7 quick and easy ways to keep the flu at bay

If inflammation is bad for your arteries, then avoiding infections of all kinds is good for your heart. Here are seven quick and easy ways to protect yourself during the cold and flu season.

The number one way to decrease your risk of infection is to wash your hands so you don't carry germs into your body when you eat, rub your eyes or wipe your nose.

Try to avoid touching your face with your hands, especially during the cold and flu season. After all, this is the season when people around you are bound to be unwell and spreading germs from their hands to yours via doorknobs or escalator rails.

Use a disinfectant spray to clean steering wheels, taps, doorknobs, computer keyboards and telephones. Wash dishes in hot water and let them dry naturally. Keep toothbrushes and towels apart and have several toothbrush holders rather than one communal family rinsing cup.

Eating a healthy diet and getting extra protection with vitamin and mineral supplements can help your body to produce a strong army of disease-fighting cells. Consume fresh fruits and vegetables when possible and always have a good supply of the frozen variety on hand.

Along with eating well, getting off the sofa for a daily dose of activity helps to circulate those germ-fighting cells so they can find and destroy invading bacteria and viruses in your bloodstream.

Central heating dries out the protective mucous membranes in your nose and throat, making you more susceptible to infections. Use a humidifier if you need more moisture in the air.

Smoke damages the tiny hairs in the nose that filter out bacteria and viruses and also depletes essential immunity-building nutrients. Consider quitting or at least cutting down.

The number of germs on fingertips doubles after using the toilet. If you are concerned when washing your hands in a public washroom, use a paper towel to turn off the tap. Then use another paper towel to dry your hands and use that same paper towel as a barrier between you and the door handle.

Put these seven quick and easy ways to keep the flu at bay into practice to help keep yourself healthy during cold and flu season.