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The Top Five Christmas Health Risks

The holidays are a season for celebration with loved ones. But if the proper safety precautions aren’t taken, you may find yourself spending your time in the emergency room, rather than around the tree.

Fortunately, there’s a lot you can do to reduce the risk of holiday injuries for yourself and your loved ones. Start by educating yourself on these top five holiday health risks.

Fires
Those lovely trees people bring into our homes are made of wood, which get even more flammable as the trees dry out. The U.S. Fire Administration reports that from 2009 to 2013, Christmas trees triggered an average 210 home structure fires each year, and compared to other kinds of home fires, those started by Christmas trees led to greater damage and $17.5 million in property damage.

But trees are hardly the only fire risk during the holidays—decorative lighting throughout and outside the home can also lead to fires in the home.

Keep your tree well-watered all season, or even better, get an artificial one. Put out all lights and candles when you go to sleep or leave the house, and check strings of lights for exposed wire before putting them up each year.

Falls
Getting decorations up can be at least as dangerous as having them out—about 5,800 people are injured in decorating-related falls each holiday season, according to the Electrical Safety Foundation International.

Always use a step ladder when putting decorations up—don’t rely on nearby chairs or other substitutes. When working outside, use a sturdy ladder.

Choking
Toys can be a serious chocking hazard for children–as many as 251,800 toy choking incidents landed children in the emergency room in 2014, according to the CPSC. Reduce the risk by making sure gifts to children are age-appropriate and paying attention to recall announcements.

But toys aren’t the only choking hazard during the holidays—always keep an eye on children near ornaments, lights, and other seasonal decorations, too.

Heart attacks
It’s no coincidence there’s a 5 percent increase in heart attack deaths in November and December, according to a 2004 study published in Circulation.

It starts with the increased risk caused by cold weather, which constricts blood vessels and raises blood pressure. Then pile on the stress, overindulgence, lack of sleep, and reduction in physical fitness that so often come with the holiday season, and you’ve got a perfect storm. To top it all, people often ignore the symptoms of a heart attack during the holidays to avoid disrupting the fun.

Reduce your risk by wearing warm clothing and keeping your living space well heated. Take extra care to get your sleep, get your exercise, and stick to any heart mediation regimen you’re on during this busy time. And of course, if you suspect you’re experiencing symptoms of a heart attack, don’t wait—seek medical attention immediately.

Traffic accidents
There’s also an increase in car crashes during the holiday months. Some of the increased risk is due to the decreased daylight hours on the road. But according to the National Safety Council’s Injury Facts 2015 report, 343 people died in driving accidents on New Year’s Day, 360 on Thanksgiving, and 88 on Christmas in 2013.

To reduce your risk, always have a designated driver if you’re going to drink at a party, and avoid driving on the highest-risk days, when possible.

A Safe Holiday is the Best Holiday

The holidays are a wonderful time of year, but they’re not without they’re perils. But take precautions to keep your festivities safe and protect your loved ones, and the holidays can still be the merry season they’re intended to be.

How to Have a Happy and Healthy Holiday Season

The holidays are a season for family, friends, and fun. But it doesn’t take much for all that packed-in merriment to become overwhelming.

Between all the parties, the travel, the treats, and just plain disruption to your routine, self-care can quickly fall to the wayside—leaving you feeling tired, stressed, and maybe even guilty.

But even in the midst of the winter whirlwind, you can stay both happy and healthy this holiday season. Follow these tips to enjoy the season without sacrificing self-care:

Be realistic
December is no time to jumpstart a new diet. In fact, depriving yourself in the face of so much temptation can lead to binges—which usually means eating even more junk than you would have in the first place.

Instead, let yourself indulge—in moderation. Try to use the 90/10 rule—eat healthy 90 percent of the time, and treat yourself the other 10 percent.

Plan your food
Take advantage of those non-festivity meals like lunch to pack in the veggies and other nutrients you aren’t getting at parties. You can also preempt binging on cookies at a party by eating a healthy light meal or snack before heading out.

As much as possible, maintain a normal eating schedule. This will help you prevent those moments of starvation where you want to eat everything in sight.

Bake smarter
When you’re bringing a dish to share at an event, make it a healthy one that you’ll enjoy eating. That way, you know you’ve got at least one guilt-free tasty snack available when the snacking starts.

When you bake cookies or other treats, experiment with healthy swaps in your recipe, such as using fruit purees instead of butter. You might be surprised by what you don’t miss.

Go small
Use tricks to help yourself eat smarter without feeling deprived. Taking small plates at the buffet table will prevent you from taking too much at once. It also helps if you take generous portions of healthy dishes, and smaller portions for treats.

Pace yourself
You can also help yourself eat less by munching slowly and spreading out your food enjoyment. Give yourself time between trips to the buffet, too—it can take your body about 20 minutes after eating to alert your mind that you’re full.

Stay hydrated
Drinking enough water can be hard when you’re out of your normal routine, and especially if you’re traveling. But when you get thirsty, your body can misinterpret the signals as hunger and cause you to overeat. Avoid this my making it a point to drink more water during the holidays.

If you need more incentive, staying hydrated can have some other benefits you’re sure to enjoy during this season, too, such as reducing fatigue, boosting your immune system, and keeping your skin looking great for those holiday photos.

Say no
Whether it’s an offer for a cookie, a party, or a gift circle, you’re always allowed to opt out with a simple “no, thank you.”

Limits and boundaries can be especially important during the holiday season, as the amount of events (and treats) on your plate can escalate quickly. If you stretch yourself beyond your limits, you’ll quickly become stressed and unhappy. Only say “yes” to the things that will enhance your enjoyment of the season.

Schedule fitness time
Regular exercise isn’t just good for the number on the scale—it also helps you manage stress and feel better. Get your workouts in during the chaotic time of holiday parties and travel by blocking it out on your calendar. Working out first thing in the morning can prevent scheduling conflicts.

Even if it’s too snowy out to go for a run, there’s plenty of ways to get a workout in. Find one you enjoy or try this no-equipment, do-anywhere circuit from the Mayo Clinic.

Set a challenge
If you need more motivation to keep your fitness on track, sign up for a race or other fitness challenge in January. The challenge will help you keep your eye on the prize, rather than the snooze button.

Get your zzz’s
It can be hard to catch enough sleep every night when there’s always another party to go to, and in the morning there’s still work, kids, pets, and the rest of normal life demanding our attention. Pace yourself, and try to stay as close to your normal sleep pattern if you can.

Holidays are meant to be enjoyed

The holidays should be a time for fun with friends and family. Don’t let the demands (or the temptations) of the season become a source of stress, guilt, or extra pounds. With a few simple tricks to stay in control of your holiday activity, you can enjoy all the perks of the season without overwhelming yourself.

Happy holidays!

Keeping Out Of The Emergency Room This Christmas

Unfortunately, emergency rooms get very busy at the holiday season. No matter where you live, the chances of you or someone in your family having to go to the hospital increase around Christmas time, specifically because of seasonal and environmental changes. Keep these few tips in mind to prevent any unwanted illness or injury at this festive time of the year.

Decorating

When you climb up on a ladder to reach the roof of your house, do be careful! People fall off of ladders very often while trying to decorate their homes. Before you ever set foot onto your ladder, check it to be sure that it still seems fully operational and not rickety. Never climb a ladder backwards; always face the rungs while you climb. Do not skip rungs, and do not stand on the very top of a ladder. Last but certainly not least, place your ladder on the ground—not on top of a table, shelf or other surface. A little ladder safety goes a long way while you are decorating for the holidays!

Weather

Prepare yourself for weather situations in any Christmastime climate. In the Southern Hemisphere, remember that temperatures could climb during Christmas, and an afternoon spent in the heat of the sun can potentially lead to sun stroke or heat exhaustion. In the Northern Hemisphere, the reverse is true: spending too much time outdoors during Christmas has the chance to lead to frostbite or hypothermia if you are not careful. Even if temperature extremes are not a problem, weather-related issues can still crop up, including sunburn or slipping and falling on icy surfaces. Always exercise caution when heading outdoors during the holidays, and watch the kids, too.

Fires

Although it is less common in a modern world where candles are not hung directly on the boughs of Christmas trees, fires are still a potential holiday danger. Natural and artificial trees both have the ability to catch fire, particularly from a malfunctioning string of overheating or sparking lights. To prevent your natural tree from catching fire as easily, remember to keep it watered every day. For any tree, do not overload the branches with lights, and try to use LED lights wherever possible. Similarly, be careful of candles that you have lit during the holiday season. If you live in a cold climate and will be using a radiator or space heater, take care not to place any furniture, clothing, or drapes too close to the heating mechanism.

Overeating

People do not often have to go to the emergency room due to overeating, but every so often, it does happen. If you have a pre-existing condition, such as diabetes, severe food allergy, or gastrointestinal issues, then you may be more at risk for a food-related Christmas hospital trip. Try to limit your sugar and fat intakes throughout the season, and particularly in a given day. There may be seven different kinds of Christmas goodies in the kitchen, but that does not mean that you have to try them all in one go!

Presents

Last but not least, presents have a nasty habit of sending holiday revellers to the emergency room. The trouble starts when the gift is being purchased. Holiday shopping is responsible for a lot of auto-mobile crashes every year, because shoppers tend to be in such a hurry and may be much less careful than they would be at other times of the year. After you have given the gift, it may continue to cause problems for its recipient. Particularly if you give a gift to a child, be careful to choose something appropriate to the child’s age and abilities. Bicycles, trampolines, and toys with small parts that can be easily swallowed are all known culprits of Christmas trips to the emergency room. If you give a child something like a bicycle, be responsible and give a helmet along with it. And if the family gets a pool for the holidays, remember to always keep an eye on the little ones.

If you keep these tips in mind, you will have a smooth, healthy, and happy holiday season, and your family will be much safer as well. Do not let injury and illness put a damper on your Christmas!

Hand Washing vs. Hand Sanitiser

Hand sanitizer has become very popular in the past decade or so, and it pops up on the shelves of pharmacies and specialty shops more often than not. But how can you know if hand sanitizer is really the best way to keep your hands clean? Read on to learn all about hand sanitizer and how it compares to washing your hands the traditional way, with soap and water.

How to Wash with Soap and Water

Washing your hands with soap and water is not going to be effective at all if you do not use proper hand washing techniques. It is very easy to wash the correct way, but even so, most people do not take the time to go through the entire process.

Begin by lightly wetting your hands under the water while you wait for it to warm up. Get a small amount of soap onto your palm and rub your hands together vigorously, bringing the soap to a lather. Using your fingernails, scrub your palms, your fingers, the backs of your hands, and the space between your fingers as well. Work on scrubbing your hands for 20 seconds, or about the amount of time it takes to sing your ABC’s. Finally, rinse your hands in the water, which should be as hot as you can stand it without causing a burn. When you have rinsed away all the soap, dry your hands thoroughly on a clean towel.

How to Use Hand Sanitizer

Hand sanitizer is much easier and quicker to use than soap and water, which largely accounts for its popularity. People tend to think that, because they can clean their hands much more quickly with hand sanitizer, they are doing themselves a favor by using it. The proper way to use hand sanitizer does not have nearly as many steps, and takes less than half the time as traditional hand washing.

Begin by opening your hand sanitizer and squeezing a dollop about the size of a quarter into the palm of one hand. Close the bottle and rub your hands together to spread the sanitizer. Be sure to rub the hand sanitizer all over your palms, the backs of your hands, your fingers, and the space between your fingers to ensure adequate coverage. Let your hands air dry for a few seconds.

When is Hand Sanitizer Better?

It is always a good idea to keep hand sanitizer on your person for those times when you might come into contact with a germy surface and be unable to wash your hands the traditional way for too long. However, in order to get the most benefit out of your hand sanitizer, it is important to use enough of it to fully cover your hands, and to let your hands dry before you touch anything that could rub the sanitizer off of your skin. You should always use a hand sanitizer that is at least 60% alcohol. Anything less is unfortunately a waste of time, as it will not be strong enough to kill germs. Hand sanitizers are a great choice for quickly getting rid of microbes on your skin, but they should not be used to clean hands that are covered in dirt, grime, or grease.

Which Option is Best?

Overall, it is always better to wash your hands with good old-fashioned soap and warm water than it is to rely on hand sanitizer. There are always situations in which sanitizers can work, but they simply cannot kill the amount of germs that soap and water can. Whenever possible, always wash your hands with soap and water instead of choosing hand sanitizer, particularly if your hands are covered in another substance, such as food, dirt, or grease. Nothing can beat the effectiveness of scrubbing your hands the traditional way!

With that said, hand sanitizer can be a valuable asset to you, depending on your line of work or your day to day activities. If you have children, or if you are a teacher or babysitter who deals with children often, you should keep some sanitizer handy and use it several times throughout the day to keep your hands as clean as possible. This can help reduce the spread of germs and infections. The same is true of anyone working in the medical field. Although hand washing is an important part of any medical worker’s day, hand sanitizer should often come into play as well.

Cold Prevention and Hand Washing

Nobody likes to get a cold. Unfortunately, cold seasons spring up almost unexpectedly, and the more you happen to be around other people, the better your chances are of contracting the dreaded common cold. Although this age-old illness cannot be cured, it can easily be prevented if you take a few precautionary steps to be sure you are not spreading it to yourself or to others.

Germ Transport

Did you know that over three-quarters of all infectious illness and disease is spread by touch? As human beings, we do a lot with our hands.

You may be a teacher with a class full of students who have come down with a cold. One student may sneeze into his or her hand, then pick up a test paper you have just handed out to read over the questions. When that student hands in the same test paper, the germs are easily transmitted from the paper to your hands.

If someone in your family has a cold and opens the door or turns on the sink, the germs move from their hands to the doorknob or to the faucet, and they wait there until the next

unsuspecting cold victim comes along to touch the same surface. They are pretty tricky!

Interrupting Germ Travel

The easiest way to interrupt the spread of germs from one sick person to a well one is to wash your hands. If you touch that sick student’s test paper but then wash your hands immediately after, you will not be able to spread the germs from your own hands to anything or anyone else. And if you wash your hands frequently throughout your day at home, even touching a doorknob covered in germs will not make you sick.

How Does It Work?

Rubbing your hands together alone is an action that helps get rid of germs more or less by pushing them off of your skin. This is not enough, however, to take care of the germ threat completely without the added benefit of soap and water. Water rinses more germs from your skin, and the hotter the water, the better your chances of killing those germs that are swarming your skin. Soaps are designed with germ killing in mind as well. Antibacterial soaps are the best way to keep your skin nice and clean, so be sure to use them every time you wash your hands.

There is a proper way to wash your hands to ensure that no germs can survive the experience. Begin by getting a good amount of soap on one palm, and rubbing your hands together with just a small amount of water to bring the soap to a lather. Scrub your soapy hands for a full minute (try singing the ABC’s to time yourself) and then rinse well in hot water. Dry your hands thoroughly and you will be good to go!

Remember to keep your hands nice and clean, and you should be able to get through next cold season without anything catching up to you. A little hot water and soap goes a long way!

Personal Hygiene: A Common-Sense Guide

Personal hygiene is an important area of everyone’s lives, but sometimes it is overlooked. There are several reasons why it is so important, and a few things you can do to improve your own personal hygiene and make your life better in the process.

Health

The importance of personal hygiene cannot be underestimated. Your good health depends on it. If you have a high standard of hygiene, you are less likely to catch the various illnesses and infections that come along. As a bonus, if you have an infection, good hygiene can ensure a faster recovery for you as well as preventing it from spreading to other people.

Good hygiene is important for your mental health, too! If you are clean, groomed and neat, you are likely to feel much more confident. This boost in confidence will increase your positive self-image. Being perceived as neat and orderly sends out the message that you care about your appearance, which may lead to more opportunities both in and out of the workplace.

Social Life

A high standard of hygiene is also important for your social life. People who do not shower, wash their hair or brush their teeth may be perceived by their peers and associates as lazy. It is also likely that they will not be taken as seriously as someone who puts the time into cultivating a positive appearance.

Furthermore, a neat and well-groomed appearance can open up many doors. Arriving to a meeting dressed nicely and well-groomed makes a wonderful first impression. Like it or not, most people’s first impression of a person is how they look. Employers and potential friends tend not to offer the same opportunities to those with poor hygiene.

Tips for Improving your Hygiene

So what can you do to improve your standard of hygiene? Here are some tips that can help:

Shower daily. Showering is an important part of a good hygiene routine. Daily showers keep your skin clean as well as giving you a chance to check your body for everything from ingrown hairs to athlete’s foot and anything else that could be going wrong.
Brush your teeth. Brushing your teeth twice a day and flossing regularly prevents the build-up of plaque which can cause tooth decay, gum disease and tooth loss. In addition, using an antibacterial mouthwash will also help prevent bad breath. It can also get into those hard-to-reach areas that brushing and flossing alone may miss.
Wash your hands. Always wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water before leaving the bathroom and before and after handling food. This will lessen the likelihood of spreading germs. It is also important to wash your hands if you are going to be or have been in contact with someone who is ill.
When you are out and cannot wash your hands, carry a small bottle of hand sanitizer with you. Hand sanitizer depending on the brand can kill 99.9% of germs on skin. Hand sanitizer is not a substitute for good handwashing, but it is the next best thing and can stop many infections from occurring.

These tips for positive hygiene do not take very long to implement, but a small investment in time now will save you from a lot of health and social problems in the future and open doors for you!

Christmas is Coming: Reducing the Stress

Christmas is coming. This is an undeniable fact, and just like every year before, it’s going to come whether you are ready for it or not. This year, why not try being prepared for the holiday season? This is a time of year which overwhelms even the steadiest of people, and it’s no wonder that depression and anxiety rates rise from the time between Halloween and the New Year. But – there is great news! It doesn’t have to be this way.

Follow these simple tips and you are sure to have a stress-free holiday that you can enjoy.

Start Early

There are tons of Christmas activities you can take care of early in the season. For example, pick up a box of cheap, pre-season holiday cards (even better if you can snag them in the summer!) and start writing them early. You don’t have to mail them so soon, but keep them tucked away where they won’t get lost or destroyed in any way, and you’ll have them ready to drop off at the post office on a moment’s notice when the time comes.

You can also get your holiday shopping done early. Make a list of everyone you need to buy for, and get started in October if you can! The sooner you get your shopping taken care of, the easier your holiday season burden will immediately become – you won’t have to rush out to the stores during the holiday shopping madness, and you will have more time to devote to other projects as well. It is also wise to take advantage of online shopping opportunities. You can ease the shopping burden even more by making many of your purchases online!

Make a Plan

No task seems quite as overwhelming when you have a solid plan for taking care of it. Before Thanksgiving, give yourself an hour or two to sit down and make a plan for how to handle your holiday season. Map out the dates and times when you are going to cook major dishes such as turkey or ham, when you want to prepare Christmas goodies like fudge or party mix, what day is best for wrapping presents, and more. Schedule holiday parties or get-togethers you have committed to, and most importantly, write in time for yourself! You do not need to spend every waking moment working on Christmas activities. Whenever possible, give yourself time to soak in a bubble bath, enjoy a quiet cup of tea, read a book, or watch your favorite show.

It’s also important to make lists that can help you with each individual step of your holiday planning as well. For example, you might say, “On December 5^th, wrap presents.” But when December 5^th rolls around, what if you’ve forgotten what you bought for everyone? Make a list to help you on gift-wrapping day by noting who gets which gifts, and which paper to use (This might not matter, but some people are particular about not using children’s wrapping paper on gifts for their grandmother). Alternatively, you may be devoting December 10^th to cooking, but what will you cook on that date? Make a list of what you plan to prepare on cooking days, and then make an ingredient shopping list too! Work backwards to ensure that you achieve all of your steps successfully.

Don’t Be Afraid to Back Out

Last but certainly not least, don’t be afraid to back out of something or to tell someone no. Of course, you cannot get out of everything at the holidays, but you are bound to enjoy attending a few parties more, than you will enjoy spreading yourself thin over dozens of get-togethers. Come up with a solid excuse ahead of time, so you won’t feel too nervous getting out of an event you don’t want to deal with. And if you are at a party and feel like you need to leave – whether it is to get some time to yourself or to get back to work on something else – there is no harm in pretending to get an important phone call!

In a similar vein, it is important to set a specific date on which your Christmas work and preparations are going to stop. You might say that on the 20^th, you are finished with going to parties, cooking food, wrapping gifts, and shopping. If you choose a date like this, stick to it! Don’t arrive on the end date and suddenly say you have a few more things to bake, for example. You need to let yourself know that there will be an end to all the madness, and that you are going to have time to relax and enjoy the rest of the holiday season when it is all said and done.

Take a deep breath. Are you ready? Christmas is on its way, and with these tips, you can be easily prepared for whatever the holiday season brings. Most importantly, try to have fun and enjoy your time. Happy holidays!

Keeping Food-Safe This Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is perhaps the most popular food-related holiday in the United States. Families throughout the country sit down on the last Thursday in November every year to enjoy a delicious feast of tasty food, including turkey, pumpkin pie and everything in between. And one of the greatest parts of Thanksgiving is sometimes even more celebrated than the initial meal itself – the surplus of leftovers! Unfortunately, Thanksgiving foods tend to be stored haphazardly after the meal is done, and there is an unpleasant trend of post-Thanksgiving leftover consumers who end up sick from food poisoning when the holiday is over. Prepare your food safely and store it correctly to ensure that your holiday is free from any unwanted illnesses.

Preparing Food

Safe handling and preparation of the meal is the first step toward a healthy Thanksgiving. Many home cooks are put off by the idea of cooking a whole Thanksgiving dinner at home, but even the most nervous of these amateur chefs eventually caves in. Whether this is your first time preparing Thanksgiving food or you have done it for years already, it is important to take note of several safety tips.

Never purchase a fresh turkey more than 48 hours before the meal. You can buy a frozen turkey a couple of weeks ahead of time and keep it in your freezer.
The best way to thaw your turkey is by moving it from the freezer to the refrigerator several days in advance. This provides a slow thawing method that won’t allow bacteria to grow on the meat. The second-best option is to place the whole frozen turkey (still packaged) in the sink and run cold water over it until it has thawed.
Wash your hands before touching the raw turkey and immediately after touching it, before you come into contact with any other items or surfaces. Use hot water, antibacterial soap, and wash for at least 20 seconds.
Use a food thermometer inserted at the thickest part of the turkey breast, and again at the inner part of the turkey thigh, to be sure the meat is fully cooked to 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Many cooks like to stuff their raw turkeys and cook everything at once. This can be done safely, but it does come with more risks than separate cooking. Always measure the turkey for doneness (not the stuffing), and prepare the stuffing in a separate bowl away from the raw turkey meat before filling the cavity of the bird.
Do not rely on the included pop-up turkey timers that come with many packaged birds.

Storing Food

After the feast has been devoured, store the leftovers safely to prevent any unnecessary contaminants. Storing your leftover turkey meat, in particular, is just as important as cooking it properly. It may be tempting to let the leftovers sit on the table while everyone gathers to watch football or partake in some other family activity afterward, but don’t neglect your leftover storage! The turkey should always be handled first, but be sure to take care of your side dishes as well.

Do not let the turkey sit for too long after the meal at room temperature. This will cause bacteria growth.
The easiest way to store the leftover turkey is to shred the meat from the bones and keep it in shallow glass storage containers in the refrigerator.
Do not refrigerate leftover turkey for longer than four days. If you want to keep the meat for longer than this, freeze it.
To freeze leftover turkey, place the cooled, cooked turkey meat into gallon freezer bags and seal tightly. Store in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Do not store stuffing inside the turkey. Always remove it and keep it a complete separate container.
Refrigerate pumpkin pie after it has been sliced to help preserve freshness. Pies only have a refrigerator life of a couple of days.
If you have kept any leftover gravy, always be sure to boil it before serving it again. This will help improve its safety as well as its taste!

By following these simple tips and directions, you will be well on your way to providing a safe and healthy holiday for yourself and your entire family. Happy Thanksgiving!

10 Healthy Living Tips For Winter Health

In winter, holiday spirits may be up, but general health tends to be on the decline. It’s not hard to see why—between the freezing weather, increased travel, and busy schedules, most of us aren’t making self-care a priority at this time of year.

But to get through the coldest months in good health, it takes a little extra effort. Keep yourself happy and healthy during the winter with these 10 tips:

Boost your Vitamin D
Vitamin D is known for its powers to bolster heart health, mental well-being, immunity, and even the condition of your skin. But as the sun gets scarce in winter, it gets harder to soak up this vital nutrient naturally.

You can take a supplement, but getting your vitamins naturally is best. One option is to eat more fatty fish such as wild salmon (farmed varieties pack less vitamin D punch). Or, look to improve your health by losing five percent of your body weight to get your body to boost your vitamin D for you. Exercising or lowering your cholesterol will also help you make up your winter D-ficiency.

Get vaccinated
There’s enough fear of needles that many are more afraid of getting the flu vaccine than they are of getting the flu. But consider this: In 2014 in alone, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimated the vaccination averted about 7.2 million illnesses, 3.1 million doctor’s visits, and 90,000 hospitalizations.

If you’re afraid of needles, consider the nasal spray, which is just as effective with out the prick. And remember—getting the vaccine doesn’t just protect you, but it helps promote herd immunity, which protects everyone around you, too.

Wash your hands frequently
Winter is a season where people travel more, spend more time cooped up together, and immune systems are down. Washing your hands is the best way to protect yourself from getting sick or passing germs on to those around you.

Always use soap when washing your hands, and rub them together for at least 20 seconds. If you want an extra line of defense between washes, consider an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

Exercise
It may be harder to motivate yourself to exercise in winter, but it’s especially important this time of year. In addition to the obvious fitness benefits, exercise can boost your vitamin D, keep your mood up, and strengthen your immune system.

So get up and hit the pavement in the morning. Or, wait for the rest of the family to wake up and hit the ice skating rink together.

Eat a healthy breakfast
Starting your day with a healthy meal can help stave off winter cravings—as well as the temptations of holiday parties.

A bowl of balanced carbs like oatmeal or porridge is especially good for winter, as it loads you up on healthy starches and fiber that can boost your energy while helping you feel fuller longer. Avoid sugar, and flavor your bowl with fresh or dried fruit and nuts instead.

Make time to de-stress
Winter, particularly the holidays, can be an especially stressful time for many. But it’s also the time of year that stress can hurt you the most, lowering your immune system and weighing down your mood even more than the cold weather alone.

To combat stress, take fish oil supplements (proven to reduce anxiety by up to 20 percent), be sure to give yourself downtime, and consider adding meditation to your regular routine.

Stay hydrated
Getting your eight glasses of water in each day can help address many of winter’s big health issues, from stress to fighting off disease, and even helps to keep your skin looking great.

Consume more dairy
Go-to dairy staples like milk, yogurt and cheese offer a strong foundation for winter health. Get your daily servings in for craving-stifling protein, bone-strengthening calcium, and a germ-battling army of vitamins and minerals.

Fighting the holiday blues
A lot of people get down during the winter months. Often, it’s simply hard for reality to live up to the romanticized holiday vision society builds up for us. On top of that, the end of the year prompts people to take stock of where their lives are—and where they’re not.

To lift yourself out of a case of the blues, focus on what you’re grateful for, take good care of yourself, and consider volunteering for a cause. Even better, plan a vacation. The anticipation has been shown to improve moods as far ahead as two months.

But if you suspect you suffer from clinical depression or seasonal affective disorder (SAD), talk to a psychologist.

Catch up on sleep
Though we’re supposed to get seven to nine hours of sleep a night, most of us get an average six and a half.

But in the darker, colder months of winter, our bodies naturally crave more sleep than usual. Go with it, and let your body catch up on missed REMs.

A Little Self-Care Goes a Long Way

Winter is a season with its own set of challenges … from the stress of the holiday bustle to the latest round of the flu. But a little self-care can go a long way to keep you healthy all season long. Make the effort to stay healthy and you can enjoy all the fun winter has to offer.

Most Common Summer Allergies

For most of us, summer brings bright sun, hot days, and great times at the beach and neighborhood BBQs. But for some, summer can be prime allergy season.

To help you battle unwelcome stuffed noses, itchy skin, hives, and more, here are some of the most common allergies that aggravate people during the summer season:

1. Pollen
One of the most infamous allergy culprits out there, many of pollen’s worst perpetrators flourish in the summer. While in the spring pollen mostly comes from trees and flowers, in the summer, it’s from weeds such as ragweed.

If you’re allergic to pollen, you’re likely to experience symptoms including congestion, itchy eyes, sneezing, and/or coughing at this time of year.

2. Stings & Bites
Bees, wasps and other bugs come out in this season. No one likes to get stung, but for some of us, a stinger can cause a much bigger problem than for others—for some, it’s life-threatening.

To reduce your risk, limit your time outside. Don’t linger outside with uncovered food, especially sugary ones like soda that will draw bees and other bugs in. Those with very serious or life-threatening allergies should carry a self-care kit (such as an Epi-Pen) at all times and wear a MedicAlert bracelet.

3. Mold
If your reactions kick in later in the summer or early into fall, the trigger might be mold. This summer-to-fall transition time is when some types of mold spore—in fact, it can be an even greater allergy issue than pollen.

Mold allergies trigger symptoms very similar to pollen—if you’ve got an itchy eyes, nose or throat; sneezing; or congestion, it could be a mold allergy.

4. Poison Ivy
Leaves of three, let it be—this helpful Boy Scouts mnemonic device can help you avoid poison ivy’s itchy and highly spreadable rash.

Reactions to poison ivy can be very tame or quite extreme, and can take from a few hours to a full week to show. But most people are at least a little allergic, and you won’t know how much until you’re experiencing it.

If you get it, wash the exposed area immediately with soap and water. Contain the rash by resisting the urge to scratch, applying hydrocortisone cream to it, and keeping the rash covered with a bandage.

If touching poison ivy leads to difficulty breathing or swallowing, swelling, or the rash covers most of your body, get to the ER immediately.

5. Sunscreen
Sunscreens are essentially a combination of chemicals, so it may not be not surprising it could trigger an allergy. It’s actually a fairly rare allergy, but certainly a good one to know about, if you do.

A sunscreen allergy can be caused by blocking agents in the sunscreen, or even a fragrance that has been added to it. Regardless of the cause, look for symtoms such as itching or a rash/blisters on the skin. If you experience these kinds of symptoms, try a hypoallergenic formulas. If the reaction still persists, see a doctor.

Bear in mind that sometimes the reaction only occurs when the formula touches the skin and there is also sun exposure—so if you applied on your shoulders and then put a t-shirt on, you may only get a rash on your forearms.

To address this kind of allergic reaction, wash the area with soap and water to remove the sunscreen. Then, apply a cortisone cream or oral antihistamine to help relieve itching and swelling. Avoid the sun until healed.

Don’t Let Allergies Hold You Back
Summer allergies are common, but they don’t have to stop your fun! Most allergies treatable with simple over-the-counter treatments, but always talk to your doctor before self-medicating, and make sure you fully understand your risks.