Cold and Flu season brings a lot of misery to numerous households. Every year kids end up missing important lessons at school because there symptoms prove too much to handle and adults are forced to suffer through the illness in order to get work finished. This pain can lead to you spending too much money on cold relievers that won’t help you kick the cold any faster. It might also lead you to make costly visits to the doctor’s office in order to get back on the right track. There are many ways that you can avoid the cold or flu without having to spend a whole lot of money. This can ensure that this season you won’t have to fall behind or budget out extra money to help pay for all of your cold supplies.

1. Hand Sanitizer
One of the biggest aids to getting rid of germs passed on by your peers is hand sanitizer. Usually when school begins there’s a lot of sales that include hand sanitizer. It is important to make sure that everyone in your family has a travel sized container so they can use it whenever they need to. This is especially important for kids who often don’t get a chance to wash their hands before meals or after sneezing and coughing. Keeping your hands clean is one of the most important things you can do to help keep your family healthy. It is hard to know who is sick around you and at the first sign of sneezing or coughing you can easily get your hands cleaned in a hurry if you have to. Hand sanitizer is also important for anyone who uses public transportation as this is one of the fastest ways to get sick because you’re in close contact with people who might be sick.

2. Change Diet
You might not think about it, but altering your diet during the cold season can keep you feeling healthy. Maintaining a balanced diet is particularly important, but it is essential if you intend on avoid this year’s cold and flu season. Of course, sometimes we get sick no matter how balanced out diets are. When this happens you will want to add a lot more Vitamin C to your diet. Kids will enjoy having orange slices with their cereal each morning for a little boost to help them get through the day. You might also consider having a grape fruit to encourage your immune system to work better. Throughout the day you should incorporate snacks or beverages that are also high in Vitamin C, such as a nice cup of hot tea with a splash of real lemon. When you make family meals try to add kale or collard greens to the dinner which will help keep your family healthier. Recipes with garlic are also amazing for helping you beat a cold and will even help lower your cholesterol. If you’re dealing with a sore throat you might want to eat some honey, but try to stick to natural brands as sugar can lower your immune system.

3. Exercise
A lot of people tend to lay off the exercise when they start to get sick. Although you should cut down on extreme exercise you shouldn’t cut out exercise altogether. Exercise actually helps keep your immune system up so you might actually end up beating the cold faster if you do get it. You should be careful with monitoring your exercise and go at the pace your body allows you, rather than trying to overdo it. As you begin to heal then you can start going back to rigorous workouts. It is also important to add some cardio to your workouts because it will help clear out yours lungs which can help get rid of congestion a lot faster. If you don’t exercise often then you might want to start working out at least three times a week during the cold and flu season, just so you will have a little extra protection from the illness.

4. Sleep
Getting a good night’s sleep is probably the most important part of your health and wellness. Sleep helps your immune system work better and gives your body time to recover from the damage that has been done. If you notice people are getting sick around you then you should work out your schedule and make sure you can at least get eight hours of sleep each night, if not more. Children should be put into bed promptly to ensure they will have the proper rest to beat a cold as well. If you do catch the cold then try to sleep as much as possible. Sleep is your body’s way of shutting down so it can wipe out the cold so you won’t have to suffer as long. If you can try to take off a day of work and spend the day sleeping, or take small naps during your lunch break or right after work to help ensure you get a good amount of sleep.

5. Fluids
Our body needs lots of fluids to keep working properly, but when we’re sick we need even more. During the cold season it is important to drink a lot of water because you want your system to be flushed as much as possible when there is a chance of getting sick. Water is the best way to ensure you’re hydrated and that your body isn’t holding on to toxins that need to get flushed in order for the body not to get sick. Of course, no one wants to drink water all of the time, but you want to try to avoid soda and other sugary beverages as much as possible. In the morning you might want to drink a glass or orange juice or grapefruit juice to help boost the Vitamin C in your system. You will want to check the label when it comes to juices though because you need juices that have less sugar and more fruit. You might also want to have a hot cup of tea in the afternoon. Herbal teas are a great way to help beat the cold and the warmth from the drink will help ease your congestion.

6. Say No to Sweets
When it comes to being sick we all want to grab our favorite comfort foods to give us some instant gratification. One problem with this is a lot of people actually go for sweet items like chocolates and sugary foods. Other junk foods actually have plenty of sugar in them as well, even if they don’t seem sweet. The problem with picking out sugary foods is they lower your body’s ability to fight off the cold and flu. Sugar lowers the capabilities of the white blood cells so instead of fighting off the cold they actually allow the cold and flu to move right on in, thus forcing you to deal with all of the terrible symptoms. So, if you’re serious about getting rid of your cold or preventing it then you might want to skip out on your favorite treats.

7. Salt Water
Many people like to have many different forms of cough syrup and cough drops around the house when they’re sick. These items can end up costing you a lot of money and don’t actually help to relieve the symptoms for very long. One simple and cheap trick to help ease symptoms is to gargle salt water. All you need is a tea spoon of salt and hot water so you won’t have to do anything extra for the gargle. The salt water will help remove mucous on the back of the throat which leads to coughs and forces you to have a sore throat. With these symptoms gone you’ll be back on your feet before you know it.

8. Zinc
One of the best nutrients you can have in your system when you’re getting sick is zinc. Zinc will actually boost your immune system and will help you keep the cold at bay, or at least get rid of it sooner. Zinc can be found in a lot of common foods like seafood, beef, beans and spinach so make sure to add more of these items to your diet. If you think you need an even bigger boost then you should look into buy zinc supplement to help fight off the colds. Zinc can also be found in many different smoothies so you can improve your diet by drinking a smoothie for lunch. If you take a good dose of zinc when you symptoms begin you may find the cold takes a lot less time to kick.

9. Flu Shot
Many people have a lot of problems with beating colds, which can cause severe problems. It is especially important to get a flu shot if you know you have a harder time getting rid of the cold or flu. Flu shots are generally low in cost and can be completely covered by insurance in most cases, so they may be a cheap alternative if you tend to have to go to the doctor because of your cold or end up in the hospital. After a certain age you should always get a flu shot because as we grow older our immune system has a harder time fighting off these germs. You should always get your children immunized as well as they are more likely to have a hard time beating the illness than an average adult would. If your kids are protected from the flu then you might find you home ends up being free of the illness throughout the season.

10. Go Over Hygiene Procedures
One of the most important and valuable ways to keep the cold and flu out of your household is to go over hygiene procedures with your children. A lot of the time these lessons are skipped or hastily talked about in schools so many children don’t know the proper procedures. This means that your kids won’t know the basics of how to protect their bodies from germs or to prevent the spread of germs. Some of the procedures you should go over is how to deal with coughing and sneezing in public. This will keep their germs contained and will allow them to analyze when they need to stay away from people who don’t follow the proper procedures. You should also go over how to wash hands so your child won’t waste time washing without getting the best results. Kids should also know to keep their toothbrushes away from other’s in order to keep germs contained. Sending your kids out into the world with the knowledge of containing their own germs while avoiding those who can’t will help ensure your household might avoid many colds in the future.

Having a cold can be miserable, especially if you still have to function like normal. These simple tips will have you feeling better in no time without having to charge any extra purchases to help ease the paid of being sick. For many, colds are one of the worst ways to blow a budget, so don’t feel desperate when you start to feel symptoms. Instead, take a deep breath and follow these steps so you can get back in the swing of things without having to worry about your symptoms.