Give Your Loved Ones The Best Gift This New Year: CDC Suggests
Nikki Attkisson | Last Updated : December 29, 2021Nothing is better than a healthy and happy life, and with the New Year around the corner, everybody is gearing up for gifting their near and dear ones with the best gift ever.
Give Your Loved Ones The Best Gift This New Year: CDC Suggests
But, this year, the New Year celebrations would be slightly marred by the news of Omicron everywhere. So, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has come up with the idea of giving loved ones the gift of a healthy life.
Omicron cases are on the rise, and they are doubling every two to four days. Side by side, the number of flu infections is threateningly rising up the scale, besides the Delta hospitalizations. The CDC health sector officials are tense as they still lack data about the virus and its severities.
We are only shielded by our vaccines, and there are still many who haven’t received their shots yet. With such a grave scenario, there is nothing much that the people of the US could expect.
To make the people reach their targets and give a good start to the year next, CDC has given some recommendations to the people and suggests following them strictly. It has emphasized the importance of healthy diets and habits that one should follow and even ask others to do the same.
A balanced diet with all the essential nutrients, including green vegetables and fruits, is necessary for healthy living. Moreover, it is recommended to eat in small portions and avoid salty and sugary foods. Also, fatty food rich in Trans fat should also be avoided.
Besides good food habits, other lifestyle changes are also required. The CDC recommends that all adults should get engaged for at least 2 ½ hours of physical activity weekly, and for children, it should be 1 hour on a daily basis. People should abstain from smoking and also passive smoking.
Smoking affects not only the smoker but also the nonsmokers who inhale the smoke are prone to severities. Personal hygiene should be maintained, and one should wash hands properly with soap for at least 20 seconds to prevent the spread of germs and diseases.
While driving, it is recommended to wear seatbelts. It is not only for the adults but the children should also be buckled up properly. Safety seats, booster seats, or seat belts can be used according to the appropriate height, weight, and size of the child.
But, it is a must while traveling no matter how short the distance is. Also, drinking should be avoided while driving. Not only practice it yourself but also inform others of the perils of drinking and driving.
The CDC suggests that one should go for timely health screenings and exams and keep contact with the health providers in case of serious family history of ailments.
Also, getting vaccinations is a must, especially at this time of the year, with so many death cases being reported from all over the world. It has been suggested that everyone from 6 months onwards should get their flu vaccines annually, besides the immunizations against the Covid virus.
Coming to safety at home, the food should be washed sufficiently before consuming, and adequate cooking and proper refrigeration of food are required to avoid contamination.
Children should be kept away from dangerous toys, food or drinks, and other household items that can cause harm. Also, it is dangerous to leave any fire burning like fireplaces, heaters, candles, or stoves unattended.
The Americans this year possibly have one resolution: to stay healthy and happy. Keep track of your mental health, stay stressed free and protect yourself against the weather with light clothes, gloves, hats, scarves, and waterproof boots. It is a time to stay cheerful and healthy with many precautions. As CDC suggests, the best gift this holiday season is the gift of health and safety.
With over 15 years as a practicing journalist, Nikki Attkisson found herself at Powdersville Post now after working at several other publications. She is an award-winning journalist with an entrepreneurial spirit and worked as a journalist covering technology, innovation, environmental issues, politics, health etc. Nikki Attkisson has also worked on product development, content strategy, and editorial management for numerous media companies. She began her career at local news stations and worked as a reporter in national newspapers.