Wyndham Wisdom

Traveling during the Cough/Cold/Flu Season - and How to Stay Healthy.

What is the answer to staying healthy while traveling during the cold/flu season? Travel defensively.

Make sure you get vaccinated...The CDC (Centers of Disease Control) recommends a yearly flu vaccine as the first and most important step in protecting against this potentially serious illness.

Practice good health habits -- wash your hands frequently with soap and water. Carry around an alcohol-based hand cleaner and use when soap and water are not available.

To prevent spreading germs, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Put your tissue in a waste basket. When flying, consider using a saline nasal spray to keep your mucus membranes moist and try to avoid close contact with fellow travelers.

In addition to getting vaccinated and practicing good health habits, like washing your hands, you can improve your immune system and decrease you chances of getting the flu while traveling by eating a healthy diet, reducing stress, exercising regularly and getting enough rest.

Eat a health diet to boost your immune. This includes consumption of whole grains, vegetables, legumes, fruits, and low-fat milk products and less consumption of refined grain products, total fats, added sugars. Choose lean meats, restrict consumption of sodium and alcohol, consume potassium rich foods, and practice food safety to prevent food borne illness. Stay hydrated: the necessary daily amount of water needed by the body depends on the foods you eat, the temperature and humidity in the environment, activity level, and other factors. On average, you should consume between 8 - 12 cups of water per day but you may require more under certain circumstances.

Exercise: There is evidence to support that those people who exercise don't get sick as often. Make sure you keep up with a moderate intensity exercise program, even while traveling.

Handle Stress: Stress appears to increase the risk for a cold regardless of lifestyle or other health habits. And once a person catches a cold or flu, stress can make symptoms worse. Incorporate stress reducing techniques like deep breathing and meditation. Stress appears to increase the risk for a cold regardless of lifestyle or other health habits. And once a person catches a cold or flu, stress can make symptoms worse.

Overall, you can improve your immune system and decrease you chances of getting the flu by eating a healthy diet, reducing stress, exercising regularly and getting enough rest. Taking steps like these can help you to stay healthy during the cold and flu season. Happy traveling!

Published: Endless Vacation May/June 2008 Issue