1.  Eat garlic 

Garlic is antiviral, and antibacterial.  Include garlic in your diet, or take garlic tablets as a preventative against colds and flus. Garlic increases the activity of T-cells which are responsible for fighting viruses and bacteria.

2. Mushrooms

Mushrooms increase the levels of white blood cells in the body.  This is particuarly the case with Shiitake and Maitakke mushrooms, although even button mushrooms can improve immunity!  When preparing winter meals, consider adding mushrooms to reduce your chances of getting sick.

3. Minimize Sugar 

Sugar lowers the ability of your white blood cells to devour viruses and bacteria. Sugar drastically lowers your immune system within 30 minutes of consuming it, and these immunosuppressing effects last for more than 5 hours!

4. Deal with Stress

Stress is a natural part of life.  Whether we are dealing with stress from work, health issues or interpersonal relationships, its a known fact that stress lowers the immune system.   

Brief periods of stress will reduce your cellular immunity, or T cell responses.  The T cells are the cells which attack and devour viruses and bacteria.  Chronic stress reduces both the cellular AND the immune antibody responses to disease.  Antibodies are your body's immune "memory". 

Meditation has been shown repeatedly in research to reduce the stress hormones that alter your immune function.  

If you have around 30 minutes today, try this simple guided meditation by Jon Kabat-Zinn 

Jon Kabat Zinn Soundscape Guided Meditation

5.  Sleep

Research found that the circadian clocks of mice control an essential immune system gene that helps their bodies sense and ward off bacteria and viruses. When levels of that particular gene, called toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9), were at their highest, the mice were better able to withstand infections.  

Try to be in bed by 10:30pm to optimize your circadian rhythm and improve both your sleep quality AND your immune system.