5 tips for staying strong and healthy through flu season

Nobody plans to get the flu, but you can make plans to avoid getting it. And while nothing is guaranteed, these five tips can help keep you healthy.

Eat healthy

The food you eat to fuel your body through this season of sickness should be high in antioxidants. Leafy green vegetables and brightly colored fruits are great choices that provide you vitamins and fiber to give you the energy you need to function, as well as fight off the flu.

Sleep well

As important as what you eat is how much you sleep. The typical person should generally get an average of seven to nine hours, because high-quality sleep time will help your immune system in fight off the flu. REM sleep is particularly restorative, because it recalibrates your body's internal clock so your brain is able to rest. That will help keep you alert throughout the day ahead.

Get exercise

Exercise is one of the best ways for your body to keep itself healthy: It can even help your body find germs before they make you sick. Exercising increases blood circulation throughout the body, allowing your immune system the opportunity to search for intruders and rid the body of them before they spread. Exercising at least 30 minutes a day, three times a week can make the difference between a healthy or sick ending to the flu season for you.

Wash your hands

Wash your hands frequently. Our hands touch more surfaces than we realize, which means they can be exposed to more germs than we know. Make sure you wash with water as hot as you can stand for at least 20 seconds to make sure you've killed the germs.

Avoid close contact with sick people 

If you know that someone is sick, make sure to stay far away enough so that germs aren't spread to you by a sneeze, a cough, or a touch. Trust that he will understand why you keep your distance. 

Do you have tips for fighting off the flu? Let us know in the comments below.