How the pros stay healthy during the holidays
Holly Tonini
Dr. David Mittell works in his Waterdam office.
The holidays are probably the most inconvenient time to get sick. Besides ruining the fun for you and stamping out your spirit of the season, getting a cold or the flu during the holidays makes it difficult to cook, shop, decorate or do just about anything that needs to be done. Now, just imagine your doctor trying to avoid getting sick over the holidays while seeing a constant stream of people who are coughing and sneezing. How do they stay healthy? We decided to ask the health experts and here are five things they do to avoid getting sick – especially during this busy time of year and when cold and flu season reach their peak.
Get a flu shot
“My number one recommendation is to get flu shots,” says Dr. David Mittell, a family practice physician in Canonsburg. “Thousands of people die every year from a potentially preventable disease.”
Dr. Euhan John Lee, a board certified specialist in pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine with Allegheny Health Network at Canonsburg Hospital, says, “I wish I could tell you I don’t get sick, but I do. I think the expectation is that doctors don’t get sick, but I have two small children and between them and my wife and me – someone is always sick.”
He echoes the flu shot recommendation. “Immunizations are important and you should discuss that with your doctor,” Lee says. “That would have a bigger impact than anything we’re talking about here.”
If you do get sick, the key is managing symptoms. “At the first sign of a cold,” Mittell says, “I recommend starting zinc (Cold Eeze) every four hours – this is the only supplement shown to help your immune system fight off viral infections.”
Use hand sanitizer
“I always like to carry hand sanitizer with me,” says Lily Wonsettler, a personal trainer at Anytime Fitness in Washington. “I always have an extra one on my desk and in my car and purse. We have hand sanitizer in the gym as well and disinfecting wipes.”
She says staff encourages members to disinfect the equipment before and after using it and that staff wipes everything down each morning to prevent the spread of germs.
Add fruits and vegetables to every meal
“Number one, I try to eat veggies with every single meal,” says Lindsay Schmitz, a registered dietitian, wellness & sports dietitian and owner of Live Smarter Nutrition & Wellness in the South Hills. “That’s kind of hard for breakfast, but I either have eggs with vegetables or I add pumpkin to oatmeal or yogurt and then berries and nuts.”
She also recommend using pureed butternut squash as a good additive to recipes for extra vitamins and antioxidants. Try mixing in pumpkin to lighten up peanut butter’s consistency and spread the vitamin-rich mixture on a whole grain waffle or an apple.
“You can always do a smoothie in the morning, as well and add in all of the food groups,” Schmitz says. “That’s an easy way to get veggies at breakfast.”
Schmitz exercises at least five times a week, including yoga one day, weights or cycling. “I also drink a fresh-pressed juice every day or almost every day,” she adds, saying her go-to juice spot is Fresh From The Farm Juices in McMurray, which features local and organic produce in its drinks.
Wonsettler adds extra fruits and veggies this time of year saying, “I try to stay healthy throughout the year, but especially during flu season and winter, I try to get more of those immunity boosting foods in me to keep my immune system strong… foods like avocados, yogurt, garlic, tea and coconut water.”
Get plenty of rest
Don’t discount sleep to fight sickness! “As a sleep physician, I always emphasize that we’re getting good and regular sleep,” Lee says. “Through the holidays, that becomes a challenge because schedules become different and we have holiday responsibilities and gatherings. I think sleep becomes a little less of a priority.”
He says getting an adequate amount of sleep helps with both our mental and physical health. “From a biologic standpoint, there’s data that links sleep with overall health in boosting immune systems and neuro-biologic function,” he says. “Since we spend a third of our lives in sleeps, it plays a vital role in just about everything that happens in our bodies.”
Work off your stress and give yourself a break
“When you’re stressed, it takes a huge mental and physical toll on your body,” Wonsettler explains. “Working out often definitely helps reduce stress, but if you are sick, you should avoid working out in general because you want to save your energy for your immune system to fight of the virus and get better.”
As for avoiding stress in the first place during the holidays, that can be nearly impossible. Still, medical experts say we should cut ourselves a break. Mittell says not to worry yourself sick about that diet over the holidays. “For weight control,” says Mittell, “the old saying of everything in moderation still applies.”
From a mental health standpoint, Lee recommends we give ourselves a break and enjoy things within reason. “During the holidays, we over plan too many things and don’t want to overindulge,” he says. “I think it’s a matter of letting ourselves indulge a bit, but keeping it within reason and giving ourselves a little bit of a break now and then.” He recommends indulging in those treats a bit but not waiting all the way until the New Year to start healthy eating and exercise habits.