Five Ingenious Eco-Friendly Flu Prevention Guidelines

You may think that staying healthy and being eco-friendly don’t go hand-in-hand, but you can actually do both at the same time. There are a lot of great ways that you can fight the flu and protect the environment at the same time.

Is It Possible to Be Eco-Friendly and Fight the Flu at the Same Time?

The Center for Environmental Health published a great post on the benefits of being eco-friendly to fight the flu. You will find that many green living tips actually make you healthier and more resilient against the flu. You can also use a lot of eco-friendly ideas to fight the infection when you do contract it.

The benefits of eco-friendly flu prevention tips cannot be overstated. Last year, the United States had one of the worst flu seasons in recent history. The Center for Disease Control reports there were an estimated 80,000 US deaths recorded from flu-related causes during last year’s flu season. That is one of the highest recorded death tolls from the flu in over four decades. Using eco-friendly flu prevention tips to protect yourself and your family this coming flu season may then be more important than ever before. But how can this be done with environmentally friendly products?

Here are five natural strategies for keeping you and your family healthy this flu season and some eco-friendly tips from Pathosan.

Keep your Immune System at Peak Performance

Your immune system is the last line of defense in protecting you from contracting the flu virus. One of the best things you can do to keep your immune system at peak performance is getting the proper sleep every night. Health experts suggest a minimum of seven to eight hours sleep a night for significant cell boosting immunity. Fortunately, this is one of the most eco-friendly ideas, since sleeping doesn’t have any impact on your carbon footprint.

Another way to boost your immune system is through exercise. Daily exercise helps support optimal circulation of blood and oxygen through the body which carries and distributes immune cells throughout, helping to protect you from any flu virus attack. Interestingly, research has proven people who exercise after receiving the flu shot for one month almost doubled the amount of flu flighting antibodies present within their bodies.

This is a great idea that also doesn’t hurt the environment, unless you are using a lot of unnecessary equipment that uses lots of electricity. A lot of equipment can be used purely mechanically, so it doesn’t use energy or leave a carbon footprint.

Finally, boost your immune system by engaging in activities that help you to unwind and destress, such as taking Epson salt baths, or meditating to soothing music. When your body is under stress, white blood cells in the body can decrease, thus making it harder for the body to ward off sickness, such as the flu virus.

Eat a Well-Balanced Diet

Eating a well-balanced diet plays an essential factor in keeping your immune system working in proper order. Incorporating a balanced approach to your diet, including all food groups and a large variety of raw fruits and vegetables can help to maintain immune system function and ward off the flu virus this coming season.

This is another area where being eco-friendly and staying healthy go hand in hand. The healthiest diets tend to also be the eco-friendliest. For example, veganism is the best diet and it doesn’t hurt the environment at all.

Disinfect Surface Areas with Eco-friendly Sanitizers

Disinfect all surface areas people encounter around your home using only alcohol-based cleaning agents, especially if someone in your proximity contracts the flu virus. If this is the case, be sure to sanitize surface areas that people touch in your home every couple of hours for maximum protection. Also, be sure to use only alcohol-based hand sanitizers. You can find a lot of eco-friendly sanitizers.

Keep Distance

Maintaining distance from anyone diagnosed with the flu this season s is critical to keep the virus from spreading. Research has shown the flu can spread simply through contact of someone coughing, sneezing, and even merely exhaling out the mouth. Also, important to remember is someone who has contracted the flu virus can still be contagious without showing any flu symptoms.

Protect you and your family by maintaining distance from anyone who may have contracted the flu virus. Wearing a mask to protect your mouth and nose area from potentially breathing in the flu virus from infected individuals is another way to help stop the virus from spreading.

Get a Flu Shot

While getting the flu shot does not 100 percent guarantee protection from contracting the flu virus, it drastically reduces the risk of both acquiring and dying from the flu. Particularly true is the previous statement for more vulnerable individuals such as infants, elderly, and people with already compromised immune systems. Experts say if you get the flu shot but still contract the flu, the severity of symptoms is also drastically reduced. If the flu shot is not a comfortable option for you, there is also a nasal vaccine which offers the same if not more effective protection against the flu virus.

Fight the Flu the Eco-friendly Way

There are a lot of ways that you can stay healthy and live an eco-friendly lifestyle at the same time. You should consider ways to fight the flu without harming the environment.