Yesterday I made a Dutch-oven-full of white chicken chili. Stocked with three kinds of chilies – Anaheim, poblano, and jalapenos – the undertaking was one of my more "dangerous" cooking adventures. I don't know if everyone's as sensitive to jalapeno oil as I am, but despite my best efforts to keep my hands washed, I still experienced reactions – but they reminded me of a few things related to allergies.

Firstly, after one of my said hand-washings, I apparently still had residual oil on my hands – which was confirmed when my nose started burning and my eye started stinging. Apparently I'd brushed my hand in those areas of my face without realizing it. I realized how many times we actually touch our mucous membranes without much awareness. This is the way we contract many of our sicknesses.

Interestingly, saliva has an enzyme which can kill a lot of germs, so contact with eyes and nose may actually have a greater chance of making us sick than sharing a coke with someone. This frequent touching of our faces highlights the importance of even more frequent hand-washing, especially when we're out and about. And allergy and asthma sufferers, who are at increased risk of respiratory complications even from the common cold, must be particularly vigilant not to get sick.

Another thing I remembered as I enjoyed the spicy chili was that peppers can be instrumental in helping relieve cold symptoms. By clearing nasal passages, consuming spicy foods like hot salsa, a cayenne lemon drink, or my white chili can help those with colds breathe a little easier for a while. In fact, one of my favorite allergy/cold relief products is nasal spray formulated with capsaicin peppers.

For more tips on how keep from getting sick this winter, see Preventing Colds and the Flu.