‘Tis the Season to be Healthy

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5 tips to keep you healthy during the holidays

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! During the holiday season, we cherish time with our family and friends, eat lots of yummy food, and get some time to unwind and relax. It is certainly merry and bright, but sometimes it isn’t quite so jolly for our waistline or our health in general. ExperCARE has compiled a few reminders to help keep you healthy and safe over the holidays!

 

  • Eat mindfully

 

We all want to dig into Mom’s homemade mashed potatoes and Grandma’s famous apple pie! And we certainly should. But the holidays are all about moderation and balance. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests limiting your portion sizes and foods high in fat, salt, and sugar. Try to substitute that not so healthy food for a fruit or veggie. Also don’t forget to give your tummy time to digest before going back for seconds!

 

  • Wash your hands 

 

Germs, germs, and more germs! We are traveling, snuggling  up together, and out of our regular routine all during flu season. Be sure to keep your hands clean to avoid getting sick and spreading germs to others. This is your friendly reminder to wash your hands with soap and clean running water for at least 20 seconds. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze (if not, use your elbow but not your hands). This helps keep yourself and those around you healthy.

 

  • Get your flu shot

 

Unfortunately, flu season is in full swing this time of year… But don’t let the bug dampen your holiday cheer. Plan to get your flu shot before the Christmas chaos begins. No one wants to spend their Christmas at ExperCARE or on the couch with a fever. Vaccinations help prevent diseases and save lives. The CDC suggests everyone 6 months and older should get a flu vaccine each year. ExperCARE has the flu vaccine at both locations.

 

  • Stay active by changing up your holiday workout

 

‘Tis the season to pack our social calendars with Christmas activities and parties, eating and drinking festive foods, shopping until we drop, and spending time with family and friends. If you notice the schedule isn’t necessarily centered around daily exercise. But in order to stay motivated, you should set goals for yourself and be sure to add a few workouts onto your holiday checklist. The best idea is to reinvent what you would usually do. Plan to split you activity into smaller, more manageable workouts. Don’t stress over making it to the gym for an hour everyday. Instead, have your family go out for a 30 minute walk, use a workout app on your phone for 15 minutes, or play outdoor games with your family. 

 

  • Relax, manage stress 

 

As much as the holidays are about fitting everything into your schedule, they are also about taking time for yourself. Don’t let the holiday rush stress you out or take a toll on your mental or physical health. Do at least one thing everyday that makes YOU happy, whether it’s meditation, reading a good book, or watching a Christmas movie. 

Last but not least, ENJOY the most wonderful time of the year! ExperCARE wishes you and yours a cheerful, restful, and healthy holiday season! 

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Preparing for the Unpredictable Flu: The Time is Now

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A sudden sense of symptoms that no one wants to feel: fever, aches, chills, and fatigue. These are all defining symptoms of the dreaded flu. Seasonal influenza is just around the corner, which means the time to prepare is now, especially since it’s expected to be a highly active flu season.

“Flu is unpredictable but we can predict that it will arrive,” says Dr. Bill Schaffner, medical director of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID). So ready or not here it comes. 

We are already seeing early flu-related activity right here in our region, and because of this health officials are warning of a more severe flu season than normal. While the flu is common, that is no reason to brush it off. The flu can be a very serious disease, especially for the very young, the elderly and those with compromised immune systems. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 80,000 Americans died and 960,000 were hospitalized because of the flu during the 2017-2018 flu season. 

So how can you prepare? This time of year, flu vaccines are highly recommended. So if you are one who considers getting a flu shot, the CDC recommends that you get it now. Early vaccination is always better as it allows your body time to respond internally and create an army of flu-fighters. If you are on the fence about getting the flu shot, this is your year to do it. 2019 will be a highly active season. 

If you are wondering why you should get the vaccination this season, just remember the CDC says it will cut your chances of getting the flu in half. Even more importantly, it reduces your child’s risk of getting the disease that much more. According to the CDC, the flu shot reduces children’s risk of flu-related pediatric intensive care unit admission by 74 percent. It is often said that a flu shot can give you the flu, this is in fact a myth. The flu vaccine contains inactive germs, which means it’s impossible to actually give you the disease from the shot. If you feel a little under the weather after your flu shot, that is good news- your body’s immune system is building its army against the flu. You may feel sore or stiffness in your shoulder, but that is just a short term side effect of the shot. 

Did you know? Even if you do get the flu after getting the flu shot, health officials say it is proven that you will have less severe symptoms, a shorter illness, and you are also less likely to have complications. 

The flu shot is easy. ExperCARE has the flu vaccine at both of its locations: Savannah and Richmond Hill. We make it convenient for you! No appointments are needed, as walk-ins are always welcome. We are open when you are able to come and get your vaccination: 7 days a week with extended hours on weekdays and, of course, weekend hours. 

The flu shot protects millions of Americans from the widespread flu outbreak each year. 

 

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Keeping Your Child Healthy During the Back to School Rush

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5 Tips from ExperCARE

Ready or not… here it comes! A fun, hot summer has come to a close and it’s time for back to school. Back to school means early mornings, a daily routine, hours of classes, and a chance for kids to learn, grow, and become more independent. But school can also translate to a place of sneezing, sniffles, and sharing more than just your child’s summer memories. Here are five tips to help keep the back to school transition as healthy and germ-free as possible! 

  1. Get Plenty of Sleep: Sleep is even more important than you think. Setting a bedtime routine and a consistent sleep schedule helps improve your child’s physical and emotional health, and also plays an important role in how they perform in school. Children aged 6-13 are supposed to get 9-11 hours of sleep. But why? Between school, friends, chores, sports, after school activities, and homework… Their bodies and brains need a break. 
  2. Maintain a Healthy Diet & Drink Plenty of Fluids: A strong immune system helps ward off those illnesses floating around the school hallways. Breakfast, as you know, is the most important meal of the day… especially for our kids. A balanced breakfast jump starts their day and gives them the brain power and capability to maintain steady energy from the time they leavethe house in the morning to the time they get home. If you’re able, pack a healthy lunch for your child. Make it fun, colorful, and delicious so that they’ll enjoy the meal. After they hop off the school bus, prepare a nutritious after-school snack for them like fruits, veggies, string cheese, or protein.  Allow them to grocery shop with you, so they can help pick out these healthy snacks and lunches… It’ll make it more fun! It’s also important to have your child drink lots of water. Hydration is critical for proper immune system function. Drink early (starting first thing in the morning) and drink enough (according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, a child of about 88 pounds should drink 5 ounces of cold water every 20 minutes). Don’t forget about hydrating before and after outdoor activities and sports.
  3. Be Up-to-date on Your Vaccinations: It can seem overwhelming as a parent, but vaccines are some of the safest and most effective medicines we have. The CDC, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Academy of Family Physicians recommend a vaccination schedule that covers about 14 different diseases. Vaccinations not only protect your child from deadly diseases, but they also keep other children safe.
  4. Stay Active: Physical activity helps prevent and reduce health problems for our children. When kids are active, their bodies can do the things they want them to do. Teaching them these healthy, active habits at an early age helps lead to a lifetime of enjoying physical activity, especially as schedules get busier, demands are heightened at school, and sports become more competitive. Active lifestyles translate to a healthy weight, better sleep, stronger muscles and bones, and a more positive perspective on life.
  5. Wash Your Hands Regularly :It’s such a no brainer, and seems obvious, but often times is forgotten. Encourage your kids to get in the habit of washing their hands after coughing, sneezing, petting animals, eating food, using the bathroom, and just regularly. Every time your child touches someone or something they risk spreading germs. 

And of course, if your child comes down with the back to school bug (or runs a fever), keep them home and away from school to protect that bug from spreading. 

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Debunking Flu Vaccine Myths

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It is that time of year again! Many people skip getting the flu vaccine because they have gotten incorrect information. Because of this, I’m going to beak down three popular myths for you. Myth #1 – “The Flu Vaccine will make me sick” Not true. The flu vaccine is not a live virus. It is dead…

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Should I get a flu shot?

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Should I get a flu shot? Why should I get a flu shot? Influenza, or “the flu”, is a serious disease that can lead to hospitalization and sometimes even death. Every flu season is different, and influenza infection can affect people differently. Even healthy people can get very sick from the flu and spread it to others.

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Staying Healthy During the Worst Flu Season in Years

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Flu season is here yet again and with one of the worst outbreaks Georgia has seen in years. How bad is it? Here’s a Google Map that estimates how bad the flu season is across the country based upon aggregated Google search data.

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