Ten Steps to Avoid Catching a Cold This Winter

If you pick three or more of the suggestions from this list - and stick to them - you'll substantially improve your immune strength and increase your ability to stay healthy through the dreaded cold and flu season.

1. Love your lemons.
Freshly squeezed lemon juice helps maintain the body at a pH which supports healthy bacteria instead of the viruses and harmful bacteria which thrive in more acidic environments.

 2. Give your body a herbal boost.
Hundreds of herbal supplements and tinctures exist to give the immune system additional support during the winter which are worth trying.

3. Get a full night's sleep.
Everybody's sleep requirement is different but whatever your sleep requirement is, try to make sure you get it! Sleep has been linked to balanced hormone levels, keeping weight down, clear thinking and reasoning, improved mood, and vibrant, healthy skin!

4. Eat plenty of protein.
Protein is a building block for a healthy immune system. Diets low in protein tend to be high in carbs which convert readily to glucose, spiking blood sugar and stressing the pancreas and the immune system.

5. Drink plenty of water.
As a rule of thumb you should be drinking, in daily ounces, half your body weight in pounds. (i.e. Body weight in pounds, divided by 2 = number of ounces of water per day.)

6. Cut down on your coffee.
Chocolate and coffee are two of the worst things you can do for your immune system. Caffeine robs your body of minerals and vitamins, and it dehydrates you. If you drink coffee, make sure you add an additional two glasses to your water intake per cup of coffee. A mineral supplement helps to offset caffeine's damage, too.

7. Cut out refined white sugar.
If you do only one thing to boost your immune system, eliminating sugar will do the trick. You'll see noticeable results in your energy levels and immunity once you break the cravings and stop eating refined sugar.

8. Stock up on raw fruits and vegetables
Raw fruits and vegetables have high levels of valuable antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, fibre and enzymes. The nutritional content that you receive from raw fruits and veggies is so much better than even great quality supplements.

9. Spend some time outside getting exercise. 
Exercise can make a noticeable difference to your health and happiness by releasing endorphins. Most of us spend 90% of our lives indoors, inhaling other people's germs!

Finally...

10. Wash your hands regularly!

For information about how to cope with a cold during pregnancy, click here.

Do YOU have any tried and tested remedies to help stave off a cold?  Why not share them? Click here to visit our forums or why not post a comment below.......