Cold season is approaching … fast! It’s time to start thinking about how you can pump up your immune system. Those of you who have read some of my other articles know that I believe there are two seasons in the Northeast: Summer and Not Summer. Well, Not Summer is in full swing already, so …

Here are a few things you can do to make sure you stay healthy this Not Summer.

1. Start pumping up your Vitamin C intake. Supplements are ok, but try eating foods naturally rich in C to get the best results. Here’s a handy dandy shopping list:

oranges (duh)

broccoli (yes, really)

cauliflower

kale

kiwi (plus it’s fun to say)

papaya (again, fun to say)

bell peppers (red, yellow or green)

cantaloupe (although good luck finding a decent one in Not Summer)

strawberries (ditto from above)

tomatoes (yup, good luck)

sweet potato (Woohoo! Your Thanksgiving side dish is healthy – until you add the butter & brown sugar, anyway)

2. Wash your hands! Often and correctly. You might be surprised that you’re not following the correct procedure to kill those germs. Here’s what you should be doing and when, according to the Mayo Clinic.

How to properly wash your hands:

Wet your hands with clean, running water — either warm or cold.

Apply soap and lather well.

Rub your hands vigorously for at least 20 seconds. Remember to scrub all surfaces, including the backs of your hands, wrists, between your fingers and under your fingernails.

Rinse well.

Dry your hands with a clean towel or air-dry them.

Always wash your hands before:

Preparing food or eating

Treating wounds or caring for a sick person

Inserting or removing contact lenses

Always wash your hands after:

Preparing food

Using the toilet, changing a diaper or cleaning up a child who has used the toilet

Touching an animal, animal feed or animal waste

Blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing

Treating wounds or caring for a sick person

Handling garbage

Handling pet food or pet treats

*And of course, wash your hands when they are visibly dirty.

3. Avoid being around sick people. I know, I know, Aunt Gertrude wants to give you your $10 for the holidays in person, but if she’s hacking up a lung, politely ask her to send a card and promise you’ll get together in Summer (and make sure you do, or that guaranteed $10 gift might just disappear!)

4. Keep it clean, Karen. Sanitize doorknobs, phones, toilet flush handles, light switches, and anything else you and others paw at on a regular basis, although definitely not in that order if you’re using the same cleaning implement on all of the above.

5. Maintain a healthy lifestyle. It sounds ridiculous for me to put it in writing, but life sometimes gets in the way of obvious things, so …

• Get adequate rest -- which people underestimate
• Eat healthy foods and try to stay away from foods with too much sugar and processed foods
• Don’t smoke (I shouldn’t even have to write this down…)
• Keep your allergies under control, because if they’re out of control, then your upper respiratory tree is already inflamed, which sets it up to more easily acquire a virus. (Ok, that one wasn’t quite as obvious…)

6. See your chiropractor regularly. Maintaining your spinal health will help your body do its job. Having subluxations (“kinks,” “bones out of whack,” etc.) causes your nerves to work really hard, and keeps your spinal fluid from flowing freely, so your body will be more susceptible to germs, as its busy trying to fix other issues.

Gulph Mills Chiropractic Center  *  600 West Dekalb Pike  * Suite 201  *  King of Prussia, PA 19406  *   484-751-5037