There are certain days when you are glad that you and your family are healthy.

Recently there have been cases where children and infants have caught the flu and perished because of it. As the father of an eight month old boy, I can’t imagine the grief the parents must be feeling.

Staying healthy is more than just about feeling better. It’s more than just about taking a day or two off from school or work. It can be life threatening not just for yourself, but for those who are exposed the virus you may be carrying.

Even before we start to feel symptoms from an illness, our body is fighting a battle to kill off invading bacteria and viruses. If the immune system is not strong enough, a virus can replicate and spread itself to others. This, in effect, makes a person contagious for a disease before they even show symptoms.

Even though it is good practice to stay home from school or work when we do feel that we have come down with something, isn’t it better to have a strong enough immune system to not fall victim in the first place. What’s better is that if the immune system is strong enough, it will be able to kill of that bacteria or virus before it has a chance to replicate and spread.

When taken in this context, you are not just saving yourself, you could be saving the lives of others whose systems are not strong enough to help them survive an infection that may just be an inconvenience to you.

So take care of yourself, eat well, get plenty of rest, and remember to try and exercise regularly.

Ah, and a good tip I picked up recently: sneeze into your elbow instead of your hand - this can help prevent the spread of disease through mucous. Kind of gross to think about, I know.