School starts, Fall starts showing it’s colours {literally} and the cold and flu season hits like clockwork. It never fails!
According to Health Canada, in a typical year, up to an estimated 25 per cent or about 8.6 million Canadians come down with the seasonal flu. I believe it! I spent a good portion of the last month with the cold and flu, as did my oldest. Luckily the twins were safe this time, yet I know it’ll make it’s rounds again before Christmas is here.
I have my disinfectant handy, we all hand wash often yet sometimes there’s no avoiding the germs that comes with back to school and all the activities that start this time of year.
I’ve learned to prep for the cold & flu season by stocking up on the essentials, at about the same time as I buy school supplies. I make sure we have items such as vitamins, tissues and fever medicine. With Autumn also comes dryer air outside made worse by the furnace running inside. That alone takes a toll, so humidifiers are a must for us!
Shoppers Drug Mart is a great go-to store to get everything from soups and tissues to thermometers and lozenges. If you are one that does get the annual flu shot, you can do so there as well. They take walk-ins or you can also book an appointment online at http://shoppersdrugmart.ca/flushot. While we have opted out of the flu shot these last number of years, I do recall that we used to get ours in a crowded gym with hundreds of other people. Bleh! I would have much rather gone to our local Shoppers instead, so I like this option!
Make sure to check out the information on getting ready for cold & flu season on their website! You know it’s coming guys, let’s prepare ourselves now!
Disclosure: I was provided with product to facilitate this review post, opinions are my own.
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Joy says
wash your hands LOTS and stay away from people who are sick!
Deanna says
Stay away from anyone who has a cough.
tanyab79 says
hand sanitizer and washing hands regularly also try to avoid touching my face
Carole B. says
Eating o lot of veggies, agrums, fresh garlic and ginger!
Caralyn Rubli says
Vaporizer
Kelly Krol says
Hand washing!
Kelli says
Best secrets are goldenseal and oil of oregano!!
Mary says
Eat healthy, exercise, and wash your hands often.
Erika says
Eat lots of immunity booster fruits and veggies and get lots of rest!
Isabelle Simard says
Try to avoid crowded places when flu is peaking up. Wash my hand often. and always be full of Advil…In case 😉
Jennifer Veenstra says
Wash hands often!
Leanne m says
Hand sanitizer
Monique L. S. says
I take vitamin C as soon as I start to feel any symptoms. So far it has helped keep my immune system up.
Carey says
Vitamins, fruits and veggies, washing hands.
Geri Brown says
lots of hand washing
Mavis Koop Reimer says
Eating healthy & getting lots of rest.
ann says
Lots of rest, Eating Well and washing your hands
andrea says
Eat healthy, wash hands often, and sleep with a cool mist humidifier in your room (drastically helps with nightime coughing)
patricia says
wash hands often
Leanne m says
Hand SAnitzer
sabrina worrall says
Stay away from sick people and crowds
Elaine Miller says
WASH YOUR HANDS FREQUENTLY!
trish says
Handwashing!
Bailey-Eileen Dexter-parr says
Homemade chicken soup!
kate robertson says
Take homeopathic remedies to build immune system
Sandra Rooke says
I use disinfectant soap often.
michelle tremblett says
Hand Sanitizer and drink lots of orange juice 🙂
Christina says
Washing my hands often. Drink lots of water.
kathy hawkins downey says
eat well,drinks lots of water and stay away from sick people
kathy hawkins downey says
eat well and drink lots
Liz says
Sleep! I get sick so much easier when I’m not sleeping enough.
Andrea Amy says
Try to make sure you eat healthy and get enough sleep.
Debbie W says
Rest, handwashing, and try to get more natural Vitamin C into my diet.
Allison R says
Hand washing and lots of hand sanitizer on the go.
Leah Ryan says
Vitamin D
Chrissy says
Disinfecting everything. Always washing hands and hand sanitizers!
melissa says
I work with kids. I love them but they are little germ factories! I swear by constant handwashing, hand sanitizing, flu shots and a bottle of cold FX.
Sarah says
Certainly that time of the year!! Wash your hands for sure.
Jennifer Allen says
Washing hands constantly and eating oranges
Sandra says
Take vitamins, use hand sanitizer and eat healthy.
April Harper says
Never touch my face with my hands
Robyn R says
Could use this for my three kiddos that have already brought home the flu a couple times from school this fall…
Anne Taylor says
Washing hands, washing hands, washing hands!
thanks
Melinda L. says
Homemade chicken soup, lots of Vitamin Cs and wash hands often
jda604 says
ginger, garlic and a warm hat!
Chris Fretwell says
Slow exposure. The more your are exposed to, slowly, the stronger your immune system will be. You can’t develop anti-bodies without some germs.
Mary Anne says
washing your hands. CONSTANTLY!!
Louise Gilbert says
wash my hands often and take cold fx and I also do nettie pot
joy says
this would be awesome!
joy says
oh… avoid crowded areas!!! and handrails, door knobs, ewww!
joanne says
wash hands hand sanitizer and washing hands regularly
gloria says
washing hands often, v C, green tea, covering mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing
Clifford says
I just up my intake of vitamin C and I have my flu shot every year.
Sabrina T says
Wash your hands, take your vitamins, try and avoid the kids licking and touching known germ infested areas 🙂
Michelle Michaud says
Wash hands often, drink lots of water, veggies and fruits!
Stephanie LaPlante says
The flu shot. The one year I missed it, I almost died so I’m a firm believer. Orange juice and yogurt help too.
Jeff Skidmore says
alcohol is my weapon of choice!!
elaing8 says
Washing our hands a lot and take Goldenseal.
Ann Freele says
Plenty of rest. if you are over tired, you seem to be more apt end up sick
Glogirl says
Frequent hand washing and taking a multi-vitamin/mineral daily.
D H says
Hand washing is imperative!!!
sam to says
echinacea & extra vitamin c when weather changes & feeling low
caryn s says
washing hands and cleaning door knobs seem to help!
Annie T says
My best defense? Always have hand sanitizer in my purse at all times!
Kristy S says
Eating lemons and onions
Pat Mc says
Wash your hands well all the time and use tissues when sneezing
angela m says
wash yours hand and drink lots of water
charityk says
drink alot of herbal tea
jessica s says
I take vitamin D everyday. After a few months I stopped getting sick! Trying to get hubby to do the same though is like pulling teeth. I also have a 6 month old and would love the humidifier for his room!
Robin says
oil of oregano and keep the indoor air moist!
Natalie says
I make sure I have lots of Cold FX in the house. I was skeptical, but it does help a bit
Susan Ovington says
Rest and hand washing are my best defense against germs!
Diana says
Wash hands often and Vitamin C.
Brenda Lacourciere says
Orange Juice.
phyllis cadwell says
Wash your hands often
Judy C (Cowan) says
Wash your hands, increase vitamin C intake and try to stay away from people when they are sick
Pamela Koop says
Stay away from big groups of people with my kids, not share/exchange things like toys, and lots of honey and lemon and ginger drinks!
Soozle says
REALLY good hand washing is the best defence! Other than that, lots of vitamin C&D
[email protected] says
Healthy eating, lots of sleep, and hand-washing.
Karla Sceviour says
Lots of Vitamin C.and plenty of rest!
Vicki Hill says
Wash hands OFTEN!!!
Vicki says
Stay away from anyone coughing or sneezing! Drink ginger & lemon tea!
JoAnne Hudy says
I have a flu shot every year, nd it seems to work great for me. I also use anything besides the pads of my fingers to press elevator buttons…
Kelly says
Wash hands often and keep cold medicine on hand!!
Ali Piwtorak says
Washing your hands after touching anything while out in public, and before touching food.
Dianne Melnick says
lots of fruits,veggies,exercise 🙂
Victoria Ess says
Garlic pills and vitamin C!
mongupp (@mongupp) says
Wash your hands constantly
Belinda McNabb says
my best defense is to make sure we wash our hands often
Twixxi says
Lots of hand washing, fluids & vitamin c.
409cope says
I stock up on vitamin C and cold-fx.
margaux retrophiliac says
wash-wash-washin’ those hands!
lori butler says
get lots of rest, fluids, and keep away from others
stacey dempsey says
right now I feel like I have none as I am sick lol but usually the old wash your hands is my best advice
Tanis says
Drink plenty of water and get rest when you feel like you are getting sick,.
Patrick Siu says
take vitamin c twice a day
Laura says
Wash your hands all the time and avoid people coughing on you!!
Sharon says
This prize sounds wonderful. Soup and soap are the keys to staying healthy!
Athena says
Hot water with honey & lemon soothes a sore throat.
Ira says
We are boosting the immune system with probiotics and vitamins.
Dayna Wilson says
Carry hand sanitizer, and get your RDA of vitamin C!
Sunshine G says
Convince your sick colleagues to stay home!
Teresa Claire says
I don’t really have any secrets for fighting a cold or flu but I remember my Mum used to put Mentholatum in a vaporizer and I remember how comforting the scent was.
Sophie Beaulieu says
Dress properly, lot of sleep, washing hands and a good diet !
Elizabeth Vlug says
My best advice to avoid the cold and flu, is to keep your hands away from your face. The germs cannot enter thru your hands alone, they need a portal.
Carol Denny says
Plenty of liquids and the flu shot
Gizele says
Stay away from people with colds and flu.
Florence C says
Wash your hands, stay away from crowds and take vitamins.
Karine says
Get rest, and always wash your hands
Jonnie says
Hand sanitizer!
Jessica @ Just a Mum? says
Get enough sleep, wash your hands a lot, and try to avoid elevators. 😉
Dreena says
Wash hands often and take extra Vitamin C.
Cheers.
Erika B says
I carry around my sanitizer in my purse and use it a lot when I am out. I stress the importance of hand washing with my kids. I take a lot of vitamin c ester as well, which is said to act as a preventative to cold and flu
Ginger Leah Gervais says
Eat lots of fruits and veggies… hand sanitizer is a must!
danielle t says
I take extra vit C
Julie G. says
Wash your hNSA REGULARLY AND AVOID TOUCHING YOUR FACE.
Angela Mitchell says
I have no tricks or anything. Sometimes you can’t avoid getting sick when you have kids, but I try to eat healthy, drink lot’s of water, and take a multivitamin.
Elva Roberts says
October 14-The best defense is to wash your hands often and get a regular flu shot.
Amy Brown says
Plenty of rest and lots of hand washing! I try to use my side arm instead of my hand if I’m pushing a door open, and avoid putting my hands near my face.
SweetPanda says
I take vitamin C every day and I wash my hands before I touch anywhere on my face or my kids
Wendy R says
washing your hands really good!
Darlene Schuller says
Lots of vitamine C.. and if you feel a cold coming on, start taking zinc!
Janelle K says
Frequent handwashing and not touching my face is my tip. Another this is to wash your hands as soon as you get home from being out.
Lori Bazan says
Hot water and lemon sipped through out the day to sooth sore throat and coughing!
Maegan Morin says
I found that the thing that works the best for me is to simply tell myself that I dont have time to get sick. If I feel symptoms coming on usually I can convince myself they will go away and they do.
Tricia Lignos says
Take a multi vitamin and keep those hands clean. 🙂 cold season is here.
Gillian says
hand sanatizer and lysol
Chandra Christine O'Connor says
taking my cold fx my vitamin C and my Lysol wipes
Jenny says
handwashing
loriag says
ginseng, water and lots of hand washing.
l p says
wash your hands even when you don’t think you need to. thanks
KRistine Ewald says
I always wash my hands lots, when working in a school this is a MUST!
Cheryl Grandy says
Wash your hands every time you come home from somewhere – it gets to be a habit to wash your hands when you come into the house.
Lisa Smith says
Eat a ton of greens and get lots of sleep
Jasen H says
The two things I do to minimize cold and flu are wash my hands as often as possible and increase my vitamin C intake once cold and flu season starts.
Candace Evanisky says
cinnamon and honey
Lori JB says
Eat healthy and wash hands often
Heidi C. says
Regular hand washing, Vicks vaporub, chicken soup, Tylenol & rest!
jen s. says
washing my hands all the time and keeping gloves on when in most public places, plus rest and vitamin C and eating fruits.
darci says
Get lots of sleep and don’t touch your face, wash your hands often!
Sarah says
The thing I’ve found most effective is covering my hands with long sleeves, or even wearing gloves, while out shopping or doing errands. Not touching germy door handles or shopping cart handles cuts down the chance of getting sick from a stranger. And of course, lots of hand washing!
Yvonne Tabaracci says
Lots of rest and drink lots of water…
Bons says
Get enough sleep, drink plenty of water and take vitamins
Nolie says
My secret is taking vitamin C every single day and washing my hands a billion times a day.
Kristen says
Wash my hands – a lot!
Kim M says
I always get the flu shot
Lesley Minto says
Relieve stress! Exercise, laugh, meditate, deep breathing…
ducky says
Avoid crowded places.
Lynn A says
Oil of rosemary and Vitamin C.
SueSueper says
I like to get the flu shot, and be sure to wash hands regularly.
Stephanie N says
lots of garlic
susan says
Oregano oil!!!
Brenda Penton says
Not really a secret but I try to stay active and eat right. Since I started eating better and exercising 2 years ago I haven’t been sick.
Tom Ds says
Vitamin C!
Wayne Lecoy says
I am entering your giveaway.
It would be great to win a Cold and Flu Defense Kit from Shoppers Drug Mart.
In response to your requirement to Tell you my secret for the best cold and flu defence!
Dress warm when you know it’s cold outside, use hand sanitizer and wash your hands regularly.
Thank you for having this giveaway!!!!!!!!!!
Aliya D says
The best defense against colds/flus is a pre-emptive strike: Flu-Shot!
Beth Gallinger says
My secret is to gets lots of rest.
Nicole W. says
Echinacea – I swear by it! I load up when I start to feel a cold coming on, and often I never get one! I’m big on hand washing too! Thanks for the great giveaway 🙂
Fan R says
Take vitamins, wear clothes to the season, NetiRinse every day.
Neil Anderson says
eating healthy, (garlic) exercise and a good nights sleep
lucy kabatoff says
lots of hand washing
Lisa H says
My best defense is taking vitamin C everyday and if I do get a cold, extra vitamin c!
Jordi says
My secret is simple…..stay away from the sickly!
Nicole B says
eat well, drink lots of water and vitamin C!
Carolyn says
lots of water! staying hydrated keeps your immune system strong
Josh S says
Eat Vitamins and get lots of rest.
Beth Rosell says
Getting a flu shot and always washing your hands
Sarah N. says
Lots of Vitamin C
May says
Lots and lots of rest and plenty of fluids!
Jennifer I. says
Wash your hands lots!!!
Aisu says
Prevention is better than the cure so taking care of yourself is the first defense to avoid getting sick.
Heather Holmberg says
i get sinus pain really bad .. i take antihistamines when it is chilly out and it lessens the hurt !
Pamalot says
the best cold and flu defense is getting enough sleep and more sleep when you are experiencing a lot of stress
Holly says
Eating healthy, drinking lots of water, vitamins!
Tammy Dalley says
eat lots of fruit and veggies, & gets lots of rest!!
Andrew P says
Wash your hands frequently, use hand sanitizer and get plenty of vitamins!
Sarah Stickney says
lots and lots of sleep
Gvenny says
Cook with extra garlic, wash hands OFTEN & try my best to keep my hands away from my eyes & face!
Melanie says
Hey, hand washing is our best defence, and of course teaching those around us to cough and sneeze in their arms. But, if the flu or cold bugs have made their way through, I take out the trusty cool air mist humidifier out, along with hot lemon and honey drinks and I’m all about the nasal spray to relieve the sinus pressure! Lots of rest and liquids!
J says
Wash your hands often, consume enough liquids, and get plenty of sleep.
Andrea C says
Washing hands, over and over and over again………….everytime we come in the kids get to rewash………lol, not that they enjoy it
Ester G says
2000IU of Vitamin D every day
Marlene V (Enelram) says
handwashing and getting plenty of rest
Roseline says
lots of hand washing and vitamin D. extra vitamins in those months where we get less sun!
Londia says
Drink plenty of water and wash hands plenty. Trying to stay away from anyone who is really sick if possible. Taking vitamin C.
silverneon2000 at yahoo dot com
missbobloblaw says
Washing hands, sanitizing stuff and eating immunity boosting foods!
lucy kabatoff says
wash your hands often
lucy kabatoff says
hand washing
Shawn W says
I eat a lot of Vitamin C and fresh fruit/veggies
Viv Sluys says
Good hand washing, lots of vitamin C, lots of clear fluids, no sharing drinks, snacks etc….
shauna wyspianski says
I just try to avoid sick people, take vitamin c.
Mike Gismondi says
lots of sleep works for me!
lucy kabatoff says
eat healthy and exercise
Amanda Neilson says
Cold FX and avoid crowds!
Janis says
SDM is my go-to for almost everything!!!
julia says
Frequent hand washing and trying to get enough rest so my body can fight the cold germs:)
lucy kabatoff says
stay away from people who are sick
Lee-Ann says
Lots of hand washing and chicken noodle soup.
Carla Ehrenreich says
I;ve been trying hard to break the habit of touching my face in hopes of avoiding the germs.
Mary I says
Hand washing and always have hand sanitizer around. Also ensure that I get the flu shot early in the season
Joan L. says
Wash your hands really well with soap and water. I try to avoid sick people.
Lindsay C says
I drink a lot of lemon juice and hot lemon & honey to help with colds and sore throats.
Lindsay C says
I love hot lemon and honey for sore throats and a vitamin C boost.
Shirley M says
I find Oil of Oregano works well to help ward off illness. 5 drops under the tongue a few times a day when you feel something coming on. It tastes nasty but helps a lot!
Cathy C says
Cash your hands and get lots of sleep!
Catharine says
Hand washing.
Jules A. says
I think washing your hands frequently is probably the best way to stay healthy
tennille says
Wash your hands and take your vitamins, thats all I got.
Sandra says
Washing hands and avoiding people who are sick as much as possible
Rosanne Robinson says
take vitamin C daily & wash hands constantly
Jody D says
Eat healthy foods as much as possible in winter!
Danyel Zilinski says
wash hands a lot, especially before eating!
Cathy Quinlan says
Take lots of Vitamin C, eat healthy and wash your hands a lot.
Rebecca says
I make sure to go to bed early and have lots of baths to relax and ease my muscles.
Linda Peters says
Wash hand constantly, drink lots of fluids and get as much rest and sleep as you can
Happy Chinadoll says
Wash hands often. Take Vitamin C pills.
Kam says
Garlic, eat lots of garlic!
Elizabeth Matthiesen says
always get your flu jab, keep hands clean, avoid crowds where possible.
sandra says
wash my hands alot and disinfect the handles on the doors of our house often.
cheryl says
washing hands all the time after school and public places the most
Alison Braidwood says
I take loads of vitamin c and echinacea at the first sign of a cold.
Alison K says
My secret for the best cold and flu defense is to not touch your face & to always wash hands.
Darwin says
Purell and take vitamins, especially vitamins. The minute you feel sick, take some medication to nip it in the bud.
Wendy hutton says
handwashing and staying away from people
macfsh says
I take zinc and lots of tea.
roger simmons says
Lots of fluids
rachel williams says
hand sanitizer & clorox wipes.
Sarah Jackson says
Make sure to get enough sleep, ensure that you are always washing your hands and have a healthy diet
Marcus Barnes says
Diet rich in dark leafy greens like kale.
Sara rai says
Honey lemon tea, Vicks, soup
Melanie B says
Wash hands, vitamin C, lots of veggies & fruit
Jennifer L. says
Eating lots of fresh, raw fruit and veggies and take extra Vitamin C in the winter.
Lindsay says
handwashing, and eating healthy vitamin rich foods
April says
My best tips are sleep, hydration, OTC analgesics, Vick vapour rub, and hand washing.
Mims W says
wash hands wash hands wash hands!
Holly Messana says
Hand washing! Fingers out of the mouth.
ikkinlala says
Get enough sleep.
Leanne B says
Cold FX!
Rebby says
I take a ton of vitamins during flu season!
Audrey Skinner says
Annual flu shot and eating well.
alix hind says
My favorite defense for getting sick is a daily dose of oil of oregano. You can find it at any health food store and it works for more than just a cold. When I use OTC stuff, it usually just makes me groggy. I also wash and sanitize my hands often and try not to touch my face too much to prevent the spread of germs.
Jenness M says
Handwashing and avoid doorknobs.
Heather D. says
A gallon of orange juice and load up on the zinc and Nyquil.
Lindsay Cyr says
We try to take a multivitamin every day to keep us all healthy.
angie smith says
tons of raw garlic is our secret!
Colleen K says
Wash hands often especially when in public places and don’t touch face!
debbie s says
lysol wipes and hand washing!
Rene says
Lots of water and rest, and washing hands often!
eleanor says
Wash my hands, wear gloves and use a salt wash or gargle.
Olivia says
Wash your hands often.
cheryl hodgkins says
Staying away for those who are sick, getting the flu shot and drinking warm tea and honey
Elaine says
honey and lemon in tea – hot or cold.
Elaine says
I love Advil for the aches and I suck on honey candy.
raven says
washing hands more often
Barbara W, says
The thing I try to remember is to wash my hands frequently when I’ve been around people. I live alone, but also try to remember to wash my hands after I go downstairs to get the post. I catch nearly everything going, so being mindful of my surroundings, trying to avoid those who are actually sick, and not shaking hands during cold and flu season help somewhat.
Dayna Janzen says
I usually just stay in bed and have hubby bring me chicken noodle soup. He loves to take all those cold & flu medications where I usually just ride it out!
ivy pluchinsky says
drink lots of tea, orange juice, get plenty of rest, don’t go outside if you can avoid it, and take apple cidar vinegar it really does work
Erin McGrath says
Wash hands often!
Rhonda W G. says
I get the flu shot!
Amirah says
hand washing and staying away from sick people is my defense.
Jo-Anne Pfoh says
stay away from malls during busy hours and keep hand sanitizer in your pocket use it often
Tannis W says
Lots of vitamin c and probiotics.
Samantha turnbull says
I take liquid echinacea in my tea to keep the colds away
Jacqueline Sampson says
cold FX baby!! I swear by it!!
BarbFS says
My best defense secret for the best cold and flu prevention is practicing good hygiene. Eating and drinking lots of vitamin C rich foods is also very important! 🙂
Christy Martin says
For people that take public transit or school buses, get into the habit of applying hand sanitizer the second you a free! I tend to ride gloves off, for this reason alone.
Charmaine T says
Elderberry syrup!
Dianne G. says
If I feel a cold coming on I take Cold FX, drink lots of fluids and pile the covers on my bed. It seems to lessen the severity or I am able to avoid it completely.
Jennifer P. says
Frequent hand washing.
Kim says
hand sanitizer and orange juice
Sylvia says
Drink hot lemon tea with ginger
Tara Jensen says
hand washing!
Michelle B says
Wash hands often, and carry a travel size hand sanitizer in your purse.
michelle hebert says
always washing hands and cleaning things that everyone touches
pat george says
if you feel a cold coming hot,,, go to bed, read a book and drink a hot toddy
Deb Dorrington says
I believe in the power of vitamin C and Oil of Oregano…also washing hand often and keeping them away from your face.
Lori P says
Lots of sleep, hand-washing, hot tea and hot lemon.
Adina H. says
Wash your hands often, and try to avoid high traffic, congested places like shopping malls.
Catherine K (@cathyincanada) says
Heaps of water and vitamin C!
Amy C says
Hand washing lots is my best tip.
julia says
washing your hands often, getting lots of rest and eating well.
lucy kabatoff says
Eat Healthy
lucy kabatoff says
try to avoid crowds