Sing your heart out, and wear a warm scarf...

Some of my simple tips to keep you well this winter

WiNTer is coming and with it lots of highly infectious bugs, not just Covid-19 but also the common cold and the flu. Several of my friends have already been struck down by the so-called ‘worst cold ever’ doing the rounds, which leaves those affected drained and ill.

So how can you reduce your chances of picking up something nasty? The secret is to reduce your exposure and bolster your immune system — here are some of things i do to keep the microbes at bay.

BELT OUT SOME TUNES

I ENJOY singing, particularly in the shower, so i was delighted to discover the many benefits of singing, not just on your mood but also on stress levels and your immune system.

in one study, carried out at the University of Frankfurt in germany, 31 volunteers were asked to sing for an hour, and a week later to listen to an hour of singing.

Their blood test results showed that actually singing, rather than listening to others sing, led to significant falls in stress hormone levels and a rise in levels of immunoglobulin a, an infectionfighting protein.

WRAP UP WELL

KEEPING your throat warm is an effective way to keep bugs at bay.

a few years ago, professor ron eccles, who set up and ran the Common Cold Centre at Cardiff University, told me that when it gets colder, one of the first things he does is reach for his scarf.

That’s because most of the viruses that cause colds and the flu replicate better in a cooler environment, like inside your nose and throat. Not only does keeping your neck and face warm reduce the chance that viruses will replicate, but recent studies from Yale University in the U.S. show that interferons (proteins that form a key part of your initial immune response) are less active at a cooler temperature, allowing more viruses to spread.

TAKE BRISK WALKS

WALKING briskly outdoors, particularly in woods, is a great way to keep your immune system in good shape. You get the benefits of exercise in boosting the immune system as well as exposure to light, which helps reset your body clock and should help sleep, itself an essential immune booster.

We know this thanks to a number of studies, including one published in the american Journal of Medicine in 2020 when a group of 115 post-menopausal women were randomly allocated to either 45 minutes of brisk walking five days a week, or stretching. at the end of a year, the walkers reported three times fewer colds than the stretchers. This is because aerobic exercise increases immunoglobulin.

and if you’re able to go for daily walks in a wood, then even better. Trees produce a range of gas-like compounds, including phytoncides (wood essential oils) which are anti-microbial and have also been shown to boost levels of our natural killer cells, white cells in the immune system that seek out and destroy viruses.

TRY PURPLE SAUERKRAUT

THERE are lots of vitamins and minerals that are important for keeping your immune system in good shape, but vitamin D is particularly critical and, as we move into the colder, darker months, it’s the one we are most likely to lack.

While eggs and oily fish are good sources, you will also probably need to supplement: the NhS recommends that between October and March, adults take 10 micrograms of vitamin D a day.

as well as eating plenty of fruit and veg, i also make purple sauerkraut — i chop red cabbage, onions and beetroot, mix in some salt and leave it to ferment for a few days. it is not only delicious but rich in probiotics, living bacteria that have been shown to help your body fight infections.

KEEP HYDRATED

DURING the winter we spend a lot more time in centrally heated rooms, which dries the air and the mucus lining our airways. The mucus helps trap microbes and if it dries out, it impairs your body’s ability to fight off infections. Which is why it is a good idea to keep yourself well hydrated.

That means drinking plenty of fluid (i aim for a glass of water with every meal, as well as plenty of tea and coffee).

THINK ZINC

ALTHOUGH vitamin C has its fans, a major review published in 2013 of dozens of studies concluded that taking it, even in mega doses, had no effect when it came to protection from getting a cold.

Zinc supplements, however, really do seem to have a beneficial effect. a review by Finland’s University of helsinki, looking at three big trials, concluded that taking 80 to 90mg a day of zinc acetate lozenges significantly cut the duration of a cold, with 70 per cent of patients recovering within five days compared with just 27 per cent of patients given a placebo.

ADOPT THE FIST BUMP

ALONG with masks and vaccines, one of the most effective ways to reduce the risk of infections is to cut back on hugging and handshakes and stick to elbow nudges or fist bumps.

in a study published in 2014, researchers from aberystwyth University found that shaking hands passed on at least twice as many bugs as fist bumping.

i’d also strongly recommend regular handwashing while singing ‘happy Birthday’ twice.