Get--And Stay--Healthy This Winter

Stay healthy till Spring: Dr. Keri Peterson weighs in on winter heart health, avoiding colds and flu and outsmarting itchy, dry skin

By the LifeMinute Team

February 18, 2016

Get Heart Healthy

February is Heart Health Month, and the American Heart Association and Splenda are trying to educate consumers about ways to reduce added sugars in your diet. Splenda is a proud sponsor of the American Heart Association's Simple Cooking With Heart with great recipes that help you live a healthy lifestyle.

"Did you know that if you replace sugar in your foods with a no-calorie sweetener like Splenda you can significantly reduce calories in your diet?," asks Peterson." For example if you swap out one cup of sugar with one cup of Splenda No-Calorie Sweetener, you'll save 600 calories."

You can use it for cooking or baking. Find all sorts of tips and recipes at sweetswaps.com.

Banish Colds and Flu

Over one billion colds happen every single year, according to the CDC. "At the very first sign of a cold, try using Cold-EEZE. Their classic cherry lozenge has been clinically proven to shorten the duration of your cold by almost half," says Peterson.

And if you do get symptoms try two new products: Quick Melts and Multi-Symptom Lozenges. "They can help provide natural relief for symptoms like congestion, cough and sore throat," says the doctor.

Keep Skin Smooth

"This time of year another thing my patients complain to me about is dry, itchy skin. I recommend they use a moisturizer that's designed for extra dry skin. I like Lubriderm Advanced Therapy Lotion that you can get at Walgreens. After one week it makes your skin more resilient because it contains Vitamins B5, E, and essential lipids that are naturally found in your skin. And you can use it every single day after your shower."