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1. The webinar is about to start Making your health plan experiences easy.

2. Before we start • Those of you listening to the webinar are muted • There may be some “lag” time between slides • If you have questions, please type them in the question bar on the right hand side of your screen. No one will see your questions. Your questions will be answered after the session is completed. Making your health plan experiences easy.

3. Getting the sniffles?How to prevent colds and feel better the natural way Presented by Delta TeamCare Natalie Mosesian, Health Educator

4. Here are some ways to keep from getting sick during the winter months Making your health plan experiences easy.

5. Wash your hands • Most cold and flu viruses are spread by direct contact. Someone who has the flu sneezes onto their hand, and then touches the telephone, the keyboard, a door handle. • The germs can live for hours -- in some cases weeks -- only to be picked up by the next person who touches the same object. • If no sink is available, rub your hands together very hard for a minute or so. That also helps break up most of the cold germs. • You can also rub an alcohol-based hand sanitizer onto your hands. Making your health plan experiences easy.

6. Garlic • Garlic has antibacterial properties. • The use of garlic against colds and flu seems to be most effective when taken before the infection is caught, or immediately when the symptoms begin to show. Making your health plan experiences easy.

7. Get some air • A regular dose of fresh air is important, especially in cold weather. • When you are inside, the warm air from the heater can dry out your nose, mouth, and throat making your body more vulnerable to cold and flu viruses. • Also, during cold weather more people stay indoors, which means more germs are circulating in crowded, dry rooms. Making your health plan experiences easy.

8. Add antioxidants • Antioxidants are vitamins and minerals that remove harmful free radicals from the bloodstream. • Free radicals are capable of damaging DNA and suppressing the body's immune system. • Add some Vitamin A,C, and E Making your health plan experiences easy.

9. Be active • Exercise protects and enhances the immune system. • Exercise boosts many defenses of the immune system, including the antibody response and the natural killer (T cell) response. Making your health plan experiences easy.

10. Eat yogurt • Some studies have shown that eating a daily cup of low-fat yogurt can reduce your susceptibility to colds by 25%. • Researchers think the beneficial bacteria in yogurt may stimulate production of immune system substances that fight disease. Making your health plan experiences easy.

11. De-stress • Take some time to de-stress. • Stress has been shown to decrease your immune system. • Try some tips like being a better time manager, being organized, writing lists, and not waiting until the last minute Making your health plan experiences easy.

12. Don’t smoke • Even being around smoke profoundly zaps the immune system. • Smoke dries out your nasal passages and paralyzes cilia. These are the delicate hairs that line the mucous membranes in your nose and lungs. Their wavy movements sweep cold and flu viruses out of the nasal passages. • Experts contend that one cigarette can paralyze cilia for as long as 30 to 40 minutes. Making your health plan experiences easy.

13. Avoid alcohol • Heavy alcohol use suppresses the immune system in a variety of ways. • Heavier drinkers are more prone to initial infections as well as secondary complications. • Alcohol also dehydrates the body -- it actually takes more fluids from your system than it puts in. Making your health plan experiences easy.

14. I’m sick… Making your health plan experiences easy.

15. Natural tips for feeling better • Natural remedies provide temporary relief and may help you get better • If you are on any kind of medication, it is important to check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking any herbal supplements • Herbs are a dietary supplement and are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration Making your health plan experiences easy.

16. Echinacea • Echinacea is an herbal supplement that can boost immune system activity. • It may work better if taken at the first sign of a cold or flu. • This herbal supplement has been shown to shorten colds by an average of 1.4 days. Making your health plan experiences easy.

17. Zinc • Some studies show that Zinc appears to have antiviral properties. • There is some evidence the mineral may prevent the formation of certain proteins that cold viruses use to reproduce themselves. • Zinc is available in tablet form, in lozengens, and as a nasal spray. Making your health plan experiences easy.

18. Vitamin C • Vitamin C can help shorten the duration of the common cold • It may also help prevent colds • Cold fighting ability was studied at 200 mg • If you do consume larger levels of Vitamin C, make sure to drink plenty of water • Foods packed full of C – red peppers, broccoli, grapefruit, kiwi, papaya, spinach, and persimmon Making your health plan experiences easy.

19. Chicken soup • Grandma was onto something. Chicken soup may help cold symptoms in more than one way. • Inhaling the steam can ease nasal congestion. • Sipping spoonfuls of fluid can help avoid dehydration. • And some advocates say the soup may soothe inflammation. • Researchers have found chicken soup has anti-inflammatory properties in the lab, though it’s unclear whether this effect translates to real-world colds. Making your health plan experiences easy.

20. Drink plenty of liquids • Drink plenty of fluids to help break up your congestion. • Drinking water or juice will prevent dehydration and keep your throat moist. • You should drink at least 8 to 10 eight-ounce glasses of water daily. Include fluids such as water, sports drinks, herbal teas, fruit drinks, or ginger ale. • Avoid cola, coffee, and other drinks with caffeine because it acts like a diuretic and may dehydrate you. Making your health plan experiences easy.

21. Salt water rinse • Make your own salt water rinse to irrigate your nose. • Salt-water rinsing helps break nasal congestion while also removing virus particles and bacteria from your nose. Making your health plan experiences easy.

22. How to make rinse: • Mix 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon baking soda in 8 ounces of warm water. • Fill a bulb syringe or use a Neti pot, available at most health foods stores, with this mixture. • Lean your head over the sink, and using the bulb syringe, gently squirt the salt water into one nostril. (Hold one nostril closed by applying light finger pressure while squirting the salt mixture into the other nostril.) Let it drain. Repeat 2-3 times, and then treat the other nostril. Making your health plan experiences easy.

23. Gargle • Try a teaspoon of salt dissolved in warm water four times daily. • To reduce the tickle in your throat, try a thick gargle made with honey. Steep one tablespoon of tea or lemon juice in two cups of hot water; mix with one teaspoon of honey. Let the mixture cool to room temperature before gargling. Making your health plan experiences easy.

24. Hot tea • Drinking hot tea offers some of the same benefits as chicken soup. Inhaling the steam relieves congestion, while swallowing the fluid soothes the throat and keeps you hydrated. • Black and green teas have the added bonus of being loaded with disease-fighting antioxidants. Making your health plan experiences easy.

25. Hot toddy • The hot toddy is an age-old nighttime cold remedy. • Since you won’t want to drink caffeinated tea before bed, make a cup of chamomile tea. Add a teaspoon of honey, a small shot of whiskey or bourbon, and a squeeze of lemon. • This drink will also help you to sleep. • This mixture may ease congestion, soothe the throat and help you sleep. Limit yourself to one hot toddy. Too much alcohol can affect the immune system. Making your health plan experiences easy.

26. Steam • For a heavy dose of steam, use a room humidifier • Take a steamy shower or simply sit in the bathroom with the door shut and a hot shower running. • Researchers aren't clear about the exact role saunas play in prevention, but one study found that people who steamed twice a week got half as many colds as those who didn't. One theory: When you take a sauna you inhale air hotter than 80 degrees, a temperature too hot for cold and flu viruses to survive. Making your health plan experiences easy.

27. Menthol ointment • Days of wiping and blowing your nose can leave the skin around your nostrils sore and irritated. Menthol has mild numbing agents that can relieve the pain of raw skin. • As an added benefit, breathing in the menthol aroma can help open clogged passages. • Try a small dab of mentholated salve under your nose to help open breathing passages and help restore the irritated skin at the base of the nose. • Menthol, eucalyptus, and camphor all have mild numbing ingredients that may help relieve the pain of a nose rubbed raw. Making your health plan experiences easy.

28. Let your fever work • When your body senses a bacterial or viral invasion, it releases substances that tell your brain to raise your internal temperature, causing a fever. • An elevated body temperature makes it harder for bacteria and viruses to reproduce and spread. • Call your doctor right away if the fever is over 105, unless it comes down quickly with treatment. In infants 3 months or younger call your doctor for any fever greater than 100.4.  Children with a fever of less than 102 usually don’t require treatment unless they’re uncomfortable. Making your health plan experiences easy.

29. Rest • With our busy lives, most of us loathe to spend a day or two under the covers. But getting plenty of rest lets your body direct more energy to fighting off germs. • Staying warm is also important, so tuck yourself in. Making your health plan experiences easy.

30. Go see the Dr. • If these remedies aren’t doing the trick, it may be time to call your doctor. • Sometimes you may feel like you have the cold or flu, but it may be something worse. • Various infections and pneumonia have some of the similar symptoms as the cold or flu. Making your health plan experiences easy.

31. Thanks for making the time Take 30 minutes for your health Next webinar: Next Wednesday at 11:30 “Making heart healthy meals”