Tips for Avoiding Cold and Flu Season

While Southern California winters are more mild than in most other parts of the country, it still marks the beginning of the cold and flu season. Instead of just waiting around hoping you won’t catch anything, why not take a proactive approach? As they say in football “the best defense is a strong offense!”

Avoid cold and flu season this winter by building up your immune system with a few health hacks. Here are six recommendations to build up your immune system so you can go into winter armed and ready to fight off the bugs!

Drink extra water.

Most people forget to hydrate as much in the cooler months since it doesn’t feel as hot. But the truth is, you may need even more water with the dry winter air and heaters turned on. Make sure you are drinking at least 8-10 glasses of fresh water daily; and even more if you are exercising!

 Keep your digestion healthy with probiotics.

Probiotics are like the good bugs in your intestines that can also help fight off foreign invaders. Most of your immune system is actually located in the gut, so it makes sense to keep your gut healthy to maintain immunity!

 Chicken broth or bone broth soups.

It may seem so cliché, but grandma was right when she told you to have chicken soup for a cold. Since chicken broth is derived from bones, it is rich in several important minerals. An 8-ounce serving of chicken broth offers more than 200 milligrams of potassium, which is 10 percent of your requirement for the day.

Another high-profile mineral in chicken broth is phosphorous. Phosphorous aids in metabolism, helps build protein and healthy bones and teeth.

Eat some mushrooms.

Many varieties of mushrooms such as enoki, shitake, and oyster are great immunity boosters. They are loaded with ergothioneine, which is a powerful antioxidant that does not break down during the cooking process. If you are already making a soup or stew, throw some extra mushrooms in there!

 Rest, don’t stress!

Holiday season can certainly be the most stressful time of year; unfortunately stress also weakens our immune system. So if you are starting to feel overwhelmed (or even before then!) take a moment to relax and slow down. Even a 5-minute breath meditation can help re-charge your energy and immune system!

While these easy pointers will set yourself up for success going into cold and flu season, we also encourage you to call our office and schedule your annual flu shot! If you take the extra steps every day, you’ll be sure to make it through flu season healthy and happy!