You’ve shed blood, sweat and tears and waited countless months, maybe years, for this day to come.  You wake up, ready to tackle the day and finally marry the person of your dreams, but find you have an unwelcome visitor:  a nasty cold or flu.  So what are you going to do?

                Well, I’m not a doctor, so if you’re trying to find some get-well-quick-cure, you’re reading the wrong blog.  But Benjamin Franklin once said, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” so here are some tips from WebMD on keeping yourself healthy, so you look and feel your best on your special day:

  1. Wash your hands regularly.  This should be a no-brainer.
  2. If you need to sneeze or cough, then do it into a tissue or the inside of your elbow (rather than your hands).  This helps prevent the spread of germs.
  3. Avoid touching your face, since germs usually enter your body through the eyes, nose, and mouth.
  4. Jump on a treadmill regularly (or any kind of aerobic exercise), because this type of activity helps your body produce more germ-fighting cells.
  5. Eat more fruits and veggies, especially those that are dark green, red, and yellow.  These kinds of plants have naturally-occuring chemicals that give vitamins in food an extra kick.
  6. If you smoke cigarettes, then stop.  If you don’t smoke, then pat yourself on the back.  Smoking can weaken the immune system and make your little nose hairs incapable of sweeping away germs from your nasal passages.

It may be the night of your bachelor or bachelorette party, but think twice about ordering that last martini.  Heavy alcohol use also weakens the immune system and leaves you dehydrated.

  1. Last but not least, just relax.  Studies have shown that when you’re actually able to relax, you can stimulate cold and flu-fighting cells in your immune system.