Conquer Germs, Stay Healthy

If you want to get better results from your workouts, it’s important that you stay healthy. Your body is a well-oiled machine. Everything is connected. In order for you to lose fat and gain mass, your whole body needs to be functioning properly. And if you’re sick, this isn’t going to happen.

Staying healthy is not all that difficult. Although you still may catch a common cold or come down with the flu, there are a few things you can do on a daily basis to improve your overall health and fight off germs.

Wash your hands

You’ve heard this since you were barely tall enough to stand at the sink and lather up with kid-colored soap and it remains as true today as it was then.

According to an article published by the Mayo Clinic, “frequent hand washing is one of the best ways to avoid getting sick and spreading an illness.” Always wash your hands before and after preparing food, when you touch or play with a pet, after handling garbage and after using the restroom. Try carrying a hand sanitizer in your purse or leaving a bottle in your car for those times when you’re not able to get to a sink.

While your hands won’t ever be germ free, frequently washing your hands will reduce the risk of spreading the germs throughout your body.

Change your Toothbrush

Despite what you may think, dentists don’t tell us to change our toothbrush often just to keep the oral health companies in business. Although some toothbrushes have anti-microbial bristles, the common toothbrush traps bacteria from your mouth and from the air.

According to a study conducted at England’s University of Manchester, “one uncovered toothbrush can harbor more than 100 million bacteria, including E. coli bacteria, which can cause diarrhea, and staphylococci (“Staph”) bacteria that cause skin infections.”
The American Dental Association recommends getting a new toothbrush every three to four months and also replacing your toothbrush after an illness. Frequently replacing your toothbrush will keep germs at bay and keep your mouth cleaner.

Get Plenty of Sleep

If you’ve ever pulled an all-nighter or multiple all-nighters in a row, then you know what going without adequate sleep can do to your body. You just can’t function the next day.

According to the Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School and WGBH Educational Foundation, “studies of humans and other animals have discovered that sleep plays a critical role in immune function, metabolism, memory, learning, and other vital functions.” There have also been studies that show growth hormones are released while you sleep, causing you to gain more mass during your nighttime slumbers.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) associates many illnesses, including diabetes, obesity, depression and heart diseases with sleep deprivation. According to the CDC, the average adult needs roughly seven to nine hours of sleep each night in order to feel well rested and ready to take on the world.

Although following these few guidelines may not keep you from coming down with that bug that’s floating around your office, they may help you maintain a better overall health. Stay connected with Fat Man Unleashed for more tips on how to develop a healthier lifestyle and embrace your inner warrior.