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With cold and flu season upon us, the Medicine Shoppe in West Kelowna is stocked up with everything you need to treat colds and the flu! And all this month we’ve got specials throughout the store to make bug battling more affordable!

And while we’ve got your cold and flu medication covered, what’s even better than treating Fall and winter bugs is avoiding them altogether!

So here are a few preventative measures to keep yourself from getting sick this year!

First off, avoid alcohol, especially late at night. Nightcaps can disrupt REM sleep and sleep deprivation weakens your body’s immunity to fight off viruses!

Drink plenty of hot liquids. The steam from hot drinks like teas stimulates the hair follicles inside the nose and helps move out germs!

Hot lemons and honeys are also good. Lemon thins mucus while the honey is antibacterial!

It’s also a good idea to eat plenty of proteins like fish, eggs, yogurt, etc. Proteins help boost your body’s immune system.

Keep your space sanitized and clean and remember that germs spread easily this time of year.

So if you’re at the gym, give that treadmill a good wipe down before you grab the handrails. It also doesn’t hurt to wipe the keyboard down and even the armrests on your chair at the office, if co-workers have used your workspace.

One item we often don’t think about as a carrier of germs and bacteria is our cell phone.

Think of all the places during the day where you lay your cell phone down. Now picture picking that phone up, holding it to your ear and putting it up to your mouth! Try carrying around a pack of sanitizing wipes and give your phone a good quick wipe every now and then!

This one may sound a little crazy, but if you walk by someone who is sneezing or coughing, try to slowly exhale until you’re about 10 feet away. This will help prevent you from breathing in contaminated air.

Here’s another easy and effective cold prevention tip. Carry one single, CLEAN pen with you wherever you go. Not only can you use this to write notes, sign cheques and perform other pen-type duties, but your pen can even be used to tap elevator buttons, ATM keypads and more!

The more ‘public access’ things you can avoid touching, the better!

And while a commercial hand sanitizer is a great idea to have with you, consider using a few drops of lavender essential oil instead. It acts as a natural hand sanitizer, and it smells great!

Finally, one of the best ways of preventing the flu is to get your annual flu shot! Flu shots save lives. Paolo and the team at the Medicine Shoppe in West Kelowna offer flu shots. Come see us and get yours today!