10 Ways to Avoid the Cold and Flu

It’s that time of year again when the common cold and flu begins being passed from one person to the next. Each year the common cold affects the average person two times, and can affect the fire rescue athlete even more.  The sneezing, coughing, sore throat, and runny nose leave you wanting to curl up under the bed covers. To avoid this misery, prevention is the best cure. So with over 200 mutating cold-causing viruses floating around, what’s a fire rescue athlete to do to avoid getting sick? While in our profession it can be hard to dodge every germ, there are proactive ways to boost your immune system and help prevent catching a cold or the flu.  Take a look at these 10 ways:

1. Wash Hands Frequently.  One of the most effective ways to prevent colds and the flu is simply washing your hands properly and frequently. Wash your hands and encourage those around you to do the same. Most cold viruses are spread through direct contact. Shaking hands and touching doorknobs, keyboards, and telephones are all easy ways to catch germs. Wash hands as often as possible, scrubbing with soap and hot water for at least 20 seconds. Keep hand sanitizer available for when hand washing is not possible.
2. Wipe Down Germy Areas.  It's common sense not to shake hands or get near a sick person but we as EMTs, Paramedics and Firefighters have no choice.  We all know that we will inevitably be in contact with ill people at some time throughout our shift.    To reduce exposures and spreading germs it’s imperative to properly wipe down equipment and rigs often.  Don’t be afraid to thoroughly wipe down the firehouse as well.   Wipe down germy areas — light switches, doorknobs, the phone, computer keyboard, and your TV remote — with your favorite cleaning product. Minimizing exposure to germs can help prevent colds and the flu.
3. Drink Plenty of Fluids.  General good health practices keep your body strong and ready to fend off cold germs and the flu virus and this especially includes drinking plenty of water. In fact, one recent study found that staying hydrated may boost a particular immune response to enable your body to better fight the viruses. Stay hydrated by drinking a lot of fluids, especially water, and by avoiding caffeinated drinks. Shoot for six to eight glasses of water per day, more if you consume caffeinated beverages.   
4. Exercise to Strengthen Your Immunity.  Exercise not only makes you perform your job better as a fire rescue athlete, but it also boosts your immune system.  Additionally, warding off extra weight is important for overall health, particularly when it comes to preventing colds and flu. A recent study found that overweight and obese people were more likely to fall ill or be injured.  Not only does exercise (need a workout, click here) improve the circulation of white blood cells throughout your body, but it has been shown to increase the production of natural killer T cells, which are essential for maintaining an optimum immune response. The amount of exercise required to obtain an immune boost is relatively low, 20 minutes of brisk walking 4-5 times per week has been shown to significantly improve the body’s immune response. This is also a good opportunity to get a little bit of sunshine to stimulate Vitamin D production.
5. Get Plenty of Sleep.   This can be difficult for the fire rescue athlete especially when the tones go off numerous times throughout the night.  It is important to get as much sleep as possible especially on those days away from the firehouse.  Studies have found that getting enough sleep is essential for healthy immune function and that insufficient sleep or poor sleep quality is associated with lowered immune function. Ultimately you want to get at least 8 hours each night.  There is hope for those of us that can’t sleep through the night, recent research shows that napping can boost health and the immune system.     
6. Add Some Sunshine.  Researchers are quickly catching on that Vitamin D may be the secret to avoiding the cold and flu. Vitamin D plays an important role in strengthening your defence system to better fight any invading viruses and bacteria. Unfortunately, it is also the number one vitamin deficiency in Americans.  Compounding the problem is the fact that Vitamin D is produced when the body gets adequate levels of sunshine; so naturally, even less is produced in the winter months. It has recently been hypothesized that this could be one major reason for the increase in cold and flu cases during the winter season. Because of this, it’s important that we have other ways of getting this powerful immune boosting vitamin. So here are some solutions.  Spend 15 minutes per day in the sun without any sunscreen on if possible and for those that are in climates that don’t allow you to be outside much then supplement with a Vitamin D3 supplement.  Experts suggest that you consume 2,000 IU per day to fight off the seasonal flu and to make sure your Vitamin D levels in your body are at a therapeutic level.  Of course check with your doctor regarding your individual Vitamin D levels and health plan. 
7. Put down the sugar.  When it comes to fighting cold and flu, it is essential to decrease your amount of sugar intake. Sugar has devastating effects on the immune system, and the fact that Americans consume an average of 2-3 pounds of sugar per person every year spells bad news come cold and flu season. Not only does sugar increase the production of hormones that suppress the immune system, refined sugar needs micronutrients to be metabolized. This requires your body to use stored vitamins and minerals, further harming your defences. Instead of eating high sugar foods try eating a wide variety of fruits and vegetables.  This will make sure that your body is getting all of the vitamins and minerals that are essential to fighting of the cold and flu. Each and every fruit and vegetable is packed with thousands of phytochemicals. No supplement could ever match the power of eating a whole food. 
8. Spend time outdoors. Germs thrive in closed areas, so take time each day to step out for a breath of fresh air. In addition, central heating systems dry out the air and subsequently your body, leaving you more susceptible to germs. Running a humidifier in cold months will add moisture back into the air.  Getting outside will also help you get some Vitamin D.
9. Vitamin C supplementation.  There are a lot of vitamins and minerals that can help boost your immune system but Vitamin C seems to be the typical staple in most people’s “immune booster” arsenal.  Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that provides support to your immune system but unfortunately it is often times consumed in the form of orange juice.  An 8 oz glass of orange juice contains just 70mg of Vitamin C, while loaded with 30 grams of sugar (carbs).  As a comparison, 8 oz of Coca-Cola contains just 26 grams of sugar.  In place of orange juice, opt for an actual orange (medium size = 70mg of Vitamin C) or some Vitamin C powder (~1,000 mg of Vitamin C) mixed with filtered water or sparkling mineral water.  These options save a ton of empty calories, reduce sugar consumption yet still sooth your cold symptoms!
10. Chicken Soup, Mom and a good laugh.  I know that these things aren't backed with research but chicken soup warms the spirit, TLC from Mom is always helpful and laughing can’t hurt (see the quote below). 

“A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor's book.” 

 -Irish Proverb

I hope this list can help you avoid the dreaded flu and cold.  If you need some suggestions on exercise or fitness for the fire rescue athlete click here to get my FREE 28-day Firefighter Workout and Nutrition Guide.

Diet Soda in the Firehouse

Drink Diet Soda?

There’s been a lot of discussion around the firehouse lately about the “dangers” of drinking soda and diet soda. The topic was started after I revealed my personal “diet soda” experiment.  Three years ago I wanted to know if diet soda was bad for you or just getting a bad rap.  My experiment was to drink one 16 ounce diet soda everyday for one month and report my weight, energy level and overall health throughout the month.  The results....by the middle of the month I had gained 5 pounds and was drinking over 32 ounces of diet soda a day.  My energy was awfully low, I craved and ate sugar all the time and had some bad mood swings.  Needless to say after that little experiment I decided to avoid diet sodas as much as possible. 

It's not surprising that drinking all the sugar in sodas would cause weight gain, but what is surprising is that even diet soda will pack on the pounds.  In fact, researchers from the University of Texas Health Science Center monitored 475 adults for 10 years, and found that those who drank diet soda had a 70 percent increase in waist circumference over the 10-year study, compared with those who didn't drink any soda. It also found that those who drank more than two diet sodas per day saw a 500 percent waist expansion!  

Why does Diet Soda lead to fat gain

The main reason diet sodas are leading to weight gain--the artificial sweeteners.  These sweeteners have been linked to an increase in sugary food cravings.  These cravings lead you to seek out higher calorie, sweet, unhealthy snacks to fill the sugary void.   In my personal experiment I felt like I couldn’t eat enough to stay satisfied, I even had late night cravings that led to midnight trips to the store for sugary foods (not kidding). 

What Should You Drink Instead?
The best advice is to avoid diet (and regular) sodas and switch to drinking water, green tea, or black coffee.  This will prevent exposure to artificial sweeteners which may alter your body’s ability to recognize high-calorie, sweetened foods, which could lead to weight gain.  By switching to water or other beverages, you will be keeping yourself hydrated (which is very important to the fire rescue athlete) and potentially boost your metabolism to burn more fat.
This is just one of the many reasons why diet soda is bad for you. 

 I challenge you to stop drinking it and feel the difference for yourself.

Stay Safe and Healthy,

       A.      Zamzow

Fitness for Firefighters--Tools of the Trade

Here is a short video blog talking about the Firefighter fitness tools of the trade. What are the best exercises, fitness tools and programs for firefighters? The generic answer to that question is "all of them are."

TRX, kettle bells, dumbbells, body weight exercises, P90X, CrossFit, tire exercise are all tools that firefighters can and should incorporate into their fitness program at some time. The hard part is deciding when, where and how to use these fitness tools to get "Fit for Duty."

Please continue to check out http://www.firerescuefitness.com/ for more input on this topic and please leave some comments and feedback as to how you utilize these tools in your own workouts.



Firefighter Fitness and Metabolism ... Part 2

How to Make Your Body Burn More Calories.

Here is the low down on weight gain/loss. 
Metabolic Rate is the rate at which the body burns up calories. A body that consumes 2500 calories a day, and burns 2500 calories a day will stay at the same weight. A body consuming 2500 calories daily but burning only 2000 will gain weight at the rate of about 1lb a week.

This may explain why that ‘lucky’ person across the table from you does not get fat from all that junk food; they consume less calories than they burn.

You can do quite a lot to speed up your metabolism – the secret of burning calories lies in knowing what determines your metabolic rate and what you can do to influence it.

1) Basal Metabolic Rate (Metabolism or BMR) — This is the amount of calories you burn just by being alive – even when you are lying down, doing nothing. BMR accounts for approximately 60% of the calories burned for an average person.

2) Burning Calories with Activity- This is the energy used during movement – from lifting your arm to driving your car to cleaning the windows. This accounts for approximately 30% of the calories burned by an average person.

3) Dietary Thermogenesis — The ‘thermogenic effect’ described as meal- (induced heat production – the calories burned in the process of eating, digesting, absorbing and using food.


You can influence all these factors, and speed up your rate of burning calories using some, or all, of the following tactics:

1) Build Muscle—Increase the amount of muscle in your body. For every extra pound of muscle you put on, your body uses around 50 extra calories a day. In a recent study, researchers found that regular weight training boosts basal metabolic rate by about 15%. This is because muscle is ‘metabolically active’ and burns more calories than other body tissue even when you’re not moving. If you need help getting on track with a fitness program, you can download my FREE 28-page FireRescue Fitness Quickstart Program here.  

2) Move More-Although the average person burns around 30% of calories through daily activity, many sedentary people burn around 15%. Simply being aware of this fact – and taking every opportunity to move can make quite a dramatic difference in the amount of calories you burn. Aerobic exercise should also be performed regularly not only to burn calories but also to work the heart.  Try this, wear a pedometer around the station, see if you can get above 5000 steps in a day.

In addition to the actual amount of calories burned during exercise – studies have shown that after sustained, high-intensity exercise (like that in the 28-page FRF Quickstart Program) you burn more calories for several hours. Try the program here.

3) Eat Smaller and Often-There is some evidence to suggest that eating small, regular meals will keep your metabolism going faster than larger, less frequent meals. There are two reasons why meal frequency may affect your metabolism. First, levels of thyroid hormones begin to drop within hours of eating a meal, and metabolism slows. Second, it may be that the thermogenic effect of eating several small meals is slightly higher than eating the same amount of calories all at once.  Provided your small meals don’t degenerate into quick-fix, high fat, high sugar snacks, eating little and often can also help to control hunger and make you less likely to binge.

To find out how many calories you are burning each day, and how many you are eating - try to log your food. There are plenty of websites that allow you free access to calorie databases. All you need to do is create a profile. I have used www.Fitday.com which is a free website that has some great options to help you chart your daily progress.  You can also download many free apps on your phone.  Try to log a couple of days, I think you would be surprised at what you find out about how many calories your consuming.

Firefighter Fitness- Should You Exercise While Your Sick?

It’s that time of the year.  The flu bug is in full affect and is probably making its way through a firehouse near you.  We get exposed to lots of different viruses through EMS responses, hospital transports and via the close confines of the firehouse.  I get a lot of people asking me if they should try to exercise while they are battling the flu or the cold.

 According to the American College of Sports Medicine, the general rule of thumb is that if your symptoms are from the neck up; then “yes” give your workout a go.  If your symptoms are below; then “no.” 

Here’s what I mean:

If you have a common cold, runny nose, sore throat, and/or NO fever, then light to moderate exercise is generally “ok.”

If your illness involves body aches, fever, diarrhea, weakness, swollen lymph nodes, and/ or fatigue then it's best to “REST.”

Recommendations to help you get through a workout when you have a cold:

·         Hydrate!  Shoot for half your body weight in ounces of water per day

·         Stretch: increases circulation

·         Light cardio: Cardiovascular exercise causes vasodilatation or widening of the blood vessels to help clear up sinuses and cold symptoms.

·         Slow down: Decrease intensity & duration

·         Germs: Bring your own towel and water bottle and keep your germs to yourself!

Here are some tips to prevent getting the cold or flu:

·         WASH YOUR HANDS!  Keeping hands clean through improved hand hygiene is one of the most important steps we can take to avoid getting sick and spreading germs to others.

·         Rest! Sleep as much as possible to allow the body to recover!

·         Increase antioxidants: load up on fruits and vegetables; focus on Vitamins A, C, E and Selenium

·         Cut sugar & caffeine: Both have been shown to weaken the immune system

·         Eliminate alcohol: I’m not saying to quit, I’m just saying alcohol weakens the immune system. 

The bottom line is that you must “listen” to your body.   Personally, if I'm not feeling too bad, then I like to get a light cardio workout in to increase blood flow and circulation. If I choose to do strength work, I perform a low intensity workout to prevent too much muscle/body breakdown.

Hope these help.

Stay Safe!

A new weapon for Firefighters war on Heart Disease

Heart disease kills more on-duty firefighters than anything else -- and it is definitely linked to emergency duties, a Harvard study shows. Most people think firefighters' biggest death threats are fires and collapsing buildings. But over the last 30 years it's been shown that 45% of firefighters' on-duty deaths come from heart disease.    Over these last 30 years the actual percentage of fire calls has decreased yet the rate of heart attacks has remained the same.  So why haven't we (as Firefigthers, Paramedics and EMT's) done anything to prevent it?  Part of the issue is that firefighters exertion on the fire scene causes an excessive amount of stress on the heart, thus causing heart attacks.  Many of the firefighters that died from a heart related issue had prior "heart health warning signs" like high cholesterol and high blood pressure.  These heart health risks coupled with the extreme exertion are a bad and risky combination.

I personally think that we need to take a proactive approach to the issue.  The FireRescue community needs to commit to a complete exercise program that emphasizes not only heart health but overall strength and wellness.  


Recently I've discovered another way Firefighters, Paramedics and EMT's can combat their high risk of heart attack (and cancer).  CLICK HERE to Read more......and as always, STAY SAFE.