7 Tips To Help Improve Your Chances of Not Getting Sick This Fall and Winter

1.       Wash your hands!!! This is the best way to prevent sickness. Avoid touching your nose and mouth. Don’t touch door handles or other common areas if you can help it.

2.       Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables! Aim for 6-10 servings a day. A serving of fruit is ½ a cup and a serving of veggies is 1 cup. A simple way to do this is making certain you have a serving of each at every meal and one or the other during snack times.

3.       Get plenty of sleep! You need at least 7-8 hours, especially when you are training and playing. This is when your body regenerates itself. This may mean you have to sacrifice social time in order to get homework done and get to bed on time. Time management is the key here!

4.       Hydrate! Drink half of your body weight in ounces at a minimum. For example, if you weigh 150 pounds drink 75 ounces of water.

5.       Cut down on the sugar. Refined and simple sugar decreases immune function. Examples of things to avoid are cookies, cake, white breads and pastas. Stick with whole grains. Gatorade is great for hydration but high in sugar so drink mainly water during the day.

6.       Take a multi-vitamin. As an insurance policy for your body, take a multi-vitamin - younger players, of course with parent approval. You may not get all the nutrients your body needs to stay healthy within your diet. Extra vitamin C is good for immune function. Take 1000 mg of vitamin C morning and night.

7.       Do not share water bottles with your teammates or anyone else. If you are feeling sick, keep  3-6 feet away from your teammates so you don’t pass it around!