4 secrets to never getting sick

People often wonder why they always seem to come down with a life-interrupting sickness at one point in time or the other.

After a lot of research and discussion with top experts to uncover  study-backed secrets for staying well, even when  surrounded by germs.  Continue reading.....

Make friends with fresh air

Common wisdom has it that staying indoors, where it’s warm and toasty, is easier on the immune system than being outside. Problem is, being inside puts one in close constant contact with other people—and their germs.

Not only does escaping into the fresh air give a break from all those germs circulating inside, but going for a stroll can actually boost  immunity. “Exercise leads to an increase in natural killer cells, neutrophils, and monocytes, which ultimately increases immune function,” says Ather Ali, ND, MPH, assistant director of Complementary/Alternative Medicine Research at the Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center.

Relaxation fights off colds

There are a trillion reasons why taking time to chill out might be the last item on the list. But here’s why it should be a priority: “Being stressed will increase your susceptibility to catching a cold,” says Ali. That may be because, over the long term, it leads to the ongoing release of stress hormones, such as glucocorticoids.

These impede the body’s ability to produce cell-signaling molecules called cytokines, which trigger a disease-fighting response from the immune system. “You’re also less likely to take care of yourself— get ample sleep, eat right, exercise—when you’re stressed,” says Ali, which is crucial to upping the immunity.

Clean hands are everything

Cold and flu can spread all too easily through touch. Keep  fingers away from eyes, nose, and mouth as much as possible, and make sure to master the art of hand-washing. Soap and water remain the most effective tools there, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Germs can grow on bar soaps, so use the pumped kind—or better yet, a hands-free dispenser and choose regular soap over antibacterial. Lather for a solid 20 seconds before rinsing, and make sure to dry thoroughly (but not on the germy clothes!): “Damp hands are far more likely to spread bacteria than dry ones,” says Dana Simpler, MD, a primary care physician at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore.

The magic bullet

An occasional restless night is nothing to worry about, but a continuous lack of sleep can hamper the immune system’s ability to function. Though experts often say that sleep requirements vary by individual, a 2009 Carnegie Mellon study found that anything short of seven hours nearly triples one’s odds of catching a cold— and that means seven straight hours, with no middle-of-the-night wake-ups.

“For many of us, the only quiet time we have to think through things is when we’re lying down at bedtime. Unfortunately, problem-solving in bed interferes with sleep,” says Leslie Swanson, PhD, a sleep specialist at the department of psychiatry at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

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