‘Tis the season for sniffles, coughs, fevers, and everything else you don’t want ever — especially when it’s time to celebrate and enjoy time with family and friends. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that seasonal influenza activity is elevated across the country. Between kids bringing home germs from school and the colleague next to you in the office, moms are bound to be dodging everything from COVID and the flu to upper respiratory viruses.
Pauline Jose, MD — medical director at Proactive Health Labs, specialist in family medicine, and clinical instructor at UCLA, Department of Family Medicine — tells LittleThings, “Moms take care not just of themselves but the whole family. Because of holiday festivities that most moms have to organize and execute, these times can be stressful. Stress as well as the extra physical burden on the body that putting together these holiday parties will do, and reduced sleep may depress the immune system.”
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Here are Dr. Jose's top tips for moms to stay healthy during the holidays and year round:
Wash Your Hands
Also avoid touching your face, including the eyes and nose. This is the cardinal rule in staying healthy and preventing infections. Hand sanitizers are essential, so get them out, as they are here to stay.
Get Your Flu Vaccine
The flu can be as debilitating as COVID and can be deadly, too. Even if you get the flu after the vaccine, it will not be as bad.
Get Boosted
Make sure you get your COVID boosters. COVID is here to stay, and the variants are busy mutating to more variants.
Boost Your Immune System With a Healthy Nutrient-Dense Diet
Studies have shown that plant-based diets can help fight off infections more than high-protein diets. They are richer in the nutrients you need to fight any infections: vitamin C, some vitamin Bs, magnesium, and antioxidants like selenium and glutathione. When it is difficult to ingest enough food containing vitamins and minerals, supplementation with medical-grade supplements may be necessary. Oftentimes, absorption is also an issue. We may be eating good food, but because our guts are sometimes devoid of the digestive enzymes we need to process what we ingest, we might not get the nutrients we need from food alone. We may even feel bloated or uncomfortable after eating. Digestive enzymes and probiotics can help bring your gut back to life. Consult with a knowledgeable medical provider to find these good-quality supplements.
Get an Infusion
If needles don’t scare you, you might try vitamin infusions or injections. Many infusion centers are popping up, and these centers offer vitamin C given straight through your veins or injected into the muscle. They also offer the "Myers Cocktail" or a similar mix, containing magnesium, vitamin C, calcium, vitamin B complex, and extra B5, B6, and B12. Many centers offer glutathione and zinc for an extra immunity boost. They also offer plain intravenous fluids with electrolytes for hydration, which is a must in any infection. Note that many medical providers shun intravenous infusion of vitamins, but enthusiastic customers see infusion centers as a great way to replete possible vitamin deficiencies fast, in turn helping raise their defenses without medications.
Get Enough Sleep
That means at least seven to nine hours per night. This is not just for infections. This is the rule for overall health. Night sleep is more restorative than sleeping during the day. If you have problems initiating sleep or staying asleep, consider a magnesium supplement in the chelate or glycinate form. Magnesium has a role in over 300 reactions in the body, and sleep is one of them.
Avoid Excessive Sugar and Highly Processed Food
These food types are devoid of the nutrients you need to keep your immune system healthy. Moreover, they are considered inflammatory and can make it harder to fight off infections.
Stay Active
Try to put in your 30 minutes of cardiovascular activity a day, at least five days a week. Getting some sun may also help your body produce vitamin D, which not only helps your immunity but also boosts your emotions, which may be dampened by the shorter days during winter. This is nothing new, but how many moms get this done?
Practice Stress-Reduction Activities Like Meditation, Yoga, or Massage
These calming activities will help you keep your sanity in this busy holiday season, in turn keeping your body healthy and hopefully free from illness. Moms more than anyone need to pamper themselves. Get a quick neck and shoulder massage when you get your nails done. A whole day in the spa may not be feasible during the holidays, so squeeze in whatever mini spa activities you can get. It feels good, and it is therapeutic.
Avoid Drinking Too Much Alcohol
Alcohol dehydrates your body and can cause headaches in the morning, making it harder to start the day, whether it is to prepare for work, get the kids ready for school, or both. Moreover, it is not friendly to your liver.
Hydrate With High-Quality Water
Alkaline water has a higher pH level than that found in tap water, and advocates believe this makes it healthier and also more hydrating because of the trace electrolytes in it. While the jury is still out on the benefits of alkaline water, any clean, well-filtered water is good for your body and your immune system, so drink up!
Learn to Say 'No'
You don’t have to attend every invitation you get. When you feel swamped and drained, it is time to stay home and rest. Your body will thank you for taking the time to rejuvenate.
*Disclaimer: The advice on LittleThings.com is not a substitute for consultation with a medical professional or treatment for a specific condition. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem without consulting a qualified professional. Please contact your health-care provider with questions and concerns.