CITILAB doctors recommend paying special attention to their own immunity during the “cold” season. Eight simple rules will help you strengthen your body and fight back the onslaught of seasonal diseases.
1. Be sure to get enough sleep
Healthy sleep lasting more than 7 hours a day reduces the risk of a cold by almost 3 times. It doesn’t work on weekdays – allow yourself to stay in bed longer on the weekend. If a working emergency is breaking your plans, take the time to compensate for the stress with adequate rest. We advise you not to abuse the uncontrolled use of sleeping pills to normalize sleep. These pills are the worst enemies of your immunity. The greatest benefit to the body will bring a streamlined daily routine, morning exercises, evening walks and a properly selected orthopedic pillow.
2. Give up the idea of going on a fasting diet
In winter, the body makes reserves to comfortably endure the cold. Depriving him of his accumulated body fat, you inflict a serious blow to immunity. Fat-free diets are especially dangerous, since they contribute to the destruction of the walls of our protective cells – lymphocytes and macrophages, consisting of lipids, that is, fats, including cholesterol that is not beloved by the advocates of healthy lifestyles.
In the period of a seasonal influenza epidemic, on the contrary, you should eat more high-calorie foods and vitamin-mineral complexes. Especially valuable for your immunity in winter are selenium and zinc.
Remember: during the cold weather, enrich your diet with a sufficient amount of protein – both plant and animal origin, which our immune cells need to produce immunoglobulin, which, in turn, is responsible for the body’s resistance. Postpone the weight loss program until mid-March.
3. Avoid excess calories
The intake of excess fats helps to suppress immunity. The high protein content in the diet creates an additional burden on the gastrointestinal tract and kidneys. Unlimited sugar consumption is a direct road to obesity, which poses a much greater threat to your immunity than excessive thinness.
4. Do not let bad emotions take hold of you
Stress or a depressed mood greatly increases the chance of catching a cold and flu. Also, do not overload yourself – give up, relax, set a timeout for a couple of days.
5. Stay active, but don’t overdo it.
Intensive training and increased sports loads on the body can lead to a decrease in the amount of immunoglobulin. Frequent colds await not only professional athletes, but also fitness fans.
Remember: performing heavy exercises during the cold season threatens to lower immunity. But sexual activity is good for health – high libido has a beneficial effect on the amount of antibodies in the blood.
6. Harden
Contrast douche – stress for the skin, from which the body protects itself by spasm and the release of a large number of antibodies. Remember: too cold temperatures (bathing in the hole, dousing with ice water) should not be abused.
7. Wash your hands with soap more often.
If not possible – use an antibacterial gel or wipe your hands with disinfectant wipes. Such precautions reduce the risk of colds and flu by up to five times. Remember: up to 90% of infections with colds occur through direct contact: handshakes, contact of exposed skin with infected surfaces – door handles, handrails in the subway.
8. Check-in
A regular annual examination will help monitor your health and maintain a familiar quality of life. Especially for this, CITILAB doctors developed the “Annual minimum” profile (service code 99-00-838 ). It includes 12 important indicators necessary for assessing the functioning of internal organs, identifying the risk of diabetes mellitus, atherosclerosis, inflammation, and disorders of the thyroid gland.