Flu Season!

Sorry everyone about the lack of posts...I'm having some trouble with Internet over here in Italy...

Let's talk about everyone getting sick! It always happens, and it seems to happen to everyone. Some are able to fight the power, while others can do whatever they can to stop it but watch it slowly crush them. As an athlete, being sick severely affects our game because we will miss practice/games/lifting or cannot perform at a high enough level. Let's discuss what you can do to help out.

1. Cleanliness

Shower after lifts and exercise, especially if you sweat a lot. Once done with the shower, don't wait around to get dressed; keep warm quickly in order to not freeze out your system. Also, wash your hands more frequently. Got some downtime? Like one minute of downtime? Just go wash. Hot water. Little soap. Dry it off. Done.

2. Hydration

The weather out there is a'changing and you need to keep hydrated. For the most part, the weather gets dry and the cold weather can make it worse, especially when skin cracks and sores get open. Staying hydrated will automatically keep your body's system flushing out toxins. Basically you will be able to pee out a lot of the sickness, and when you are not sick, it's still great to increase the amount you are drinking in order to increase the productivity of your body's ability to filter what's in there. Also, for you athletes and your hands, make sure you are taking care of them with lotion. A lot of germs are spread through the hands, and when they are cracked open, you increase the chances of infection.

3. Mono and Poly Unsaturated Fats

These "positive" fats will help keep your white blood cells active and boost your immune system. One of the best fats you can is the Omega-3's from fish like salmon, tuna, and trout. These have been shown to increase airflow, lower bad cholesterol levels, and increase the body's response to foreign toxins. Hooray! Nuts contain a ton of the right fats plus have awesome micro-nutrients (specifically zinc, magnesium, and selenium) that have a direct effect on boosting your immune system's productivity.

4. Super-disease-fighting-awesome-sauce-delicious-tasting Foods

That got out of hand. Check out this article from RD Tonia Reinhard that showcases these foods (which include those that I just mentioned). To keep things simple, these snacks and foods will do their best, and much better than other junky foods, to boost specifically our immune system. The micro-nutrients and antioxidants will help you find off the influenza. Hooray x 2!

Alright that about does it for me. I'm going to go blow my nose. Literally.