How well do you know the facts of the flu? Test your knowledge!

Stay a step ahead of the common cold and flu bug!

We've got a pop quiz for you today and it's all about the flu. The New York Times presents The Well Flu Quiz and will put your health knowledge to the test.

What surfaces are the most flu-virus friendly? How far away do you need to be from a person who's got some serious sniffles? Take the quiz and find out!

If you feel you've got a cold coming, try some of our Immune Support products. My personal favourites are Sunkist Vitamin C's and Virus-A-Tak. Echinacea has always been a wonderful help in staving off that cold or, at the very least, shortening my cold length!

Stay healthy everyone! I know spring is just around the corner but there is still plenty of time for that cold-weather flu!

Image source: New York Times

Learn 10 simple ways to stay healthy this year!

Whether it's with the cold or the flu, getting sick is something that presumably everyone would like to avoid. Here at webber naturals, we've tabulated a few facts about colds and the flu.

Cold:	Flu:
200 different types of viruses are known to cause various symptoms of the common cold.	Flu season is usually between November and April.
There are 1 billion colds per year in the U.S..	10-25% of Canadians get the flu each year.
Children have 6-8 colds per year while adults have 2-4.	Approximately 4,000 to 8,000 Canadians die annually from the flu and its complications.

Although there are several distinct differences between the common cold and the flu virus, prevention techniques are similar for both. Below you can find 10 simple ways to prevent getting sick.

10 Simple Ways to Prevent Getting Sick:

1. Exercise: Exercise helps strengthen the immune system. We recommend a combination of strength training and cardio, however, you can also strengthen your immune system with physical activity such as planting a garden, taking a walk or using the stairs instead of the elevator.
   
   
2. Eat well: Include things like colourful fruits and veggies in your diet and avoid refined sugars such as white sugar and high-fructose corn syrup. Read more about foods that can prevent a cold from our friends over at PGX.com.
   

3. 

   Supplement: Add Zinc Citrate, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, COLD-A-TAK, VIRUS-A-TAK and/or Echinacea to your supplement routine. Learn more about each individual product by clicking on the product name above or you can also find a full list of our immune support products here.
   
   
4. Drink plenty of water: Cold and flu bugs thrive in dried out throats and nasal passages, so be sure to stay hydrated!
   
   
5.  Drink green tea: Try swapping out your morning coffee for a cup of green tea. Studies have show that it may help prevent the flu.
   
   
6. Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth: Touching these areas on your face is how germs are spread.
   
   
7. Avoid stress and stressors: It's important to manage your time and responsibilities well in order to alleviate unnecessary stress. However, if stressful situations are unavoidable for you, try webber naturals B-Calm to help you cope with stress.
   
   
8. Wash your hands: When soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub.
   
   
9. Send sick employees home: People infected with the flu may be able to infect others one full day before they even experience any flu-like symptoms. Those who contract the flu can also be contagious up to five to seven days after becoming sick. So, if someone you work with seems run down or is suffering from the flu, suggest they go home, rest and recover.
   
   
10. Avoid contact with those that are sick: Our most obvious point, to prevent contracting the cold or flu, steer clear of those that already have a cold or the flu!

Image source: http://www.cnhsa.com/hand-washing.aspx

Flu Season & Google Flu Trends: A 2013 Follow Up

Almost exactly one year ago today we told you all about how Doctors are Googling the Answer! Well...sort of. (Not really.) We learned last January that doctors were tracking flu trends via Google. By doing so, doctors were hoping to monitor, and theoretically predict, when there would be an influx of flu patients in their hospitals. This year, Google flu trends are showing high and intense flu activity all across North America, which suggests that doctors will be quite busy this flu season.

And so, with this year's flu strain being referred to as the worst since 2009/10's H1N1, remember to be vigilant about washing your hands and take all precautions you can when it comes to protecting your immune system. If you do feel the flu coming on, prevent the spread of influenza by staying home, getting some rest and recovering.