Everyone hates getting a cold or flu but even the healthiest people are susceptible to falling ill. I will discuss the simplest ways of staying healthy and if you do feel the beginnings of a flu or cold, how you can either prevent it from getting worse or easing the symptoms.

The easiest ways of preventing colds and the flu:

Wash your hands. This should be done every time before you eat. There's a reason why your mom or school teachers would always emphasize that before eating you should wash your hands. Nowadays in the news, I hear doctors emphasizing the need to wash your hands. You should also wash your hands more often if you're in close contact with people who have the cold or flu. Also, try to avoid eye, ear or nose contact with your unwashed hands.

Get plenty of sleep. When your body is well rested, your immune system remains strong. The amount of sleep you should get depends on your body's needs. Only you know how much sleep your body requires. If you're having trouble falling asleep, try a simple breathing technique I use. It works 99.9% of the time. Lie down on your back in bed in a comfortable position, breathe in slowly through your nose and breathe out slowly. Do this several times and before you know it, you will fall asleep very quickly. This technique does two things. It clears your mind of all your problems, stresses and gets your body ready for sleep.

Exercise. Getting the correct amount of exercise boosts your immune system.

Proper nutrition. Eating properly

If you do feel the symptoms of a cold, flu coming on or if you're in close contact with people who are ill you may want to consider taking Echinacea (Purple Coneflower). Forget about taking over the counter cold and flu medications because they do not work and they are expensive. In the past, Echinacea was used by North America's Native Indians to treat fevers and by early settlers to North America for treating colds and the flu. Echinacea is most effective when it is taken just when you feel symptoms of a flu or cold. By taking it at this stage, your symptoms will either disappear entirely or the symptoms will be very mild, almost unnoticeable. Taking Echinacea once the cold or flu has gotten worse will not help.

If you are in close contact with sick people, you may want to take Echinacea to keep your immune system resistant to the flu or cold. I prefer using capsules from a quality manufacturer of Echinacea. However, it should not be used for a prolonged period of time because it will lose its effect of boosting your immune system and be sure to read the manufacturer's instructions.

By following these simple tips, you will remain healthy.

Peter Kudlacz is the owner of popularfitness.com where you can find online fitness and golf programs, exercise instruction guides, articles, resources and tips on fitness and health.

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