insideKENT Magazine Issue 45 - December 2015 | Page 110

HEALTH+WELLNESS

keep the cold away
’Tis the season to be snotty… unfortunately. Yes, winter is wonderful for all sorts of reasons
(Christmas! Log fires! Brisk countryside walks!), but it does tend to mean we get struck
down by the dreaded lurgy, and often end up sniffling and snuffling our way through the
winter months with a tissue constantly in our hands or up our sleeves, a sore nose, and an
apology to everyone we meet because we are fairly certain we’re going to sneeze on them
at some point during the conversation. Either that or give them our cold which, although
this is a giving time of year, that’s one gift that’s never appreciated. BY LISAMARIE LAMB

So what can be done?
Although for some it’s impossible to get away
without catching a cold at this time of year (pity
the parents of small children), these helpful hints
might just let others get through without almost
bankrupting themselves on lip balm and Kleenex.
Layers
What weird weather we’re having… It’s warm
one minute, cold the next, and that’s a great
recipe for the sniffles. It’s the sudden change in
temperature that confuses our immune systems
and makes them forget to do their job, which
means that the bugs can get in. Not only that,
but when it does get cold and we’re not dressed
for it (having been fooled into thinking it was a
mild enough day to forgo a coat, for example),
we begin to shiver. Shivering is another way that
the immune system gets knocked off balance.
Combine that with less sunlight, and colds
pile up.

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Wearing layers is a great idea because you can
add or remove as the warmth of the day allows,
thus keeping your body temperature as constant
as possible.
Flush It Out
Drink as much water as you can, and you will
flush the toxins from your body. The more you
drink (and experts recommend up to eight glasses
a day), the quicker and more efficiently your
kidneys will function, and that means the toxins
won’t have a chance to do any damage as they’ll
be washed away before they take hold and
compromise your immune system. Always have
a bottle of water with you when you leave the
house, and when you are at home try to drink
something at least every half hour to keep your
kidneys working well.