4 Crucial Ways to Avoid the Flu Bug

January brought around the end of winter break, syllabus week, and unfortunately, a mass outbreak of sickness in the dorms. To combat against it, I have bought exorbitant amounts of hand sanitizer and Clorox wipes, all while using them almost religiously. Unfortunately, all the time, money and energy that I spent to avoid getting sick didn’t work out in my favor and I was sitting in the student health center a mere two weeks into the semester. One of the absolute worst parts of being sick as a college student is that although you aren’t sick enough to stay home, you still have an obligation to trudge to your classes and push through the day, even if you’re hacking up half a lung in your stats class.After making a full recovery, I learned a thing or two about staying healthy and illness-free throughout the semester.

1. Amp up your Vitamin C intake

I’ve figured out the key to beating illness is to beat it before it has the chance to strike. Vitamin C is your immune systems best friend and one of the easiest ways to slip it into your daily schedule. I always have a water bottle in my backpack throughout the day and I’ve found that slipping an Emergen-C drink mix into my water once or twice a week gives me that immune boost with a great taste. 

2. Stay Hydrated

One of my biggest struggles is staying hydrated, I always would rather pick up a Starbucks coffee than take a swig from my water bottle. But a recent study found that staying hydrated may boost a particular immune response to enable your body to better fight illnesses. Aim for the recommended 6-8 glasses a day and you’ll not only be healthy, but gaining lots of other health benefits

3. Check out Yogurt with Probiotics

Probiotics are good bacteria that help the body fight off the bad bacteria that makes you sick and have been found to fight off the flu virus. One of the easiest ways to incorporate probiotics into your diet is with a probiotic yogurt. Some great options include Dannon’s Activa and Yoplait Original and are perfect to take with to your morning class. 

4. Maintain a Healthy Diet

One of my main struggles as a freshman is attempting to eat ahealthy diet when I’m constantly surrounded by exorbitant amounts of ice cream and pizza in the dining halls. To create a good balance, I try to eat at least one salad a day, fruit along with my breakfast, and incorporate at least two healthy sources of proteins into my day, like grilled chicken or eggs. Once I was sick, I realized that I fell off this schedule and had indulged a little more than I’d like to admit. But once I was consistently adding healthy components to my diet, I felt better and better.