How to beat the bugs
It's the season of snuffles and streaming noses. But there are plenty of ways to protect yourself against cold and flu viruses
Coming up over the next few months: around 120 million episodes of cold and flu. Make sure your name isn't on the packet of Kleenex by acquiring a detailed understanding of how these unpleasant viruses are transmitted. Recent research provides some useful clues.
WASH YOUR HANDS
Touching everyday objects with contaminated hands is the number one cause of harbouring, spreading and acquiring the common cold virus. Our behaviour makes this easy: unobserved, a person will put their finger in their nose on average once every three minutes, according to research carried out by the National Heart and Lung Institute at Imperial College, London. And being extra hygienic when a cold sufferer is in the vicinity won't necessarily help matters.
The common cold virus has a far greater longevity than previously realised, according to new research from the University of Virginia. One in two healthy people developed a cold after staying in a hotel room that had been occupied by a cold sufferer within the previous four days. Most commonly infected surfaces were light switches, pens, telephones, handles, taps and television controls.
Staying at home is at least as dangerous, especially one shared with infants or children. "Young children are prone to colds because their immune systems are learning to cope with them. Also their personal hygiene is not good, their noses are running and mucus gets everywhere," says Dr Ron Eccles of the Common Cold Centre in Cardiff.
What to do
Wash your hands properly at least five times a day, including after each episode of coughing, sneezing or nose-blowing. A quick swill under the cold tap is no help whatsoever. A proper hand wash has five distinct steps:
* Wet hands with warm running water prior to reaching for the soap.
* Rub hands together to make lather. Do this away from running water, so the lather isn't washed away.
* Wash the front and back of your hands, between your fingers and under the nails. Continue washing for 20 seconds or more.
* Rinse hands under warm running water.
* Dry hands thoroughly with a clean towel or air dryer.
EAT FOR YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM
Living in relatively crowded conditions and engaging in conversations and other social activities makes it difficult to avoid completely the 250 different cold viruses. For every person with a streaming nose, another two or three have the virus but don't have any symptoms. Those who succumb have a depressed immune system that increases susceptibility to infection. Three ways to boost your immune system are:
Diet
A well-balanced diet with adequate carbohydrate, protein and fat intake is of key importance in the maintenance of the immune system. As the cold months approach, particular nutrients become more important to a normally functioning immune system, says Dr Joanne Lunn of the British Nutrition Foundation. As well as vitamins and minerals contained in fruit and vegetables, these include:
* Iron Rich sources include red meat, fish, liver and pâté. Plant sources include kidney beans, lentils, tofu, apricots, prunes, figs and fortified breakfast cereals. Vitamin C enhances absorption of iron, so eat foods in combination: kidney beans with tomatoes or breakfast cereal with a glass of orange juice.
* Zinc Rich sources include red meat and fish, particularly oysters, and pumpkin and sunflower seeds. Milk and cheese, wholegrain cereals and lentils also contain zinc.
* Selenium Good sources include Brazil and cashew nuts (above), fish and shellfish, especially crab, and mung and soya beans.
TUNE YOUR DIET TO THE SEASONS
Autumn is a "windy" season, according to ayurveda, the ancient Indian system of health. It's a time when vata, a combination of the elements of air and space within the body, is prone to imbalance, and our digestion can become erratic too. "Our diet at this time should be grounding, warming and easy to digest," says Sebastian Pole, an ayurvedic practitioner in Bath. He recommends warm foods such as cooked grains, especially rice and oats, plenty of fruit and vegetables rich in vitamin C and root vegetables such as sweet potato, soups and foods that are easy to digest.
TAKE EXERCISE
Couch potatoes have a greater chance of getting a cold or flu than the moderately active, according to research from Loughborough University. "Moderate exercise boosts white blood cells as well as increasing the concentration of antibodies in the saliva, protecting against respiratory infections," says Mike Gleeson, professor of sport science and co-author of Immune Function in Sport and Exercise (Churchill Livingston, 2006).
Recreational activity such as gentle walking, however, is healthier in winter than doing a marathon, according to sports scientist Dr Greg Whyte. "The harder-training athlete is at greater risk of contracting a winter illness compared with the general population, with an open window to infection in the hours that follow a prolonged workout," he says.
It's worth avoiding physiological and psychological stress during the time of year when colds and flu are most virulent - as well as ensuring that you are not overtired after training.
(Continued in next post)
It's the season of snuffles and streaming noses. But there are plenty of ways to protect yourself against cold and flu viruses
Coming up over the next few months: around 120 million episodes of cold and flu. Make sure your name isn't on the packet of Kleenex by acquiring a detailed understanding of how these unpleasant viruses are transmitted. Recent research provides some useful clues.
WASH YOUR HANDS
Touching everyday objects with contaminated hands is the number one cause of harbouring, spreading and acquiring the common cold virus. Our behaviour makes this easy: unobserved, a person will put their finger in their nose on average once every three minutes, according to research carried out by the National Heart and Lung Institute at Imperial College, London. And being extra hygienic when a cold sufferer is in the vicinity won't necessarily help matters.
The common cold virus has a far greater longevity than previously realised, according to new research from the University of Virginia. One in two healthy people developed a cold after staying in a hotel room that had been occupied by a cold sufferer within the previous four days. Most commonly infected surfaces were light switches, pens, telephones, handles, taps and television controls.
Staying at home is at least as dangerous, especially one shared with infants or children. "Young children are prone to colds because their immune systems are learning to cope with them. Also their personal hygiene is not good, their noses are running and mucus gets everywhere," says Dr Ron Eccles of the Common Cold Centre in Cardiff.
What to do
Wash your hands properly at least five times a day, including after each episode of coughing, sneezing or nose-blowing. A quick swill under the cold tap is no help whatsoever. A proper hand wash has five distinct steps:
* Wet hands with warm running water prior to reaching for the soap.
* Rub hands together to make lather. Do this away from running water, so the lather isn't washed away.
* Wash the front and back of your hands, between your fingers and under the nails. Continue washing for 20 seconds or more.
* Rinse hands under warm running water.
* Dry hands thoroughly with a clean towel or air dryer.
EAT FOR YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM
Living in relatively crowded conditions and engaging in conversations and other social activities makes it difficult to avoid completely the 250 different cold viruses. For every person with a streaming nose, another two or three have the virus but don't have any symptoms. Those who succumb have a depressed immune system that increases susceptibility to infection. Three ways to boost your immune system are:
Diet
A well-balanced diet with adequate carbohydrate, protein and fat intake is of key importance in the maintenance of the immune system. As the cold months approach, particular nutrients become more important to a normally functioning immune system, says Dr Joanne Lunn of the British Nutrition Foundation. As well as vitamins and minerals contained in fruit and vegetables, these include:
* Iron Rich sources include red meat, fish, liver and pâté. Plant sources include kidney beans, lentils, tofu, apricots, prunes, figs and fortified breakfast cereals. Vitamin C enhances absorption of iron, so eat foods in combination: kidney beans with tomatoes or breakfast cereal with a glass of orange juice.
* Zinc Rich sources include red meat and fish, particularly oysters, and pumpkin and sunflower seeds. Milk and cheese, wholegrain cereals and lentils also contain zinc.
* Selenium Good sources include Brazil and cashew nuts (above), fish and shellfish, especially crab, and mung and soya beans.
TUNE YOUR DIET TO THE SEASONS
Autumn is a "windy" season, according to ayurveda, the ancient Indian system of health. It's a time when vata, a combination of the elements of air and space within the body, is prone to imbalance, and our digestion can become erratic too. "Our diet at this time should be grounding, warming and easy to digest," says Sebastian Pole, an ayurvedic practitioner in Bath. He recommends warm foods such as cooked grains, especially rice and oats, plenty of fruit and vegetables rich in vitamin C and root vegetables such as sweet potato, soups and foods that are easy to digest.
TAKE EXERCISE
Couch potatoes have a greater chance of getting a cold or flu than the moderately active, according to research from Loughborough University. "Moderate exercise boosts white blood cells as well as increasing the concentration of antibodies in the saliva, protecting against respiratory infections," says Mike Gleeson, professor of sport science and co-author of Immune Function in Sport and Exercise (Churchill Livingston, 2006).
Recreational activity such as gentle walking, however, is healthier in winter than doing a marathon, according to sports scientist Dr Greg Whyte. "The harder-training athlete is at greater risk of contracting a winter illness compared with the general population, with an open window to infection in the hours that follow a prolonged workout," he says.
It's worth avoiding physiological and psychological stress during the time of year when colds and flu are most virulent - as well as ensuring that you are not overtired after training.
(Continued in next post)
