Six steps to boosting your immune system during the cold months

September marks the beginning of the school year, daycare and in general marks the start of more indoors time than we had during the summer months. Cozy and warm also means more cold bugs spreading from person to person, which makes fall and winter two dreadful seasons when they should not be.

Bacteria and viruses that cause runny noses, coughing and headaches will never disappear, nor will they become less able to cause disease. What can change though is how your body faces the offensive. In short, a healthy immune system is what you should be aiming for rather than a bug-free world, which in fact is the opposite of the world as we know it  and want it (more on this on a future post!).

Fortifying your immune system can be done in a few easy steps. The secret behind making it successful is one word: consistency. Make the next few steps a routine and you’ll stand a better chance in front of the smallest enemies that can give you some hefty headaches (literally.)

1. Make time for outside activity every day, rain or shine. Avoid high traffic areas and have at least 30 minutes of walking, running, cycling or whatever gets your heart beating a bit faster. This will improve your mood, it’ll keep your muscles moving and that, combined with good deep breathing will make your immune cells more efficient in fighting cold bugs.
2. Avoid refined sugar if possible. Use fruit and dark chocolate to calm your sweet cravings but do not be surprised if sweet cravings will go away once you stop catering to them. Refined sugar has been shown to decrease the immune cells’ ability to exercise their defensive functions so avoid whenever possible and rely on natural, unrefined sources of carbohydrates if need be.
3. Try to eat simple but real comfort foods, such as root vegetable stews and soups, and include salads as often as possible. Use local, seasonal veggies such as kale (a hardy leafy green and a great ally in the war against cold bugs as it contains a good supply of antioxidants) and rely on the farmer’s market or local grocery store for close-to-home suggestions.
4. Apply the old ‘an apple a day keeps the doctor away’ but don’t stop at apples. Eat fruit often and for an extra immune boost, add yogurt and chia or hemp seeds. Yogurt will provide a good supply of beneficial bacteria, essential for a well-functioning immune system together with other probiotic-rich fermented foods such as sauerkraut and miso, and the seeds will add omega-3/6/9 oils, another essential building block of a healthy immune system.
5. Seek sunshine whenever possible but also consider, upon consulting with your health practitioner, taking a vitamin D supplement. Vitamin D has been shown to support and improve the functioning of the immune system and has proven to be a great addition to one’s health regimen during the winter months.
6. Get enough sleep. Tomes have been written about sleep. It’s a no brainer: lack of sleep weakens the immune system, hence cold bugs get the upper hand. Don’t let it happen.

Keeping disease-free is not an easy deed during the cold months, but it’s worth every bit of effort. Start today, get yourself and your family on a healthy path and enjoy every day. To your health!