YOU can’t avoid flu – nobody is safe.
But there are ways that you can defend against the worst effects.
- Avoid close contact with sick people.
- If possible, stay away from work, school, shops and errands when you are sick.
- Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing.
- Washing your hands often will help protect you from germs.
- Get enough rest. When you are tired and burnt out your immune system suffers but sleep helps your body fight flu better.
- Drink lots of fluids – water is the best.
But there’s also food that can help your body fight the illness and speed up recovery. It is important to stick to a healthy diet when you have flu.
- Proteins are vital. Eat a lot of meat such as cold meat sandwiches or meaty soups.
- Raw vegetables can be processed into delicious juices as they are also a must-have to help your body recover.
- Drink liquids such as rooibos tea with honey and ginger – or any kind of tea that you like. Ginger helps ease a sore throat and honey and ginger is great for coughs or stuffy sinuses.
- Bananas are a must! They’ll help fill you when you have nausea, are vomiting or even have diarrhoea. Eat them in any way: mash them, pulp them with other fruit for a smoothie or even on top of toast.
- Garlic is not only used to flavour our food but has been used as a home remedy for colds and flu for centuries.
- While sweet potatoes may not be considered a traditional cold-fighting food, they’re a great source of vitamin A, which plays a key role in maintaining the health of your mucus-secreting surface tissues such as those inside of your nose.
- Oranges and pineapple are two big sources of vitamin C, which your body needs lots of before and during colds and flu.
