Health and Fitness

Summer’s fun has faded and now it’s time to crank up the heat, grab a cozy throw, wrap your cold hands around a cup of hot tea and perhaps curl up with a good book.

Well, that would be nice in a parallel universe. The thing is, you have to jump up early, make sure the family has a healthy breakfast, and get everyone out the door in one piece. And… you’re faced with frigid weather conditions.

The last thing you need to worry about is the oh-so-dreadful sniffles, which then turn into a sore throat, accompanied by a nasty cough and fever, which inevitably represents lost wages you were counting on. Let’s not even talk about the growing pile of dirty laundry you can‘t bring yourself to do.

So, how do you stay sniffle-free? What can you do to increase your chances of breezing through the winter healthy and strong, immune to the sea of sickness surrounding you?

I’ve decided to share what works for my family. Following are seven ways to keep your body’s defenses on the up and up. These tips will help keep you on your feet performing all the duties beckoning to you.

1. Take probiotics. Available at your local health food store, this supplement boosts your immune system’s defenses. Swallow a capsule or two each morning before you head out the door. It’s a simple and quick way to help fight the flu by preventing it.

2. Add a teaspoon of organic apple cider vinegar to a glass of water, 1-3 times a day. The vinegar kills the bacteria that can make you sick. It also has been known to give one an overall feeling of increased energy and well-being.

3. Eat garlic. A natural antibiotic, this often-avoided food has medicinal value that will not only keep the vampires away, but the doctor, too. The body doesn’t become immune to garlic as it would a prescription antibiotic, therefore you can reap the positive benefits continually.

4. Take a good multivitamin. Provide your body with all the ammunition you can to combat the germs it will come into contact with. In our polluted environment, we need all the help we can get.

5. Make healthy food choices. Fuel your body with balanced nutrition so it will be strong and function properly. The more nutrition you consume, the stronger your immune system will be. Treat your body well and it will do the same for you.

6. Wash your hands! Germs are on the rampage these days and cleanliness is vital to your health. You never know what illness lurks on doorknobs or shopping carts. Keep a big bottle of hand sanitizer in your car as well as a small one in your purse or pocket.

7. Rest. Get to sleep early and stay well rested. Enough sleep cannot only enhance your immune system, but give you that extra ‘pep in your step’ you need to make it through the day.

These seven suggestions should carry you through winter’s cold and flu season sniffle-free.

You wonder why she’s glaring at you over breakfast and notice the way she slams the door as she leaves without a goodbye kiss. It’s not until an hour later that you glance at the calendar and get a sickening feeling in your stomach. It’s your anniversary… and you’ve forgotten all about it. Don’t worry, here you’ll find some great anniversary ideas!

What to do as soon as you remember

Don’t panic and ring her up to wish her a happy anniversary, thus admitting you’d forgotten about it to begin with. Instead, send her a coy text message or email along the lines of ‘I hope you’ve kept tonight free.’ Don’t make mention of the day or any specific plans (easy, as you don’t have any); this will pique her interest.

What to do in the next 1-3 hours

Make plans and make them good. It doesn’t have to be an expensive dinner, though that can go a long way. It should be something that she will enjoy; seeing a play she’s wanted to see for awhile, going on a boat on the river – anything you know she’d love and you’d usually do anything to get out of. Ring around until you have a reservation somewhere.

Then…

Call her or send her a text or email to tell her you’ll pick her up at 7 or 8 or whenever. Also give her an idea of what to wear, i.e; if it calls for her to break out her little black dress or not.

Lunchtime

Go Shopping. If you’re at work this is what lunch breaks are made for and if you only have an hour then you’ll have to do it fast. Steer clear of flowers and chocolate. Jewellery and perfume can be great if you get them right but choose the wrong scent or a piece she doesn’t like and it’ll look like a token gift. Again, it doesn’t have to be expensive; just make it something she’ll like and that shows you know her well.

Before you pick her up

If you have the money then spring for a taxi to take you out. It’ll add a date-feel to the whole evening and that way you can both drink without having to worry about how to get the car home. When you see her dressed up to go out tell her she looks amazing. Be sincere.

And the final tip…

Don’t forget your anniversary again. Program a reminder into your computer or your mobile phone or anything that will send you an alert a week in advance next time. It’ll be that much easier.