None of us like having a cold. We never seem to know how we got it and find it even more difficult to get rid of it. Below are some tips on preventing getting a cold in the first place.

1. Get plenty of sleep. The reason why we sleep is to allow our bodies to recharge. The body responds most effectively to a regular sleeping pattern with uninterrupted sleep. It is the most efficient way of boosting your immune system, so try to get into a routine.
2. Drink plenty of water every day. The body needs to stay hydrated to work efficiently. Water helps your body assimilate nutrients and convert food into energy. It also helps to remove impurities from the body. Don’t overdo it though! Drinking too much water can upset your balance of salt and electrolytes. Stay hydrated, but don’t force yourself to drink too much.
3. Make sure you fit in some regular exercise as often as possible. Ideally you should do 30 minutes of exercise every day. Moderately paced walking is sufficient. The exercise helps boost your metabolism and increase your body’s ability to fight disease. It also helps you sleep better at night!
4. Eat a healthy balanced diet. Avoid eating too much sugar, especially refined sugar. This makes your immune system sluggish. Include protein in your diet as this will protect and build your lean muscle mass. Healthy carbohydrates from fresh fruits and vegetables are also invaluable for the body’s defence. You have to make sure your body is healthy on the inside so you can feel good on the outside.
5. Try to take high quality vitamins or mineral supplements daily. Most of us are not getting to nutrients we need out of our diet, so taking a good supplement helps you get what you need without having to think too much about changing the way you eat. A lot of the food we eat these days lose a lot of their nutrients during transport and processing before reaching the shops, so you might think you are taking in what you need but the reality could be very different.
6. Wash your hands frequently. We pick up germs everywhere we go. They are on door handles, trolleys, bus handles, and most other items used by large numbers of people. To avoid spreading these germs and getting them into your body, wash your hands when you can after being in a public place or carry a liquid hand sanitizer with you that you can use when needed. A lot of people think that colds are spread mainly by the viruses being carried on droplets of moisture in the air that are then breathed in, but now it is known that most colds are more likely to be passed from person to person on our hands.
7. Don’t touch your nose any eyes unless you have to. We all touch our face many times a day, even unconsciously. If you have the cold virus on your hands when you do, it is very easy for it to be transferred into your body through the tear ducts, nose, and mouth.
8. Wrap up when it’s cold. Studies have shown that people who wrap up warm are less likely to catch a cold than those that don’t. Remember to cover up your nose as well. There is a new theory that the cold virus can multiply more quickly in the nose if the cells are cold, allowing it to spread faster.
9. Try to reduce stress as much as possible. A lot of people do not realise how much our mental state effects the rest of our body. When we are stressed, different hormones are released into the body which can suppress our immune system. Staying positive and happy actually helps fight against disease.

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