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January 2010
"Here is a simple but powerful rule - always give people
more than what they expect to get."
—
Nelson Boswell
How to stay healthy all winter
Tips from substitute teachers to avoid illness!
Remember, these tips
are from substitute teachers, not from healthcare professionals.
Consult your physician before taking any medications, vitamins,
or changing your diet or exercise program.
• Wash your hands A LOT!
• Get plenty of sleep.
• Exercise.
• Get a flu shot.
• Although my school is now equipped
with hand sanitizer, I also carry a small bottle in my sub bag
for easy access.
• Eliminate soda from your daily
regiment and keep coffee to one or two cups (8oz) a day.
• Drink lots of water throughout the
day. Take at least 32 oz of water with you to school and make it
a goal to finish it by the end of the day.
• Catch everything once, then you
won't get sick again.
• GET SOME EXERCISE.
• When traveling about a busy high
school filled with 3,500 students, if there are two doors going
to a hallway, always open the left door to reduce contact with
germs. There is some real logic to this! Since most people are
right handed, these doorknobs (left ones) get used the least
amount (just look at the way the paint wears). This is true also
for entering malls.
• Keep the door open and heater on
even if just vent and to keep fresh air circulating in the room.
• I take the herbal supplement
Oregano Oil in capsule form. It is a natural antiviral,
antibacterial, and antifungal dietary supplement. It won't
prevent colds and flu, but it sure will cut down on them, and
will make the symptoms less severe if you do catch something. I
also take Olive Leaf Extract for the same reasons.
• I make sure I cough into my
elbow/sleeve and wash my hands with soap and water.
• Drink lots of water and orange
juice.
• I always take some extra Vitamin C
before going into the elementary classrooms.
• I think my attitude helps me the
most.
• I wipe down all of the tables,
phones, computer keyboards, etc. with antibacterial wipes at the
start and end of the day.
• Dress warmly (dress in layers).
• Send students to the nurse if they
complain of sore throats or headaches and have been coughing.
• Of course if we do get sick, we, as
teachers, should stay home so that we do not spread any cold or
flu.
• I eat Satsumas, which contain more
Vitamin C than a regular orange.
• I eat a cup of frozen blueberries
plus a pro-biotic everyday.
• Keep your hands away from your
face.
• Eat lots of fruit and vegetables.
• Make sure to eat healthy snacks
periodically throughout the day so your energy level stays up
and your body stays stronger.
• Using a nasal sinus rinse helps me
tremendously.
• Take vitamins.
• Laugh.
• I carry a bottle of water so I'm
not tempted to drink from the water fountain.
• One thing that I do both as a
substitute teacher and a private tutor is carry antibacterial
wipes in my sub kit. I wipe down everything from pens to dry
erase markers after each class or each student. I also make sure
I catch places like the light switch and doorknobs a few times a
day.
• Maintain a positive attitude! I do
this by surrounding myself with positive people, nurturing my
spirit, and by giving to others and to my community.
• When I come home and before I hold
my son I shower and throw my clothes in the wash.
• Get your daily dose of sunshine
(take a 15 minute walk or sit near a sunny window for the same
length of time and as often as possible).
• I usually wear a small, discrete
half apron or a small side purse and have my own pens, pencils,
highlighters, markers for the board, so I don't have to use the
teachers. If they are out sick there's most probably a hefty
amount of germs spread around the classroom and all she/he has
touched.
• I gargle twice daily with HOT salt
water. Bacteria cannot multiply in a saline solution.
• My father, who has been a plumber
at a major university for over 15 years, recommends taking your
own lunch so that any germs in the cafeteria or kitchen are not
consumed directly.
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