With Minnesota winters- we need more than just 'an apple a day' to stay healthy. Fortunately, there are many ways to keep our immune systems up during the winter:
1.Stay Hydrated: without proper hydration, you may feel aches and pains in your joints and muscles, have digestion issues, body temperature changes, and more. Make sure to stay properly hydrated throughout the day.
2. Wash Your Hands: there are germs everywhere. To keep us healthy, washing our hands regularly with soap and hot water is a vital way to keep illness away.
3. Eat Healthy: in addition to tasting good, healthy eating is a great way to keep yourself healthy. Foods that are rich in vitamins C, D, and E help improve our immune system and resist infection. Make sure to pick up whole grains, nuts, fresh fruits and vegetables on your next grocery trip.
4. Get Up and Move: staying active, even with moderate exercise can help prevent illnesses like colds and the flu. Even just 30 minutes a day of physical activity is enough to help our immune system.
5. Get enough Sleep: balancing regular exercise with a proper sleep schedule is a good way to keep your body healthy. Lack of sleep can harm our immune system as it reduces the number of infection-fighting antibodies in our bodies.
Bonus Tip: Get Your Flu Shot: a flu shot is a safe and effective way of protecting your body against the flu. Murray County Medical Center offers walk-in flu shots during clinic hours. You can also receive your flu shot the same day as your COVID-19 vaccine. Both vaccines are proven safe and effective, but talk to your provider if you have questions or concerns.