image credit: collegebound.net
Spoiling us with sun rays and warm afternoons, the weather has been awesome for the past three days. However, along with the temperatures rising, the amount of people sneezing on the subway increased as well. Not concerned about joining the crowd, yesterday I put on my light spring-only leather jacket for the first time this year, and here’s the result: today I have a fever and a sore throat that hurts when I swallow and even when I don’t.
The moral is: don’t get over-excited. It’s just GETTING warm, it’s not actually warm YET.
Think about it: it will soon be beautiful like that outside every day (if the weather forecasts predicting rains continue being wrong), and you’ll have plenty of time to wear whatever you want, from a light jacket to a T-shirt, but for now the weather changes every minute. There is a blow of cold wind here and there that may easily put you down to bed for a couple of days. Therefore, here are some tips for you to stay healthy during this pleasant change of the seasons:
1. When you check weather forecasts, pay attention to the lowest temperature, not only the highest. This time of the year is deceiving, as when you go to school, it is usually cold and windy (if you are a morning student), and when you come back home, it is often warm and sunny, so it’s hard to decide what to wear. What I suggest you do is to be ready for the worst just in case it happens. It’s always better to carry an extra sweater than freeze thinking about the one you left at home.
2. If you are taking a subway, keep in mind that it’s always cold inside, so again, keep something in your bag for the occasion.
3. Avoid close contact with people who are already sick. If someone constantly sneezing next to you, there is a good chance that their infection is contagious, so it is for your best to move far away from them if possible.
On the contrary, if you are sick, prevent spreading your bacteria or viruses to others. Limit your kissing and always cover your mouth when you sneeze.
4. Increase your vitamin intake. Vitamins strengthen your immune system and help fight infections. The best sources of nutrients you need are fresh fruit and vegetables. Even though you are always concerned with the best deals and student savings and fruit and vegetables are usually extremely expensive, try to get as much as you can. There are plenty of Chinese markets where you can get cheap watermelons, oranges and even berries if you come in the right time. I usually compare prices and always get great deals, as I know I’d never pay $6.99 for a small box of raspberries.
5. Shower with cool or cold water. It will help strengthen your immune system. I started doing that during the summer because it’s hot and, to my mind, it is the easiest time to begin. I intended to continue doing so during the winter, but my apartment is usually very cold, and hot shower saves me from freezing. This is quite an extreme thing to do , so I recommend that you try it once and see how you feel. If it’s not your thing, don’t force it on yourself, but if it makes you feel more energized and awake in the mornings, like I used to feel before the winter came, then go ahead and do it every day.
By the way, don’t start with cold-cold water right away. It is a gradual process, so start slowly, with warm to cool water until you are comfortable enough to take cold showers.
All in all, hopefully, these simple tips will help you to stay healthy and meet the spring with a non-running nose, cool forehead and warm heart because remember: there maybe student discounts on certain medications, but there are never good deals on doctor visits unless you have a good insurance plan, not mentioning that between your classes, homework assignments, tests and social life, there is not much time left for being sick.
Ekaterina Lalo
Visit my blog at http://nycvalues.blogspot.com.
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