Ways to Improve Your Health.

Ways to Impro ve Your Health WHO wants to be sick? At the very least, an illness is an inconveni ence and an expense. You not only feel bad, but when you are sick, you may not be able to go to work or school, earn any money, or look after your family. You may even need someone to look after you, and you may have to pay for expensiv e medicines and treatment. Well has it been said that “Preventi on is better than cure.” Some illnesses cannot be avoided. Still, there is much you can do to slow down or even prevent the onset of illness. Consider five things that you can do today to get on the road to better health. 1 PRACT ICE GOOD HYGIE NE According to the Mayo Clinic, “one of the best ways to avoid getting sick and spreading illness” is to wash your hands. One of the easiest ways to catch a cold or influenza is to rub your nose or your eyes when your hands have been contamina ted by germs. Your best defense against such contamina tion is to wash your hands regularly. Good hygiene can also prevent the spread of more serious conditions , such as pneumoni a and diarrheal diseases, which every year cause the death of over two million children under the age of five. Even the spread of deadly Ebola can be minimized by the simple habit of washing hands. There are certain times when hand washing is particularl y important to protect your own health and that of others. You should wash your hands: *. After using the toilet. *. After changin g diapers or helping a child to use the toilet. *. Before and after treating a wound or a cut. *. Before and after being with someon e who is sick. *. Before prepari ng, serving , or eating food. *. After sneezin g, coughin g, or blowing your nose. *. After touching an animal or animal waste. *. After handling garbage . And do not take it for granted that you are cleaning your hands properly. Studies have shown that a large percentag e of those who use public toilets do not wash their hands afterward or do not wash them correctly. How should you wash your hands? *. Wet your hands in clean running water and apply soap. *. Rub your hands togethe r to make a lather, not forgetti ng to clean your nails, your thumbs, the backs of your hands, and between your fingers. *. Keep rubbing for at least 20 seconds . *. Rinse in clean running water. *. Dry with a clean cloth or a paper towel. Such measures are simple but can avert illness and save lives. 2 USE A SAFE WATE R SUPPL Y Obtaining sufficient clean water for one’s family is a regular chore in some countries. Yet, access to clean water can become a concern in any part of the world when a main supply that is usually good to drink becomes contamina ted as a result of a flood, a storm, a pipe break, or some other issue. If water does not come from a safe source or is not stored correctly, it can cause parasite infestatio n, as well as cholera, life-threat ening diarrhea, typhoid, hepatitis, and other infections. Unsafe drinking water is one of the causes of an estimated 1.7 billion cases of diarrheal disease every year. Source: www.jw.org/en/publications/magazines/g201506/improve-your-health/