Man: Hi Julia, how are you?
Woman: Hi Frank, I’m fine. But you don’t look too well.
Man: I can’t seem to shake off this cold.
Woman: Sorry to hear this. There is a bug going around.
Man: Jim and Kate are on sick leave with the flu, so I really can’t take time off.
Woman: Poor you. Are you sure it’s not the flu?
Man: I hope so.
Woman: High temperature? Joint pain? Headache?
Man: I had the jab two months ago.
Woman: Is it more of a head cold or a chest cold? I have a great home remedy for head colds.
Man: What’s that?
Woman: Garlic and horseradish. Eat as much garlic as you can and grate the horseradish root to make a sauce. It’s similar to the stuff you can buy in jars at the supermarket but it’s far more powerful.
Man: I had no idea horseradish was a root vegetable. Where do I buy it?
Woman: Try the farmer’s market. It’s guaranteed to clean your sinuses.
Man: It sounds like too much trouble. I’ll try garlic though, thanks. I like garlic bread…
Woman: You’ll need more than garlic bread for it to work. Get well soon!

IMPORTANT PHRASES

How are you? – Hogy vagy?
You don’t look too well. – Nem nézel ki túl jól.
I can’t seem to shake off this cold. – Nem tudok kilábalni ebből a náthából.
Sorry to hear this. – Sajnálom, hogy ezt hallom.
There is a bug going around. – Valami vírus kering most.
I can’t take time off. – Nem tudok szabadságot kivenni.
Are you sure it’s not the flu? – Biztos vagy benne, hogy nem influenza?
I have a great home remedy for … . – Van egy remek házi gyógymódom …-ra/-re.
It’s far more powerful. – Sokkal erősebb.
I had no idea. – Fogalmam sem volt róla.
It’s guaranteed to clean your sinuses. – Garantáltan kitisztítja az arcüregedet.
It sounds like too much trouble. – Úgy hangzik, elég macerás.
I’ll try garlic though. – Mindenesetre a fokhagymát kipróbálom.
Get well soon! – Gyógyulj meg gyorsan!

IMPORTANT WORDS

to shake off something – megszabadulni valamitől
bug – itt: vírus
to be on sick leave – betegszabadságon lenni
to take time off – szabadságot kivenni
high temperature –magas láz
joint pain – ízületi fájdalom
headache – fejfájás
jab – oltás
horseradish – torma
to grate – reszelni
root – gyökér
stuff – dolog
farmer’s market – termelői piac
garlic bread – fokhagymás kenyér

Eat more fruits and vegetables

Fibre has many health benefits, including lowering the risk of some health issues. Eat more of vitamin C rich fruits such as orange, lemon or cauliflower. Eating healthy, nutritious foods is essential to living a healthy life, and it is crucial in wintertime. Eat a lot of vegetables – kales or brussels sprouts for example. These veggies are full of fibre, antioxidants and are exceptionally nutritious.

Drink more water

Staying hydrated during the winter days is a great way to boost your immune system and avoid getting sick. On a cold winter night, it is nice to have your favourite green tea, but don’t forget to drink at least 2 litres of water every day. Drink a glass of water every hour to maintain your energy levels and brain functions – and to avoid getting sick.

Work out

Regular physical exercise can improve your health in general and can affect your mood positively. Working out also reduces the risks of heart disease, stress, and respiratory infections. Get active for at least 30 minutes every day, and your body will thank you!

Get vaccinated

To protect against seasonal flu, the best thing you can do is to get vaccinated. Flu vaccines help the immune system producing antibodies that protect against the flu. The vaccine can prevent up to 60% of flu infections, so getting the flu shot and living a healthy life will save you from getting sick.

Practice good hygiene

Wash your hands often! Or carry around a pocket-sized hand sanitizer to clean your hands anywhere you are. Viruses can enter our system through our nose, mouth or even eyes. Don’t touch your face with your hands unless they are clean! Washing your hands regularly throughout the day, especially if you use public transport, or have physical contact with other people, can help to protect against viral infections.

Clean up

Other than our hands, viruses can also survive on other surfaces like metal, plastic or paper. During the day, we touch many objects, and our mobile phones, computer keyboards, and money are constantly in our hands. No wonder that these everyday items host many viruses and bacteria. Disinfect your desk and regularly used items with alcohol-based cleaning products to lower the risk of infections.

Keep the air clean

We all like to arrive at our warm home after a long day of work. Especially in winter, we can’t wait to finally get home and warm up our cold bodies. However, we often forget about changing the air in the house. Open the windows as soon as you arrive home, to clean the air! Common colds and the flu are respiratory infections. This means that they travel through the air that we breathe. Let fresh air in to reduce the risk of germs staying inside. 

Don’t get too close

During the flu season it is a good idea to stay two arms’ length away from each other. As viruses can travel through the air, they can be inhaled easily from a sick person’s exhale. If you use public transport, try to keep your distance from others. If you work in an office with many others, make sure to let fresh air in at least two or three times a day. When someone from your household got sick, try to avoid physical contact with them and boost your immune system with some vitamins and a lot of water.

by Kitti Bába