It may soon be the season to be jolly but not if you happen to be under the weather and suffering from a cold or flu – or worse still, the dreaded Swine flu. We are told that prevention is better than cure, so with that in mind John Lark, Fitness Expert and Strength & Conditioning coach, offers his expert advice on staying healthy during the winter months.
Last year almost 500 people died in Ireland as a result of flu related illnesses and this year already 14 people have lost their lives as a result of the Swine flu epidemic. With an estimated lead time of 8 months before the entire population is covered by the vaccination, by following John Lark’s guidance people can help to bolster their defences against such ailments and become proactive, rather than reactive, about their health.
According to Lark: “The human body is awesome at staving away colds and flu. You just have to give it a chance with what you eat, drink, think and do. It is most important to drink plenty of fluids; your bodyweight in kg x 0.033 will give you the figure (in litres) of the minimum amount of water you should be drinking.”
When faced with the prospect of a cold many people rush straight to a pharmacy for the latest medicated remedy, however John Lark sees medications as a last resort in a case, by case approach. He strongly advises to take exercise regularly and take charge of your own body.
“With a niggling cold most people will feel better by just drinking more water, getting plenty of rest and keeping stress to a minimum. This is what you do with a child and it works really well. You can’t get more natural than that,” he says.
For those who are recovering from a flu, John Lark recommends them to keep hydrated. The body is made up of 75-80% water so give it what it needs. Choose foods that are easy on the digestive tract and rich in alkaline minerals such as calcium, magnesium and potassium – homemade vegetable soups are ideal. It is also vital to take Vitamin D and keep your stress to a minimum.
John Lark’s Top 5 tips:
- Keep hydrated – drink your body weight in kg x 0.033 (e.g. 65kg x 0.033 = 2.145 litres)
- Exercise regularly – get out and about.
- Take Vitamin D – arm your natural defence system.
- Don’t stress – calm down and keep stress levels to a minimum.
- Be proactive about your health, not reactive.
For more information please contact the Fuzion office in Dublin on +353 1 633 679.
