1. Wash your Hands
A basic tip, but an important one, because washing your hands is the easiest way to prevent the spread of infection. Try to wash for at least 15 seconds, with soap, and make sure you don’t miss the areas between your fingers.
2. Minimize Refined Sugars
Refined sugars decrease the ability of white blood cells to attack bacteria, and also can contribute imbalances in the good and bad bacteria of the gut, leading to decreased immune function. Avoiding pop, juice, baked goods, candy, and other foods and drinks high in refined sugars will help keep your immune system working at peak condition.
3. Eat Lots of Fruits and Vegetables
Getting a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, with a wide variety of different colours (especially deep greens, oranges and yellows) will ensure that your immune system has nutrients it needs, like Vitamins A and C, to fight off infection.
4. Eat Moderate Amounts of Healthy Nuts, Seeds, and Lean Meats
Nuts (particularly almonds, walnuts, Brazil nuts), seeds and lean meats contain protein, which makes up the basic building blocks of your immune system, as well as other nutrients needed for optimal immune function. However, because of the high amount of fat often present in these foods, try to stick to small servings (about the size of your palm).
5. Improve Stress Levels
Stress is a natural part of life for everyone. Unfortunately, our bodies response to stress is more suited to short, quick threats, like a passing tiger, than the long, lingering problems and deadlines that plague us today. A major flaw in this design is that when we are stressed, all available resources are diverted to systems, like our heart and muscles, that will help us either fight or flee the source of danger. Other systems, like our immune system, are put on hold until the stress goes away. When the stress doesn't go away, but stays for weeks or months, we end up at risk of catching anything we encounter.
Decreasing stress is a complex process, but simple steps like taking time for deep breaths, getting a massage or doing yoga can sometimes make a huge difference. Naturopathic doctors also have a number of tools to help with stress relief on an individual level, including counselling, nutritional supplementation, herbs and acupuncture.
6. Make Sleep a Priority
Life can get busy, especially during the holiday season, and it might feel like there aren’t enough hours in the day to get everything done. Unfortunately, if you cut into your sleep hours to find the time, you’re increasing your chances of losing much more time to illness. Make sleep a priority now, to make sure you have the energy and health to tackle tomorrow’s tasks.
With these steps, you’re well on your way to getting through the cold and flu season. There are a number of other approaches that may be suited to your individual situation. Seeing a naturopathic doctor who can assess the best treatments for you can help to get your immune system working its best to get you through this cold and flu season.
A basic tip, but an important one, because washing your hands is the easiest way to prevent the spread of infection. Try to wash for at least 15 seconds, with soap, and make sure you don’t miss the areas between your fingers.
2. Minimize Refined Sugars
Refined sugars decrease the ability of white blood cells to attack bacteria, and also can contribute imbalances in the good and bad bacteria of the gut, leading to decreased immune function. Avoiding pop, juice, baked goods, candy, and other foods and drinks high in refined sugars will help keep your immune system working at peak condition.
3. Eat Lots of Fruits and Vegetables
Getting a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, with a wide variety of different colours (especially deep greens, oranges and yellows) will ensure that your immune system has nutrients it needs, like Vitamins A and C, to fight off infection.
4. Eat Moderate Amounts of Healthy Nuts, Seeds, and Lean Meats
Nuts (particularly almonds, walnuts, Brazil nuts), seeds and lean meats contain protein, which makes up the basic building blocks of your immune system, as well as other nutrients needed for optimal immune function. However, because of the high amount of fat often present in these foods, try to stick to small servings (about the size of your palm).
5. Improve Stress Levels
Stress is a natural part of life for everyone. Unfortunately, our bodies response to stress is more suited to short, quick threats, like a passing tiger, than the long, lingering problems and deadlines that plague us today. A major flaw in this design is that when we are stressed, all available resources are diverted to systems, like our heart and muscles, that will help us either fight or flee the source of danger. Other systems, like our immune system, are put on hold until the stress goes away. When the stress doesn't go away, but stays for weeks or months, we end up at risk of catching anything we encounter.
Decreasing stress is a complex process, but simple steps like taking time for deep breaths, getting a massage or doing yoga can sometimes make a huge difference. Naturopathic doctors also have a number of tools to help with stress relief on an individual level, including counselling, nutritional supplementation, herbs and acupuncture.
6. Make Sleep a Priority
Life can get busy, especially during the holiday season, and it might feel like there aren’t enough hours in the day to get everything done. Unfortunately, if you cut into your sleep hours to find the time, you’re increasing your chances of losing much more time to illness. Make sleep a priority now, to make sure you have the energy and health to tackle tomorrow’s tasks.
With these steps, you’re well on your way to getting through the cold and flu season. There are a number of other approaches that may be suited to your individual situation. Seeing a naturopathic doctor who can assess the best treatments for you can help to get your immune system working its best to get you through this cold and flu season.
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