{"id":83,"date":"2010-10-21T08:00:58","date_gmt":"2010-10-21T13:00:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/healthnews.nchealthplans.com\/?p=83"},"modified":"2011-10-29T08:03:39","modified_gmt":"2011-10-29T13:03:39","slug":"10-tips-to-prevent-colds-and-the-flu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nchealthplans.com\/news\/2010\/10\/10-tips-to-prevent-colds-and-the-flu\/","title":{"rendered":"Tips to Prevent Colds and the Flu"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Cold and Flu season are officially here, beginning in October and continuing through early Spring with February being the peak month.\u00a0 Want to be one of those people we all envy that NEVER gets sick?\u00a0 Here are a few points to follow to help you on your mission this season:\u00a0 Wash your hands – most research recommends at least 5 times per day using soap and warm water.\u00a0 The average length of time it takes to de-germ those hands is the length of the “Happy Birthday Song” so sing away<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Invest in hand sanitizer- when\u00a0washing hands is not an option, use\u00a0gel or towelettes\u00a0with a high percentage of alcohol\u00a0for\u00a0optimal cleansing.\u00a0<\/li>\n
  2. Toothbrush replacement- invest in a new one at least once a\u00a0month.\u00a0 Most germs\u00a0enter the body through the mouth.\u00a0 Make sure you are not contaminating yourself with\u00a0your own toothbrush.\u00a0<\/li>\n
  3. Use those knuckles!- yes, your knuckles are\u00a0less likely to be\u00a0germ infested than your fingertips.\u00a0 If you must rub your eyes,\u00a0use your knuckles instead.<\/li>\n
  4. Watch your stress level- those that are stressed and over-worked, are prime candidates for a visit\u00a0from Mr. Cold\u00a0or\u00a0Flu.\u00a0<\/li>\n
  5. Refresh hand towels- make sure to change them at least every 3rd day or even every other if they get a lot of use from little ones.<\/li>\n
  6. Add yogurt to your diet- A study from the University of California-Davis, found that there was a 25 % decrease in colds in those that ate yogurt daily as opposed to non yogurt eaters.\u00a0<\/li>\n
  7. Turn it down 5 degrees- lowering the temperature in your home helps keep mucous membranes from drying out, which trap those germs in your nose, mouth and tonsils.<\/li>\n
  8. Let a little fresh air in- crack a window in the winter to allow fresh circulation of air.\u00a0 It will help chase some of those germs away.<\/li>\n
  9. If you feel a hint of a cold try…. zinc lozenge, cooking a pot of chicken soup, and increasing your roasted garlic intake.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    For more information on health insurance coverage in North Carolina<\/a>, please visit our website at www.nchealthplans.com<\/a> or call our toll free number 888-765-5400 and speak with one of our qualified agents.\u00a0 Our agency provides coverage for health insurance in North Carolina through Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina\u00a0(BCBSNC).\u00a0 <\/a>You may qualify for a 15% healthy lifestyle discount if you are in excellent health.\u00a0 Call us for details.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Cold and Flu season are officially here, beginning in October and continuing through early Spring with February being the peak month.\u00a0 Want to be one of those people we all envy that NEVER gets sick?\u00a0 Here are a few points to follow to help you on your mission this season:\u00a0 Wash your hands – most […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[23,136,19,20,382],"class_list":["post-83","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-health-and-nutrition","tag-bcbsnc","tag-blue-cross-blue-shield-of-north-carolina","tag-cold","tag-flu","tag-health-living"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nchealthplans.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/83","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nchealthplans.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nchealthplans.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nchealthplans.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nchealthplans.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=83"}],"version-history":[{"count":24,"href":"https:\/\/www.nchealthplans.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/83\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3839,"href":"https:\/\/www.nchealthplans.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/83\/revisions\/3839"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nchealthplans.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=83"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nchealthplans.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=83"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nchealthplans.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=83"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}