Healthy Tips for Winter

Good Healthy Advice: nine proven ways to strengthen your immune system and stop getting sick.

Staying healthy in winter can be hard work. You compulsively slather on hand-sanitizing gel and turn your head whenever somebody sneezes, yet you still manage to catch cold after cold every winter. What gives? “Prevention isn’t just about avoiding germs. What you eat, how you handle stress, and what you do in your downtime are all factors in keeping you healthy,” says Woodson Merrell, M.D., the director of integrative medicine at Continuum Center for Health & Healing at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York. Incorporate a few of these habits into your routine: You’ll not only have a stronger immune system but feel healthier and happier, too.

1 work out smarter: max your potential

Who wouldn’t rather curl up on the couch than hit the treadmill on a dreary winter day? But moderate exercise–at least three or four hour-long sessions a week–helps generate endorphins. These feel-good chemicals strengthen your immune system by increasing the production of “natural killer cells,” white blood cells that destroy viruses. Focus less on the type of workout and more on your level of exertion, says Brian McFarlin, Ph.D., an assistant professor in exercise physiology and nutrition at the University of Houston. The goal is to break a sweat (an indication that you’ve reached the endorphin-producing threshold) without pushing yourself too much. Overly strenuous workouts can increase cortisol, a stress hormone that may lower the production of other infection-fighting white blood cells. If you feel irritable, have trouble falling asleep, or experience excessive post-workout fatigue (typical signs of overtraining), then ease up with gentler workouts, like walking, for a few days.

2 lighten up, laugh out loud

Laughing can build levels of the antibody IgA, the body’s first line of defense against germs, says Carl Charnetski, Ph.D., a psychology professor at Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. One study at Indiana State University in Terre Haute found that women who laughed while watching a funny film increased the activity of natural killer cells. Since laughter may enhance immune function, update your Netflix queue with more comedies or simply spend time with your funniest friends.

3 seize some extra z’s

You know you need eight hours of sleep to wake up on the right side of the bed, but a solid night of shut-eye also staves off illness, explains Philip Tierno, Ph.D., director of clinical microbiology and immunology at New York University Medical Center. Your body goes through several REM cycles–deep, regenerative sleep–each night, but you make the most immune-strengthening repairs during the last and longest one, which begins after seven hours of slumber.

4 get your groove on

It turns out that your obsession with Top 40 tunes can do more than lift your spirits. Charnetski’s research team conducted several studies on how music raises IgA levels, especially during times of stress. In one, scientists played jazz for half an hour in a newspaper office while 10 reporters were on deadline. During that time, IgA levels increased, and they continued to rise for at least 30 minutes after the music was turned off. But you can listen to any genre, be it bluegrass or hip-hop; as long as you like it, your health will benefit.

5 make time for your friends

You might think that having loads of friends raises your odds of catching colds: more people, more germs. But a wide social network actually gives you a stay-healthy edge. In one study from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, freshmen who reported feeling lonely had a weaker immune response to the flu vaccine than those who spent more time among friends. “Rewarding relationships allow you to experience positive emotions, which lower levels of immune-suppressing hormones like norepinephrine,” says Blair Justice, Ph.D., professor emeritus at the University of Texas School of Public Health in Houston.

6 round out your plate

Are you consistently skipping the salad or cooking the same chicken cutlets every night? You may be setting yourself up for a sniffle-filled winter. “It doesn’t take a major nutritional deficiency to weaken your immune system,” says Molly Kimball, R.D., lifestyle and sports nutritionist at Ochsner Medical Center’s Elmwood Fitness Center in New Orleans. “Even minor vitamin and mineral shortages can challenge your body’s defenses.” Choose a wide variety of whole foods, including brown rice, lowfat protein sources like fish and beans, and five to nine daily servings of fruits and veggies.

And make sure you’re eating enough. Even with a diverse diet, a too-low calorie intake deprives your body of the energy it needs to take care of daily functions, says Kimball.

7 learn the right way to lather up

You know that arming yourself against germs means washing your hands often. But how you scrub matters just as much, says Charles Gerba, Ph.D., co-author of The Germ Freak’s Guide to Outwitting Colds and Flu (HCI Books, 2005). Wet your hands and lather soap all over for at least 20 seconds–and not under the faucet, as it’s the friction between the soap and skin that dislodges the germs.

8 have sex more often

Avoid a distinctly unsexy stuffy nose by carving out time for lovemaking. In one study, men and women who had sex once or twice a week had substantially higher IgA levels than those who did it less often. Not dating? No problem. Research from the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami found that just experiencing touch, as with a professional massage, can also increase natural killer cell activity.

9 try the better herbal remedy

You may have sampled cold-fighting supplements like echinacea already. But astragalus, a plant root used in China for centuries, is the best preventive herb, says Andrew Weil, M.D., an integrative-medicine expert and author of Healthy Aging (Knopf). Available in health-food stores, it can prevent germs from taking hold in your body. Consider taking two 500-milligram pills daily during winter.

RELATED ARTICLE: 4 FOODS THAT HELP YOU FIGHT GERMS

garlic

When crushed or sliced, fresh garlic releases a substance called allicin, which is thought to have both antiviral and antibacterial properties. Add a clove to nearly any dish.

mushrooms

Certain varieties, including shitake, reishi, and maitake, contain potent poly-saccharides, sugar compounds that can increase white blood cell levels and prevent infection.

red bell peppers

One cup of chopped red peppers provides 190 mg of vitamin C–more than twice the amount you’d find in an orange–which raises levels of immune-protecting natural killer cells.

brazil nuts

With 33 calories and three grams of fat, just one of these packs more than the recommended daily allowance for selenium, a mineral that reduces cold symptoms.