“There is no secret to good health other than just plain, good common sense.”

William H. Danforth (1870-1956)

The winter cold and flu season is upon us. Since the beginning of November, every member of our family has taken turns nursing a runny nose, infected sinuses, or a hacking cough.

As I drink gallons of herbal tea and tote around wads of tissue paper in my coat pockets, I think about how nice it is to be healthy …. and how much I will appreciate the energy and zest that will one day return to me once I can stop blowing my nose.

But, in the meantime, I can’t help wondering, “Could I have prevented all of this by taking better care of myself?” Quite possibly. Every winter seems to bring the same health and wellness pitfalls.

When the readily-available fresh fruits and vegetables of summer become less and less … well, readily available, my diet suddenly takes a huge hit in vitamins A & C. I also tend to drink much less water in the cold season, trending more towards hot chocolate, tea, and yes, a little too much coffee. And during the variable weather of early winter, I am more apt to fill my exercise quota indoors, which consequently cuts my exposure to fresh air down quite a bit. Another culprit is the late nights, where I find myself sitting here at the computer long past a healthy bedtime.

I am making a slightly tardy New Year’s resolution to try and do better – for myself, and also for my family.

We definitely run a pretty tight ship when it comes to good lifestyle habits in our house, but it’s the little things that are easy to let slide. And those are the things that seem to add up on the sly (like an excess of sugar over the holidays and too much caffeine during a busy work week).

We may not be able to completely dodge cold and flu season. But we can at least put up a good defense – with a balanced diet, fresh air and exercise, and a good night’s sleep.