This post is sponsored by Shoppers Drug Mart, but all opinions are my own.
Viruses! So annoying! Try as you might, you can’t always avoid them. When I’m stuck down, I’m livid. Doesn’t the flu know I’m very busy and important? I don’t have a sister wife to pick up the slack. All I can do is roll with it. Here are my best tips for when you or someone you love catches the flu.
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How to prepare for cold and flu season
You may not have the flu yet, but since I’m a glass half full kind of gal, I bet you’re gonna get it. Assume this and prepare for the worst. Your first order of business: Get the flu shot. Duh.
Yeah, it’s not 100 per cent effective, but 70-90 per cent of flu cases can be averted through vaccination. It’s like the number one thing you can do to help prevent the flu. Plus, if you go into my favourite Shoppers Drug Mart in Calgary (on 17 Ave. SW) you’ll be able to meet Mr. Bhavesh Patel, pharmacist extraordinaire.
He’s so nice, you can ask him 100 questions and he’ll straight up tell you which products are best and which aren’t his faves. He’ll even show you where to find them in the drugstore. Sometimes (OK oftentimes) I’ll text him and ask if whatever newfangled supplement I’ve just read about on GOOP counteracts anything else I’m on. And he answers back!
What to have in your medicine cabinet
Colds you can feel coming on, but the flu hits with very little notice. Because of that, everyone should have these items in their medicine cabinet:
- Pain relievers: To help with aches and pains caused by the flu. I’m partial to Tylenol Cold and Flu.
- Decongestants: To clear nasal passages so you can breathe more comfortably. I kick it old school and sip a lemon NeoCitran before bed.
- Throat lozenges: To help soothe a sore throat. For me it’s Ricola all the way. The Huz will want me to throw a bone to Fishermans Friend, but no. Not my jam.
- Cool-mist vaporizer: The Huz is obsessed with anything humidifier or air purifier related. The vaporizer puts moisture in the air, which legit helps ease coughing and congestion.
What to do when you’re sick and miserable
Drink up, baby! If I’m sick, I’m not going anywhere. Nobody’s expecting anything of me. Sounds like an excellent excuse to throw back a hot toddy (or two) in the middle of the day, does it not?
After feeling oh-so much better thanks to said hot toddy, you’ve gotta do what you can to keep your mind off your aches and pains. Go ahead and laugh at the ridiculous things people put on Facebook. (Nobody cares that you were stuck in traffic, Brenda!) Under no circumstances, however, should you stalk your ex on any social media platform. This includes LinkedIn.
Yes, I know. You’re a respectable middle-aged parent. You’re happily married. You don’t even care about your ex. (Except you kind of hope their kids behave worse than yours and their spouse also can’t afford Botox.) Don’t let those hot toddies lower your defenses to the point where you do something regrettable. Far better to use your screen time for something on Netflix – like a juicy movie or The Final Table (featuring Calgary Chef Darren MacLean).
You need plenty of rest, so tuck yourself into bed with a good book or a trashy magazine. When you’re at the drug store picking up cold and flu provisions, be sure to add a few magazines to the mix. Throw in some herbal teas and bath bombs to make yourself feel better.
They say feed a cold, starve a flu, but I’m hungry all the time when I’m ill. Top of my list is tea and toast, natch. It’s filling, but light, and honey is supposedly good for sore throats. Unfortunately, my parents gave me milkshakes whenever I was sick as a child. Consequently, I still crave milkshakes when I’m under the weather, even though I get all mucous-y and bloated with dairy. Apologies for the TMI.
And that’s what I do. I rest, read, drink hot toddies and have a bath a day (if I don’t have a fever). What do you do to make flu recovery bearable?
Let me know in the comment section below and you could win a Shoppers Drug Mart cold and flu prize pack. Receive an extra entry by tagging me on Twitter (@Jody_Robbins) or Instagram (@TravelswBaggage) and including the #ShoppersFluCrew hashtag. Each piece of advice with the proper tagging and hashtag will net you an entry for the draw. Please comment by midnight, January 18, 2019 and I’ll randomly draw a winner the next day.
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I take DayQuil and NyQuil, and I drink lots of green tea when I’m sick. It’s the only time I drink tea lol
I think a lot of people are like that!
Rest, read and sip on hot lemon drinks.
I have a roller with theive oil in it and roll it on the second I feel a cold coming
Like one of those jade facial rollers?
I try and drink lots of fluids, hot water with lemon, herbal teas and water and if I have to be out of the house I take DayQuil.
I loooove hot water with lemon!
Rum.
Nice one!
Rest, Hydrate and load up on Ginger, Garlic and Vitamin C. A Hot Toddy is also great to help with sleep.
So that’s why I feel so sleepy after drink it! 🙂
As soon as I think I may be getting sick with a cold I drink lots of lemon tea with honey and ginger in it and when I go to bed I pile the blankets on so I sweat profusely. I find I suffer a day or two and then I start feeling better. I make it so nasty for that cold that it does not want to stick around!
Interesting! I do like to hit a sauna when I feel the sniffles coming on.
I like NyQuil and DayQuil and a good cup of neocitron
We make sure to take vitamins, rest lots and make sure to encourage healthy handwashing practices!
I try to rest and spend lots of time relaxing in the tub.
Always!
For me it’s warm pj’s
Lots of fluids
A cozy blaket and a couple of good books. .
Rest & relaxation.
Vicks Vaporub on my chest & in the humidifier, drinks with electrolytes, spoonfuls of honey, & strangely the only thing I want to eat is plain chicken sandwiches. Also I tell people not to call or text me because I need to sleep!
Lots of sleep, water (or better yet Gatorade haha I don’t why I think this helps) and Campbell’s chicken noodle soup with crackers!
Comfortable temperature, comfort food but loads of protein to build strength to fight off the flu.
I take a nap and consume tea with ginger and honey.
Soft everything. Colds & flus are like abrassive scratch pads to my life….I need all the soft things…pj’s, a fuzzy hot water bottle (takes my chills off), a cozy blanket, soft slippers. Oh, abd essesntial oils!
Yes, soft! What a great tip. Thank you!
Oil of oregano and orange juice by the jugful.
I take an oil of oregano regime daily so I am never don for more than an a couple hours or a day if even , so I just curl up with a warm blanket a hot water bottle and have a nap. Your body needs rest when don for the count so you rest. Watching comedy shows helps to lol.
IWhen I start to feel stuffed up, I use a nasal spray and a netipot and go ti bed earlier than usual! I am a night hawk usually!
I haven’t had the flu for many years, but usually lots of fluids like flat seven up, chicken noodle soup and my blankie. I do find hot toddies great for a sore throat.