- Eat loads of vegetables and fruit - As well as ensuring you get the right levels of vitamins and minerals, eating at least 5 servings of fruit and vegetables per day has been linked to lower levels of cancer.
- Eat yoghurt or take a probiotic supplements - Studies have shown that people who do have fewer colds than people who don’t.
- Eat Vitamin C rich foods or take a vitamin C supplement
- Eat plenty of red foods - The red in foods like tomatoes comes from an antioxidant called lycopene, which keeps white cells in the blood (which help to fight infection) in peak condition. Processed tomatoes are a better source of lycopene than raw, so eat plenty of tomato sauces, juice and ketchup.
- Stop smoking (doh!) - Smokers suffer higher levels of respiratory infection than non-smokers as well as having higher risks of a whole raft of other diseases.
- Exercise moderately but don't overtrain - Working out for up to 45 minutes minutes, 3-5 times per week makes immune cells more active, with some studies showing that people who exercise had half the sick leave days of those who did not. However, extended exercise can do the opposite. Long sessions of high intensity exercise like 90 minutes of running raise levels of the stress hormones adrenalin and cortisol which can suppress immune-system activity for up to 3 days. So, if you do, make sure that you drink 1 litre of a glucose drink every hour of exercise as the sugar can cause the adrenal gland to release less cortisol.
- Get enough sleep - Sleeping less than 7 hours per night can double the chance of coming down with an infection as during deep sleep your body increases production of natural killer cells.
- Wash your hands - Studies have shown that people who wash their hands at least 5 times per day cut their risk of cold and other infections by half.
- Listen to music - Listening to your favourite music for half an hour per day raises levels of IgA, a protein that indicates how fast your immune system responds.
- Get a pet - Petting a dog or cat for 18 minutes raises IgA levels 12%
- Have sex (woo hoo!) - Having sex once or twice a week improves IgA levels too, and having an orgasm releases opioid peptides that enhance immune activity and kill bad bacteria.
- Eat garlic - Garlic contains at least 25 antibacterial and antifungal compounds so really does help beat infection.
- Eat more fibre - Fibre helps promote friendly bacteria in your gut, so helping to fight digestive infections.
- Drink cranberry and blueberry juice - They are full of antioxidants called flavonoids.
- Don't take antibiotics too often - Most viruses like colds and flu cannot be helped by antibiotics and taking them can kill the friendly bacteria in your body. So, take them sparingly, only when you really need them and they are appropriate and make sure you help replace the friendly bacteria with probiotic yoghurt.
- Drink lots of water - Making sure you are hydrated can help keep mucus membranes like those that line your respiratory tract moist and healthy, thus helping to prevent infection.
- Resist rubbing eyes and face - You carry many bacteria on your hands, by rubbing your face you can transfer them to your eyes and mouth, thus 'catching' the cold.
- Take a good nutritional supplement every day - It is always best to get the vitamins and minerals you need through your diet, but for that added bit of insurance take a good multivitamin and mineral tablet.
- Take Echinacea - Studies have shown that taking Echinacea helps reduce the chance of infection. However to get the best benefits, make sure you take it over limited periods of time with breaks in between.
- Reduce stress - Many studies have proven the link between stress and illness, making people 3 times more likely to catch colds. Reduce the stress in your life and if you are going through a period of stress you can't avoid, make sure you put time aside for yourself to relax. Also watch your favourite comedy films as a good laugh can counteract many of the effects of stress.
No more tonsillitis for me! Although i notice it doesn't mention the medicinal properties of alcohol..... damn!
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