How to Avoid Catching a Cold

Truly non-obvious recs!

1. Pre-game and post-game with zinc supplements. Take extra for a few days if you feel an illness coming on.

2. Use the Nozin nasal sanitizer, which is used in hospitals to reduce the risk of infection. (Or, make your own with 62% ethyl alcohol.)

3. Elevate your head at night, and try to stand up while awake. These positions clear and drain your lungs and sinuses.

4. Keep a little bottle of hypochlorous acid spray in your purse or pocket. Use it to disinfect hands, surfaces, and also your face——spray it around your nose and mouth regularly, and whenever you are in proximity to infectious sources.

5. Get the pneumonia vaccine. It isn’t often discussed by doctors, and most people over 30 didn’t get it as a kid. It can protect you from one of the most common causes of death.

6. TOP WEIRD REC THAT REALLY WORKS: Try the Trulacta supplement, which is highly purified human milk (!). It’s quite expensive, so I only take it when I’m worried about getting sick, and take more at the first sign of an illness. It very reliably stops things from getting worse.

7. Use virus-killing tissues (Kleenex makes them) when you need to blow your nose.

6. Obvious, but did you really do them?!: Get your flu shot. Wash your hands all the time. Sleep as much as you can. Mask when possible. Drink tons of warm fluids and get your electrolytes. Stay gently active.

Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional. As always, follow the advice of your doctor.