Now that it is fall and the days are getting shorter, the weather is cooling off, and the kids are jumping into the communal germ pool called school we will all be closer together as it becomes less pleasant to be in the great outdoors. However, we are not only associating with our friends and colleagues but the infectious critters they carry with them. Cold and flu season will be upon us. How can we protect ourselves and our families?

Here are common sense precautions we can take to keep ourselves and our family healthy:

• Eat nutritious meals
• Keep hydrated
• Make a reasonable schedule for yourself
• Get adequate rest
• Exercise

With our busy lives all of this is much easier said than done. Our best intentions are regularly derailed by the trials and tribulations of modern life. The effort, nevertheless, is worth the time taken.

It is sometimes easier to hit a fast food establishment then to cook after a long day. Remember, eating nutritious food is a building block of a healthy body and immune system.

An adequate intake of good clean water is necessary for optimal functioning of our metabolic processes. We lose fluid in so many ways and we never realize it is happening. Part of the reason we feel so miserable with a cold is that we lose a lot of bodily fluid just from blowing our nose. We become dehydrated and never think we need to drink more to replace what we lost.

When you schedule your day, account for transit time. Scotty does not beam you to your next appointment. Not scheduling transit time can make you late for your next location and thus anxious. It is a very big stressor and that affects your immune system.

Sleep is how you regenerate yourself. If you don’t get enough your whole body suffers. This is especially true for children. They are growing and need a lot of sleep. In our society we have our children tightly scheduled not only with school but many extracurricular activities. Children under 8 should be in bed by 8 pm, children under 12 by 9. Adults should be getting 7-8 hours of restful sleep, if possible.

Exercise of some sort should be done daily. I am not talking about an hour in the gym with a cardio workout. It can be as easy as taking a walk after dinner. Modern work is notoriously sedentary. We all need to get up and move for better health.

I hope these suggestions generate some healthy “food for thought.” It does involve a change in mind set. At first it may not be easy to do, but the rewards are worth it and great.