The holidays are the most wonderful time of the year—unless you get sidelined with a sore throat, runny nose, or something worse. “Your immune system is weaker because you’re stressed, skipping workouts, and not eating right, and then you’re confronted with all the germs at crowded stores and big parties,” explains Nieca Goldberg, MD, medical director of the Joan H. Tisch Center for Women’s Health at the New York University Langone Medical Center. But sniffling away the season isn’t inevitable.
Use these strategies, and you’ll ring in the New Year on a healthy note.
ORDER GIFTS AND GROCERIES ONLINE
Minimize the time you spend in crowded stores and supermarkets to reduce your risk of getting sick, says Goldberg. Shopping carts in particular are a bacterial breeding ground. One study at the University of Arizona in Tuscan turned up colistrom bacteria on 72 percent of grocery-store carts and E. Coli on more than 20 percent of them.
Consider cleaning cart handles with an antibacterial wipe; some chains such as Whole Foods Market and Target provide them near the cart stands.
MOVE YOUR WORKOUT OUTDOORS
Ironically, going to the gym can also increase your chances of spending the week between Christmas and New Year’s sick in bed, says Laura Cipullo, RD, author of Women’s Health’s Body Clock Diet and founder of L’ifestyle Lounge, a self-care center in New Jersey. The Grinch-worthy stats: 63 percent of gym equipment harbors cold viruses, according to a study in the Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine.
Weights are more likely to be contaminated than treadmills and stationary bikes. “Walk, run, or bike around your neighborhood instead,” suggests Cipullo. “By doing so, you’ll also get a healthy dose of vitamin D from sunlight, which will boost your immune system.” If you have no time to work out during the day, opt for a nighttime fitness class that doesn’t require equipment, or book a yoga class and bring your own mat.
TAKE PRECAUTIONS AT PARTIES
You might be worried about shaking hands with other guests, but that greeting probably isn’t the biggest transmitter of sickness at holiday parties.
What is? Buffets.
Once food is left at room temp for more than two hours, its bacteria levels may become high enough to cause food-borne illness, aka a stomach virus. Make your plate in the beginning of the party to help avoid the risk. And if a food, like shrimp cocktail, that’s supposed to be cold feels lukewarm, don’t eat it.
WASH YOUR HANDS
Suppose you touched a surface that contained strep bacteria. You’re not doomed for the worst sore throat of your life! If you lather up with soap and warm water and scrub for at least 20 seconds, you can remove germs from your hands before they enter your body, says Goldberg. She suggests washing your hands more frequently in the weeks leading up to the holidays. No sink around? “Hand sanitizer is better than nothing,” she says.
DON’T TOUCH YOUR FACE SO MUCH
Germs can’t enter your body until you touch your mouth, eyes, or nose. So try to break yourself of that unconscious habit; one study from the National Institutes of Health found that people touch their face in public more than three times an hour.
GET A FLU SHOT
“It’s the top thing you can do to protect yourself from being out of commission for a week or more,” says Goldberg. It takes about two weeks after vaccination for the antibodies to develop in your body, so get a shot right away. It’s so easy to check this off your to-do list, too—you can walk into most major drugstores with a pharmacy department and get vaccinated on the spot.
SIMPLIFY THE SEASON
Since the stress hormone corticosteroid makes your immune system effective, think about what would make you calmer in the next couple of weeks, suggests Goldberg. “If you traditionally cook a lot for a party at your place, consider making it a potluck this year,” she suggests. Also avoid gift overload, especially for the kids. One strategy: Limit each child to four presents—something wanted, something needed, something to wear, and something to read.
FOCUS ON UNPROCESSED FOODS
At holiday gatherings, fill your plate with produce, nuts, seafood, and lean meats, suggests Cipullo. It’s okay to have a treat, but keep your portion reasonable and make sure it’s something you really love. “Make breakfast a priority because it’s the one meal that you’ll probably be able to have at home almost everyday,” she says. Her go-to: sprouted whole-grain toast topped with avocado slices and a hard-boiled egg.
MAINTAIN YOUR SLEEP SCHEDULE
Not getting your usual amount of zzzs can also make you more prone getting sick, says Goldberg. Don’t burn yourself out now thinking you’re going to catch up after Christmas. Limit yourself to one drink at a party because while alcohol might help you fall asleep faster, it increases the chances that you’ll wake up in the middle of the night.
TAKE TIME FOR YOURSELF
Avoid the mall, kitchen, and party circuit for a day just to focus on you. “Treat yourself to a massage or even just a warm bath,” suggests Goldberg. After all, according to a study at Carnegie Mellon University, happy people are more immune to colds.
