Stay Healthy This Fall with These Simple Tricks

Now that fall is here, it is time for cozy blankets, thick sweaters, apple picking, and germs. With everyone staying inside once the temperature drops, sicknesses are first to circulate. But your autumn season doesn’t have to come with feeling sniffly, sneezy, and overall lousy, so pay attention to these health hacks that will keep you up and at em!

Take a Vitamin D supplementWe mostly get our source of Vitamin D from our exposure to the sun, but when we start staying indoors, we lose this. Vitamin D is especially important because it helps to regulate and boost our immune system, so making this habit early on in the fall will help you fight off sickness later in the season.

Take advantage of fall cropsWhile it is always a good idea to eat a diet rich with fruit and vegetables, the produce in fall is especially healthy. Sweet potatoes are quite high in antioxidants, which support your immune system. Plus, brussel sprouts, kale, squash, peppers, and tomatoes are chock full of Vitamin C, helping to keep you healthy. Even more, garlic and onions contain allicin, an important vitamin necessary for fighting infection -- giving you an excuse to make your dishes as garlicky as possible.

Drink upIt can be harder to remember to stay hydrated during the fall, because you’re not outside with the blazing sun hitting you overhead. One of the easiest ways to invest in preventive care in the fall is to stay hydrated, so your body can be better prepared when fighting off bacteria and viruses. Your body needs more water than you may think to function properly, so aim to drink at least half of your body weight in ounces per day.

Eat soupThere is some science behind the soup you had when you were younger and feeling sick. Hot, salty broth found in soups such as chicken noodle can actually thin out your mucus and help to clean out your sinuses. Soup has also been found to help increase the production of white blood cells in your system, which fights off infection. So next time you’re feeling a bit under the weather, have some soup and you’ll most likely feel better!

Get some shut eyeIt may be harder to do, but try your hardest to get as much sleep as possible. Sleep is one of the most powerful forms of healing the human body has, as it helps your body rest, recharge, and get ready for the next day. But don’t just try to get some more sleep if you’re feeling under the weather, make it a habit to go to sleep earlier each night to build up your internal healing. Plus, lack of sleep can make you feel drained and it is easier for you to catch a cold this way, so go to bed the minute you feel drowsy.

Stay home If you feel a cough or a sore throat coming on, make sure to stay home. Going to work while sick and mingling with others is a bad idea, as it can not only infect others but prolong your own sickness. So quarantine yourself, stay in bed, and head to your nearby family medicine doctors for some medicine as soon as you’re feeling yucky. Your friends and co-workers will thank you!

It is easy to stay healthy this fall season when you follow these tips and tricks. With some diligence, you’ll be healthy enough to enjoy the changing colors of fall and the crisp air as much as possible!

Freelance writer with BA in English from Binghamton.