Tips to Stay Healthy and Avoid Sickness All Year Long

WESTLAND, Mich.,–– It can be hard to remain your healthiest all year round, especially if you are in a profession consistently exposed to sickness. Although cases of the cold and flu start to rise in the fall and winter season, there's still a chance that you might catch something any other time of the year. That's why it's best to take the necessary precautions ahead of time to combat any illnesses that might come your way. No one wants to be bedridden, so we've put together a list of tips to stay healthy and avoid sickness all year long.

1. Wash Your Hands & Pay Attention to What You Touch
It's a simple task to wash your hands with soap and water frequently throughout the day. Along with this, if you're touching "high-traffic" items such as the drinking fountain at work, the bathroom door handle, or someone else's keyboard, you'll want to avoid touching your mouth, nose, and eyes as these areas are gateways to your immune system.

2. Eat Healthy!
It's fine to indulge in a burger or some decadent dessert here and there, but it's more beneficial to eat foods that will benefit your immune system regularly! Eating healthy doesn't mean you need to eat a salad at every meal, but it's a good idea to aim to eat less processed foods. Make some soup recipes if you're feeling down. Broth and veggies together can help comfort a sore throat or aching stomach and are healthy, too!

3. Consume More H2O
Although simple, this health tip is used often for many reasons. Water not only keeps you hydrated should you already be sick and need to replace fluids in your body, but it also helps you flush some of the bad stuff out if you're harboring any flu germs. The recommendation is to drink half your body weight in ounces of water!

4. Keep Your Surroundings Clean
Sanitizing the areas around you, such as your workspace, is a simple way to maintain a healthy environment. Germs spread very easily, increasing your chances of getting sick. Using virus and germ killing soaps to keep your surroundings clean will stop the spread of any cold and flu bugs, ultimately helping you lead a healthier lifestyle.

5. Get Active
Exercise is another factor that can help boost your immune system. It can be a simple walk outside or an extra sweaty cardio session at the gym. Whatever method you choose, make sure you're getting your heart rate up and are breathing heavier than normal. Cardiovascular exercise can help excavate bacteria out of your lungs and airways.

6. Stay Home
Even if you're a person who's overwhelmed at work and think staying home will only hurt your schedule, don't go in if you have the flu! If you feel like you're getting sick, or are already sick, take caution and protect others around you. There's no sense in you exhausting your energy or spreading your illness onto others. Take time to rest at home with some water, vitamins, and sleep.

7. Get More Sleep

This may be a simple health rule but getting extra sleep when your immune system is compromised is crucial. Make sure you're getting 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep each night. It may also be a good idea to take some cold medicine before you lay down to ensure your body is fighting the sickness while you sleep. Getting more rest allows your body to fight off any flu germs and revive itself so you can do what you need to the next day. 

We hope these tips to stay healthy and avoid sickness all year long will keep you out of bed and enjoying each and every day at your best! Getting into a rhythm is a great way to incorporate these activities into your daily routine. You'll be thankful you did! Taking care of your car is just as important as taking care of yourself. It's our goal to help you get your vehicle ready to hit the road. We're here to take care of any routine maintenance, such as oil changes, tire rotations, and brake inspections, as well as much bigger service tasks. For your convenience, we've added a feature for you to schedule your service appointment online. Give us a call is you have any questions! It's time to keep you and your vehicle healthy all year long.

North Brothers Ford is located at 33300 Ford Rd Westland, MI 48185 and proudly serves as one of the premier dealerships in Metro Detroit, and is committed to exceptional customer service! Stop by or give us a call at 888-806-7163, our knowledgeable and helpful sales team will be more than happy to assist you!

Visit our website: www.northbros.com

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How to Maintain Fuel Efficiency During the Winter

WESTLAND, Mich. –– Your vehicle's fuel efficiency could decrease by 50% this winter, which means you'll end up shivering beside the gas pump more often than you'd like. Fortunately, you can maintain a higher level of fuel efficiency throughout the colder months by following our tips on how to maintain fuel efficiency during the winter. But first, it's worth looking at the reasons for why your vehicle's fuel efficiency decreases during the winter.

Why does fuel efficiency decrease during the winter?

A lower level of fuel efficiency during the winter can result from a litany of negative effects cold weather has on your vehicle. Take a look at the reasons FuelEconomy.gov provides:

• Engine and transmission friction increases in cold temperatures due to cold engine oil and other drive-line fluids.
• It takes longer for your engine to reach its most fuel-efficient temperature. This affects shorter trips more, since your car spends more of your trip at less-than-optimal temperatures.
• Heated seats, window defrosters, and heater fans use additional power.
• Warming up your vehicle before you start your trip lowers your fuel economy—idling gets 0 miles per gallon.
• Colder air is denser, increasing aerodynamic drag on your vehicle, especially at highway speeds.
• Tire pressure decreases in colder temperatures, increasing rolling resistance.
• Winter grades of gasoline can have slightly less energy per gallon than summer blends.
• Battery performance decreases in cold weather, making it harder for your alternator to keep your battery charged. This also affects the performance of the regenerative braking system on hybrids.

In severe winter weather, your mpg can drop even further.

• Icy or snow-covered roads decrease your tires' grip on the road, wasting energy.
• Safe driving speeds on slick roads can be much lower than normal, further reducing fuel economy, especially at speeds below 30 to 40 mph.
• Using four-wheel drive uses more fuel.

How to maintain fuel efficiency during the winter.

Taking into account the many reasons for why fuel efficiency decreases in the winter, you can counteract the negative effects of cold weather on your vehicle's fuel economy by following these tips on how to maintain fuel efficiency during the winter.

1. Limit the amount of cargo stored in your vehicle. Extra weight can add stress to your vehicle and cause it to work harder, decreasing its fuel efficiency. Removing snow and ice from the outside of the car before driving also shaves off a surprising amount of unnecessary weight. 
2. Park your vehicle in a garage during the winter. Parking your vehicle in a garage keeps its interior at a warmer temperature so your vehicle requires less fuel and time to warm up on cold mornings. It only takes 30 seconds for your vehicle's engine to warm up, but if it's parked outside it can take several minutes for your interior to reach a comfortable temperature, which wastes fuel and time.
3. Fill up your car early in the morning. When the outdoor temperature is colder, the density of gasoline or diesel is greater and takes up less space in your tank.
4. Give your vehicle regular routine maintenance. Routine maintenance throughout the winter is the best way to increase the life and fuel efficiency of your vehicle. During the colder months everything counts towards increasing your vehicle's fuel economy, from equipping your vehicle with a set of quality tires that provide the traction necessary for slick roads, to regular oil changes that help your vehicle perform at a high level on the coldest days.

As we head into winter and the temperatures plummet, North Brothers Ford can help you handle your vehicle needs to keep its fuel economy strong. From auto service to finding the perfect vehicle for the winter, we're happy to help you. 

North Brothers Ford, located at 33300 Ford Rd Westland, MI 48185, is proud to be one of the premier dealerships in Southeast Michigan committed to exceptional customer service! Stop by or give us a call at (888) 806-7163, our knowledgeable sales team will be happy to help!

Visit our website: www.northbros.com.

Follow us on: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Google+