how to prevent the flu

How to Prevent the Flu

This topic is of great discussion, and I find it fascinating that I received a high quality pamphlet from Health Canada today which includes points on ways to protect yourself from the flu and H1N1 virus. I should clarify, I’m actually more fascinated with the prevention bullet points than I am about receiving the 3 page pamphlet!

Let me explain. Here is what is covered in the pamphlet. Protect yourself from the flu:

  • Wash your hands frequently
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth
  • Cough and sneeze into your arm, not your hand.
  • Get your H1N1 flu shot.
  • Keep common surface areas clean and disinfected.
  • If you get sick, stay home.

Although these are good points do you see my concern?

Simply put, what about making sure you sleep well? What about exercising and eating healthy? Are these not as important or even more important than the points covered in the pamphlet?

This kind of preventative education seems to be what’s really missing with the health care system in all of North America. It almost seems like the government has given up on educating and promoting good health because business and success in the work force must come first. This is the fundamental difference between us Canadians/Americans and countries such as Denmark which have the happiest and healthiest people in the world.

I say this because I find it baffling that even most doctors, surgeons, nurses you know don’t put their own health care first and before their work. Of course, there are exceptions but I’m making a generalization here that people who are supposed to be exemplifying good health are often not because somewhere along the line we forgot what was most important – our health and our family’s health before work….

Nevertheless, this article hopefully gets you thinking a little outside the box and refocusing on taking care of yourself. Making sure you allocate enough time for exercise but equally to rest, relaxation and eating healthy with your friends and family. All these factors will contribute to a much stronger and resilient immune system that will ultimately prevent your chances of catching the flu in the first place.

Does this make as much sense to you as it does to me? I’d love to hear your feedback so please leave a comment below. In the next article I’m going to talk about some healthy foods/fruits and supplements we can take to help boost our immune system further.