8 WAYS TO STAY SICK-PROOF

Cold and flu season is approaching, so it’s time to give your immune system some extra TLC! Boost your wellness with these simple tricks

1 TRY PROBIOTICS

About 70 per cent of your immune system is located in your digestive tract. Aid gut health by eating natural yoghurt, kefir, kimchi, miso and sauerkraut, or buy probiotics in supplement form. . They work best when combined d with prebiotics – special nutrients found in foods like legumes, wheat, oats, onions, bananas, honey and garlic.

2 LOOK AFTER YOUR LIVER

When it comes to strong immunity, your liver is your best friend. A diet that is low in sugar and based on healthy fats like olive oil and avocado, eggs, a little meat and fish, and whole foods like fruits and vegetables is best for your general health and will support your liver, too.

3 BE NUTRIENT RICH

Filling your plate with a wide variety of nutrient-rich whole foods ensures you’re getting a balanced mix of vitamins and minerals, which will go a long way to keeping your immune system running strong. Certain nutrients in particular, such as zinc and vitamin D, are essential for a well-functioning immune system.

4 GET MOVING

Yourur risk of catching a cold dro drops by 50 per cent when you’re fit, and if you do get infected, your symptoms will be 41 per cent less severe. Immunity improves slowly over time, so regular workouts are needed for the immune-strengthening effect. But don’t go overboard because very intense workouts have the opposite effect.

5 QUIT SMOKING

Smoking harms pretty much every organ in the body. Cigarette smoke contains high levels of tar and other chemicals, which make your immune system less effective.

6 SLEEP S WELL

Getting plenty of quality sleep – generally seven to nine hours every night – is vital as sleep deprivation can impact immunity. Studies show lack of sleep leaves you more vulnerable to viruses and slower to recover when fighting off an infection.

7 CUT BACK ON DRINKING

Drink too much alcohol and your immune system gets drunk right along with the rest of you. A session of binge drinking slows down special immune cells called cytokines that usually act as messengers to tell the body when to mount a defence against an infection.

8 AVOID A STRESS

Studies have shown chronic stress affects the immune system, so it’s important to do what you can to manage it well. Mindfulness meditation is particularly good, with recent studies showing it can power up immune system activity.