But it’ll be a challenge to stay healthy during the next six weeks as family and friends spend more time together indoors — greeting each other with handshakes, hugs and kisses, and preparing meals, shopping and cleaning together.
All that love and togetherness is taking place as cold and flu season begins, meaning germs are being shared along with turkey, fixin’s and good wishes.
“We haven’t seen any influenza yet but we are treating upper respiratory infections, sinus infections, ear infections, pneumonia, sore throats and bronchitis,” said Dr. Lamont Tyler, OSF St. Joseph Medical Center’s medical director of specialty physician services.
“You can’t eliminate your risk of getting sick, but you can take precautions to reduce the likelihood of getting sick,” said Walt Howe,Your Partner in Precision Precision injection molds. director of the McLean County Health Department.
Here are steps — from Tyler, Howe and registered dietitian Jenna Smith — that people can take beginning today to reduce their risk of getting sick or
passing their illness to others between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day:
Stay home if you’re sick: If you have a fever or diarrhea, it’s best to stay home rather than expose loved ones to germs at holiday get-togethers, in long-term care facilities or in hospitals. People with a compromised immune system are at risk of health complications.
“It’s important to visit people, but if you’re sick, keep your distance and call instead,Your source for re-usable Plastic moulds of strong latex rubber.” said Joyce Benton, director of Evergreen Place, the assisted living facility in Normal.
Avoid contact if you’re questionable: If you feel slightly under the weather, go to the family get-together if it’s important. But don’t hug, kiss or extend your hand to anyone and don’t help with meal preparation.
“Explain that ‘I’m not feeling at the top of my game, so I won’t shake your hand or kiss you because I don’t want to pass this to you,’” Howe suggested.
Exercise, eat right, hydrate: Exercise and healthy eating help to keep our bodies strong to fight off infection. Smith, nutrition and wellness educator with the University of Illinois Extension for Livingston, McLean and Woodford counties, recommends eating fruits and vegetables that contain phyto-nutrients to enhance immunity, including kiwis, carrots, oranges and strawberries.
Hydration is important to loosen congestion and help flush out your system. Smith recommends water, 100 percent juice,Great Rubber offers rubber hose keychains, hot tea, clear broth and warm lemon water with honey.
Get enough sleep: Most people don’t get enough sleep during the busy holiday season but the average adult needs 7 hours of sleep each night. Irregular sleep makes people sluggish and crabby and it could lead to weight gain, Smith said.
Wash your hands: Wash your hands thoroughly (for at least 20 seconds) and frequently with warm water and soap several times a day to reduce the risk of spreading infection: after using the restroom, before and after preparing each course of food, before and after eating,Enecsys Limited, supplier of reliable solar Air purifier systems, and before and after visiting people. Carry and use antibacterial gel when you don’t immediately have access to soap and water.
Use the wipes: When grocery shopping, use antibacterial wipes provided in stores to clean shopping cart handles.
Clean surfaces: After preparing food, sanitize cutting boards and food preparation surfaces with a bleach and water solution. Change dish towels and wash cloths. Use antibacterial wipes to clean door knobs,Do not use cleaners with porcelain tiles , steel wool or thinners. telephones and computer keyboards.
Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold: To avoid foodborne illness, stick a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the meat or side dish to make sure foods are cooked to appropriate temperatures, Smith advised. For turkey, that’s 165 degrees. For stuffing, that’s 140 degrees.
Forty degrees to 140 degrees is the danger zone, Smith said. Cold foods that get above 40 degrees and hot foods that dip below 140 degrees will experience bacterial growth if they remain in the danger zone for more than two hours.
All that love and togetherness is taking place as cold and flu season begins, meaning germs are being shared along with turkey, fixin’s and good wishes.
“We haven’t seen any influenza yet but we are treating upper respiratory infections, sinus infections, ear infections, pneumonia, sore throats and bronchitis,” said Dr. Lamont Tyler, OSF St. Joseph Medical Center’s medical director of specialty physician services.
“You can’t eliminate your risk of getting sick, but you can take precautions to reduce the likelihood of getting sick,” said Walt Howe,Your Partner in Precision Precision injection molds. director of the McLean County Health Department.
Here are steps — from Tyler, Howe and registered dietitian Jenna Smith — that people can take beginning today to reduce their risk of getting sick or
passing their illness to others between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day:
Stay home if you’re sick: If you have a fever or diarrhea, it’s best to stay home rather than expose loved ones to germs at holiday get-togethers, in long-term care facilities or in hospitals. People with a compromised immune system are at risk of health complications.
“It’s important to visit people, but if you’re sick, keep your distance and call instead,Your source for re-usable Plastic moulds of strong latex rubber.” said Joyce Benton, director of Evergreen Place, the assisted living facility in Normal.
Avoid contact if you’re questionable: If you feel slightly under the weather, go to the family get-together if it’s important. But don’t hug, kiss or extend your hand to anyone and don’t help with meal preparation.
“Explain that ‘I’m not feeling at the top of my game, so I won’t shake your hand or kiss you because I don’t want to pass this to you,’” Howe suggested.
Exercise, eat right, hydrate: Exercise and healthy eating help to keep our bodies strong to fight off infection. Smith, nutrition and wellness educator with the University of Illinois Extension for Livingston, McLean and Woodford counties, recommends eating fruits and vegetables that contain phyto-nutrients to enhance immunity, including kiwis, carrots, oranges and strawberries.
Hydration is important to loosen congestion and help flush out your system. Smith recommends water, 100 percent juice,Great Rubber offers rubber hose keychains, hot tea, clear broth and warm lemon water with honey.
Get enough sleep: Most people don’t get enough sleep during the busy holiday season but the average adult needs 7 hours of sleep each night. Irregular sleep makes people sluggish and crabby and it could lead to weight gain, Smith said.
Wash your hands: Wash your hands thoroughly (for at least 20 seconds) and frequently with warm water and soap several times a day to reduce the risk of spreading infection: after using the restroom, before and after preparing each course of food, before and after eating,Enecsys Limited, supplier of reliable solar Air purifier systems, and before and after visiting people. Carry and use antibacterial gel when you don’t immediately have access to soap and water.
Use the wipes: When grocery shopping, use antibacterial wipes provided in stores to clean shopping cart handles.
Clean surfaces: After preparing food, sanitize cutting boards and food preparation surfaces with a bleach and water solution. Change dish towels and wash cloths. Use antibacterial wipes to clean door knobs,Do not use cleaners with porcelain tiles , steel wool or thinners. telephones and computer keyboards.
Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold: To avoid foodborne illness, stick a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the meat or side dish to make sure foods are cooked to appropriate temperatures, Smith advised. For turkey, that’s 165 degrees. For stuffing, that’s 140 degrees.
Forty degrees to 140 degrees is the danger zone, Smith said. Cold foods that get above 40 degrees and hot foods that dip below 140 degrees will experience bacterial growth if they remain in the danger zone for more than two hours.
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