Judging from being halfway through a day here in the middle of October in my Monroeville Chiropractor office, I’d say that we’re just getting into the cold season. I’ve had a handful of patients in already today that are in varying stages of fighting off a cold. That led me to think that some of my own personal tips for keeping away or fighting off a cold would be a good blog post.
We all work, go to school, or are generally around so many folks that are carrying germs, that it’s important to be aware of some preventative methods.
1. Sanitize, sanitize, sanitize. We spray Lysol in here multiple times a day in my Penn Hills Chiropractor office and wipe down desks and equipment with Lysol wipes just as frequently. That is a very important and often overlooked step to fighting cold germs.
2. I use Purell all the time, literally after each and every patient. I use the green-colored Purell, which not only sanitizes your hands, but it also contains moisturizers and aloe so as to not scorch and dry out your hands, especially as we head into winter.
3. Vitamin C is important. I take a 1000mg pill every day in addition to my daily multi-vitamin and supplement regimen. It’s a great immune system booster. If I do in fact get a cold, I take 2000mg/day.
4. I swear by taking Airborne. It’s a fantastic immune system booster. You can read the ingredients here, but they all have the net effect of cranking up your immune system and that’s a wonderful thing this time of year. As routine, I take 1 serving every week. If I have a cold, I take 1-2 servings daily.
5. I also drink lots of green tea. Green tea has powerful anti-oxidants in it, but be careful, some green tea brands out there have been found to fudge the facts when it comes to exactly how much of the anti-oxidant compound that they contain. Report here.
6. Lastly, make sure you get your rest! Amount and quality of sleep is vital!
Well, there you have it. I hope some of those tips keep you cold-free, or at least lessen severity of colds for you, this winter.
– Dr. Brent Shealer – Monroeville, Penn Hills, Pittsburgh Chiropractor