We hear it almost every day: How are you? Most of us answer that we're doing fine. It's possible to have a better answer though: I'm terrific!

Do you rely on your doctors to tell you how you are, when it comes to your health? Lots of people drink and smoke to excess, then expect the doctors to fix them when they get sick. Whether you have a common cold or a more serious condition, take charge of your own healing process. Regardless of your chosen method for healing, it's important to take action and advocate for yourself. When you depend on your doctor to tell you when you are well or sick, you could be handing over a certain amount of your personal responsibility. Although you need to consult experts, the only person living in your skin twenty-four hours a day is you. You are the one who cares the most about getting better.

For colds and flu prevention, remember to wash your hands often. Most people don't wash their hands frequently enough or for a sufficiently long enough time. Simply washing your hands well greatly reduces your chances of getting sick when a cold or flu is going around.

Many supplements are reported to have an effect on flu prevention, and these are worth looking into. In our grandparents' day, protective supplements such as cod liver oil and hot drinks with a squeeze of fresh lemon helped to curb the frequency of common illnesses. These old remedies are gaining popularity today.

Keeping tabs of your own good health reduces your trips to the doctor and helps you save money. Even though supplements and vitamins are somewhat costly upfront, their cost is minimal compared to the cost of lost work, lost school time, or loss of good health. Some supplements are even tasty, if you don't count cod liver oil. For example, blueberries are said to have a healing effect because they're an excellent source of antioxidants, as is green tea, black beans and many other foods.

Instead of counting on the doctors to tell you how you are, take some of that responsibility on yourself. Keep yourself educated and on top of a vital, healthy lifestyle and next time someone asks you how you are, you can say with confidence: I'm terrific!