(Family Features) Cold and flu season is here. The best way to battle cold and flu season is to prevent coming down with anything at all. While it’s impossible to stay entirely safe from germs, sniffles and coughs, there are a few healthy habits you can incorporate for extra protection this year.

Along with the guidance you receive from your health care provider, consider these dietary and lifestyle recommendations to support your immune system naturally.

Commit to a Healthier Diet: Essential for optimizing your immune system, eating a healthy diet consisting of more foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains is recommended by experts. These foods contain beneficial plant compounds linked to health benefits in humans. Case in point: fresh grapes.

Natural grape compounds, including antioxidants and other polyphenols, may help protect the health and function of cells. At the most basic level, healthy cells are the foundation of good health.

Making simple swaps such as choosing fresh California grapes instead of processed snacks or adding grapes into favorite recipes for a healthy boost are tasty ways to add these beneficial compounds.

Studies suggest some grape compounds may positively influence immune function, including resveratrol and certain flavonoids. Additional studies show adding heart-healthy grapes to your daily diet can help support brain, colon and skin health. Grapes are also a good source of vitamin K, which may help support lung health. Incorporate the health benefits of grapes into your diet with an easy, convenient recipe like Grape and Brussels Sprout Slaw, perfect for eating on its own or pairing with a favorite protein such as grilled chicken breast.

Prioritize Basic Hygiene: Preventive practices can help you avoid germs, protecting yourself and others at the same time. Frequently wash your hands using soap and water, limit contact with others who may be sick and cover your nose and mouth with a tissue or elbow while coughing or sneezing.

Stay Active: Cold and flu season lines up with brisk temperatures, often making it more difficult to get outside for exercise. Find an activity you enjoy like moderate-intensity walking, jogging, biking or playing an aerobic sport. The “Journal of Sport and Health Science” reports exercise can help improve immune response and reduce inflammation, making it a key way to prepare your body to fight back.

Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate: Staying hydrated helps your immune system by keeping the body’s defenses functioning properly. In addition to drinking water, you can increase hydration by eating foods with high water content like grapes, which contain about 82% water.

Manage Stress: You can help control stress – which has a negative impact on overall health and wellness – in a number of ways. Practice deep breathing or meditation, engage in activities and hobbies that bring joy and develop nighttime habits that promote good sleep. If snacking in the evening, choose foods such as grapes that are a natural source of melatonin, a compound which helps regulate sleep cycles. Talk with someone you trust, like a friend, family member or mental health professional, to help relieve stress.

Visit GrapesFromCalifornia.com to find more ways to support your immune health.

Grape and Brussels Sprout Slaw

Servings: 6

• 1 bag (12 ounces) shredded Brussels sprouts
• 2/3 cup finely shredded red cabbage
• 2 cups red Grapes from California, halved lengthwise
• 1/2 cup finely diced red onion
• 3 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon or lime juice
• 1 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon toasted (dark) sesame oil
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 3 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

1. In large mixing bowl, combine shredded sprouts, cabbage, grapes, onion and scallions.
2. In small bowl, whisk vinegar, honey, lemon or lime juice and soy sauce. Drizzle in olive and sesame oils while whisking. Toss well with slaw mixture. Chill 45 minutes to incorporate flavors. Season with pepper and sprinkle sesame seeds on top.

Nutritional information per serving: 170 calories; 4 g protein; 22 g carbohydrates; 9 g fat (48% calories from fat); 1.5 g saturated fat (8% calories from saturated fat); 0 mg cholesterol; 60 mg sodium; 4 g fiber.

SOURCE:
California Table Grape Commission

Improve hydration, skip added sugars with better-for-you beverages

(Family Features) How you start your morning can impact the rest of your day. If you’re looking to incorporate healthier choices into your morning routine, try a concept known as “habit stacking.” Building tiny, healthier habits into routines you already have, like enjoying a morning beverage or breakfast before you check your email instead of jumping right into the day’s tasks, can make it easier to stick to a new habit when it’s built into an existing routine.

If you already enjoy the routine of breakfast to start the day, consider swapping sugary drinks for beverages without added sugars like unsweetened green or black tea. When incorporated as part of an overall healthy diet, unsweetened tea can help support heart health.

If you need help getting started, Lipton, a proud national sponsor of the American Heart Association’s Life is Why campaign, created these easy-to-make, better-for-you tea recipes.

A small handful of ingredients makes a big splash in Green Tea Berry Banana Smoothies, ideal for an on-the-go breakfast. For a little refreshment any time of day, simple Sparkling Green Tea Cranberry Spritzers offer a solution with 0 grams of added sugars while non-alcoholic Green Tea Mojito Mocktails provide natural sweetness with 100% fruit juice.

Choosing beverages with no added sugars can contribute to a healthy heart, according to the American Heart Association, making these recipes perfect for daily habit stacking. Water is needed to keep your body running at its best, and because unsweetened tea is 99.5 % water, it provides a delicious way to help hydrate.

Discover more ways to improve daily routines at Heart.org/eatsmart.

Green Tea Berry Banana Smoothies

Recipe courtesy of the American Heart Association
Servings: 4 (1 1/2 cups per serving)

• 3 cups water
• 8 single-serving green tea bags
• 16 ounces frozen mixed berries (about 3 cups)
• 2 medium bananas, peeled, cut in half and frozen
• 1 cup fat-free plain Greek yogurt
• 2 teaspoons fresh-grated peeled gingerroot (optional)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (optional)
• 2 teaspoons chia or flax seeds (optional)

1. In small saucepan over high heat, bring water to boil. Remove pan from heat. Submerge tea bags. Steep 4 minutes. Discard tea bags. Let tea mixture cool 30 minutes. Pour into pitcher. Refrigerate 2 hours, or until chilled.
2. In food processor or blender, process tea, berries, bananas and yogurt until smooth. Add gingerroot and vanilla, if desired, and process until smooth. Pour into four glasses. Sprinkle with chia seeds, if desired.

Nutritional information per serving (without optional ingredients): 136 calories; 1 g total fat (0 g saturated fat, trans fat, polyunsaturated fat and monounsaturated fat); 3 mg cholesterol; 23 mg sodium; 29 g carbohydrates; 5 g fiber; 18 g total sugars (0 g added sugars); 8 g protein.

Green Tea Mojito Mocktails

Recipe courtesy of the American Heart Association
Servings: 4 (1 1/2 cups per serving)

• 4 cups water
• 4 single-serving green tea bags
• 32-40 sprigs fresh mint, plus additional for garnish, divided
• 2 cups ice cubes
• 1 cup 100% white grape juice
• 1/2 cup fresh lime juice (about 4 medium limes)
• 1 medium lime, cut into four wedges or lime zest twists (optional)

1. In small saucepan over high heat, bring water to boil. Remove pan from heat. Submerge tea bags. Steep 4 minutes. Discard tea bags. Let tea mixture cool 30 minutes. Pour into pitcher. Refrigerate 2 hours, or until chilled.
2. At serving time, add mint leaves to four glasses. Using muddler or wooden spoon, mash mint leaves several times to release juices. Don’t mash into pulp. Add ice.
3. Stir white grape juice and lime juice into tea mixture. Pour into glasses. Garnish each with lime wedge and mint leaf.

Tip: To get more juice from citrus, before slicing, microwave fruit on high 30 seconds, or until warm. When cool enough to handle, use citrus reamer or handheld juice press to juice citrus.

Nutritional information per serving: 45 calories; 0 g total fat (0 g saturated fat, trans fat, polyunsaturated fat and monounsaturated fat); 0 mg cholesterol; 7 mg sodium; 13 g carbohydrates; 0 g fiber; 10 g total sugars (0 g added sugars); 1 g protein.

Sparkling Green Tea Cranberry Spritzers

Recipe courtesy of the American Heart Association
Servings: 4 (1 1/2 cups per serving)

• 4 cups water
• 4 single-serving green tea bags
• 1 cup 100% cranberry juice or 100% cranberry-pomegranate juice
• 2 cups ice cubes
• 1/2 cup seltzer (flavored or plain) or low-sodium club soda, chilled
• 4 orange slices or lime wedges (optional)

1. In small saucepan over high heat, bring water to boil. Remove pan from heat. Submerge tea bags. Steep 4 minutes. Discard tea bags. Let tea mixture cool 30 minutes. Pour into pitcher. Stir in cranberry juice. Refrigerate 2 hours, or until chilled.
2. At serving time, put ice cubes in four glasses. Pour tea mixture into glasses. Top each serving with seltzer. Garnish with orange slices.

Tip: To create cranberry-flavored ice cubes, fill ice cube tray with 100% cranberry juice and freeze.

Nutritional information per serving: 32 calories: 0 g total fat (0 g saturated fat, trans fat, polyunsaturated fat and monounsaturated fat); 0 mg cholesterol; 4 mg sodium; 8 mg carbohydrates; 0 g fiber; 8 g total sugars (0 g added sugars); 1 g protein.

SOURCE:
American Heart Association

(Family Features) Although cold weather isn’t directly to blame when you get sick, it creates an environment that makes it easier for germs and illnesses to thrive. In fact, understanding how cooler temperatures affect your chances of getting sick may be your best approach for preventive care.

Despite the old adage that “you’ll catch your death of cold,” the cold itself doesn’t cause illness. More accurately, the cold is more hospitable to viruses, making it easier for them to spread. While you can’t control Mother Nature, you can take steps to protect your health when temperatures drop.

Protect Your Immune System
A weakened immune system makes it harder for your body to ward off intrusive germs. If you’re otherwise healthy, protecting your immune system can be as simple as stepping up typical healthy habits, like eating plenty of nutrient-rich produce, getting enough sleep and exercising. Managing stress and limiting alcohol consumption are also helpful in managing your body’s immune response.

If your immune system is compromised by an underlying condition, it’s a good idea to talk with your doctor about what you can do to add an extra layer of protection during the cooler months, including any vaccines that may help boost immunity.

Combat Congestion
Cool, dry conditions can wreak havoc on your nasal passages, drying them out and reducing the protective layer of mucus that helps fight infection. Sinus pressure and congestion are often some of the first warning signs you’re coming down with something.

To treat your congestion symptoms, you can use a non-medicated option like Mucinex Sinus Saline Nasal Spray. This is the first-ever saline product with a nozzle that lets you switch between two spray pressures. The “gentle mist” helps clear everyday congestion and soothes the nose while the “power jet” helps clear tough nasal congestion often associated with colds. An added benefit is that the product can be used for children 2 years of age and older on the gentle mist setting and children 6 years of age and older on the power jet mode.

Spend Time Outdoors
People naturally spend more time indoors when temperatures drop, but there are some benefits to getting outdoors. One is the natural exposure to vitamin D. Sunlight is a natural source of this important vitamin, which plays a pivotal role in immunity. Sunlight also triggers the body to produce serotonin, which boosts your mood, and multiple studies show a strong correlation between mental and physical health.

Fresh air and exercise are also good for your overall health, and exposure to daylight can help keep your circadian rhythms regulated, which in turn promotes better sleep. What’s more, acute exposure to cold can trigger your body to produce infection-fighting cells, so you’re less prone to illness.

Practice Good Hygiene
It may seem overly simple, but the everyday act of washing your hands can play a big role in preventing illness, especially after you spend time in public places. While out and about, you likely come in contact with many surfaces others may have touched, including door handles, shopping carts, touch screens and menus.

Washing your hands frequently can help prevent you from transferring germs to your body when you touch your eyes, mouth or nose. Also make a habit of wiping down surfaces you touch frequently, such as your keyboard and phone, with disinfectant wipes.

Stay Hydrated
Keeping your body well-hydrated throughout the day can help ensure all your body’s systems are functioning as they should. If you’re dehydrated, your body can’t use the nutrients you consume properly, which affects your immunity. In addition, drinking plenty of water helps flush toxins out of the body before they can cause an infection.

Find more practical tips and products to help manage your health during the colder months at Mucinex.com.

How to Relieve Nasal Congestion

Normally your sinuses are empty except for a thin layer of mucus. When you’re exposed to irritating triggers, like bacteria, a cold or flu virus, allergies or environmental triggers like tobacco smoke and dry air, your body responds by mounting an immune response.

The delicate tissues lining your sinuses start to swell, and this, in turn, puts pressure on the underlying tissues in your face, causing painful sinus pressure.

You can relieve sinus pressure symptoms in several different ways, including:

• Using a humidifier or vaporizer.
• Taking a long, hot shower; it may have the same effect as using a humidifier if one is not available.
• Drinking plenty of fluids.
• Using a warm compress on your face; resting a warm towel over your sinuses may provide relief.
• Irrigating your sinuses. Using a neti pot; saline nasal spray, such as Mucinex Sinus Saline Nasal Spray; or syringe with salt water may help flush debris from your sinuses to relieve sinus congestion.
• Sleeping with your head elevated.

If these steps don’t work, the next approach is typically over-the-counter medicine. When trying to relieve sinus pressure and nasal congestion, look for a decongestant. A decongestant can help shrink mucus membranes that have swollen in your sinuses, allowing the trapped mucus to drain.

Photos courtesy of Shutterstock

SOURCE:
Mucinex