERVE director here at LC says in order to keep healthy during the winter she does more cooking for her family, and purchases her fresh produce locally grown from the Community Market.
The winter is flu season, and according to The American Red Cross (ARC) there are many ways to keep yourself from becoming sick. One way is to make sure to dress in layers so you can remain comfortable as you travel from the crisp outdoors to the heated classrooms.
While it is always important to wash your hands, make sure to pay special attention to this in the winter as more viruses circulate during these months. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP) says it is easy for germs to be spread through coughing and sneezing, and as you walk around campus you can easily pick up these germs in classrooms, bathrooms or on computer keyboards.
Many buildings around campus, such as the gym, cafeteria and library have already taken steps to make it easier for students to stop the spreading of germs by placing hand sanitizer out for them to use. CDCP states that hand sanitizer is your second best option for killing germs, if soap and water are not available.
According to the guidelines of the Healthcare Infections Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC), it is a good idea to take a multivitamin during the winter months to help aid your immune system. Strengthening your immune system may not only prevent you from getting sick but it will help your body get rid of toxins faster, decreasing the length of time the virus remains in your system.
Maintaining a balanced diet will also help your body remain healthy, so while it is tempting to indulge in comfort foods during the colder months, try and make sure you are still getting the nutrients your body needs to stay strong and ward off disease.
Chris Gibbons, the SERVE director here at LC says in order to keep healthy during the winter she does more cooking for her family, and purchases her fresh produce locally grown from the Community Market.
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