From MORE sex to walking the dog and a having a hug, experts reveal 10 tips to ward off the flu
Winter is fast-approaching, but a team of nutritionists share their top tips to boost your immune system
For millions of people, colds, flu and blocked noses are a standard seasonal misery.
Shared office space, air-conditioning and public transport quickly double as breeding grounds for germs, making it near-impossible to avoid infection.
But, according to medical insiders, sniffling through silly season doesn't need to be your destiny.
Here, a team of health experts reveal their top tips for boosting your immune system and potentially escaping autumn/winter unscathed - offering an alternative to drugs and jabs.
1. Hot and cold showers
Changing the temperature of your morning shower can strengthen your body's defences.
This simple-but-effective tactic triggers the body's own immunity-building process, keeping you fit as well as fresh.
Shona Wilkinson, nutritonist at Superfooduk.com says: "A simple way to change your existing routine is to change the temperature of the water to either hot or cold every two minutes.
"This works by increasing two types of white blood cells called monocytes and lymphocytes.
"The immune system is stimulated by your body trying to warm itself up from the cold water, while switching to hot water every now and then stimulates your body’s detoxification system.
"The fewer toxins we have in our body, the more your immune system is better able to deal with bacteria and viruses."
2. Sex
As if we needed any excuse to have more sex, turns out it has added health benefits, too.
In addition to being rather energetic exercise - which is always a winner when it comes to well-being - there's proof it correlates with the body's defences.
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Cassandra Barns, Nutritonist explains: "There is a link between how much sex you have and how many sick days you take at work.
"Regular sex increases the number of IgA immune cells in your blood, keeping colds and flu in check."
3. Physical touch
When it comes to avoiding infection, common sense would suggest keeping your distance from other people.
But, actually, it seems that the reverse is true. This is because physical contact sparks a chemical reaction in the brain which has follow-on benefits in our bodies.
"A rub, a hug, and a passing touch all decrease the level of the stress hormone cortisol in your body," adds Shona.
"Cortisol decreases your immune response, so snuggle up to a loved one and enjoy the immune boosting properties of an embrace!"
4. Socialising
From Halloween and Bonfire Night to the obligatory office Christmas bash, autumn/winter is - without a doubt - party season.
However, while it runs counter-intuitive to our idea of staying healthy, socialising can actually help us side-step infection.
Contrary to logical thinking about the spread of colds and flu, research has proven that spending time with friends and family is a great way to decrease your chance of catching a cold.
"This is because, after socialising, your immune system works better," says Wilkinson.
5. Music
Who knew that Justin Bieber and Kylie Minogue could be your first-line of defence in a cold war?
Research tells us that because music triggers the feel-good chemicals in our system, it keeps listeners in in fine fettle.
Barns explains: "Soothing yourself with music, whatever your tastes may be, activates the same part of the brain as sex and food. This increases the amount of Natural Killer immune cells in your blood."
Better still, is making your own music. Musicians have even higher amounts of immune cells.
6. Meditation and Yoga
It's the exercise of choice for celebrities such as Gwyneth Paltrow and Jennifer Anniston.
Yet, despite being trendier than your average treadmill, meditation and yoga strengthens resistance as well as muscle tone.
"It works to increase immunity in two ways. Firstly it decreases the stress hormone cortisol, which has an immune-suppressing affect, and secondly, they have been shown to increase the electrical activity in the emotional part of your brain, which also command your immune system what to do," explains Shona.
7. Relax
Some stress is good for us. But long office hours, endless emails and that tricky work/life balance mean we can easily push ourselves too far.
Hence why relaxing shouldn't be underestimated when it comes to maintaining a healthy mind and body.
Why? Because stress hampers our ability to fight infection by making immune cells less sensitive to stimuli. As if that wasn't enough, Sheldon Cohen, Ph.D., a psychology professor at Carnegie Mellon University, also found that chronic stress lasting more than a month doubles the risk of catching a cold.
8. Pet the dog
It may sound barking mad, but canine companions aren't just good company - they also boost our body's in-built defence system.
Whatever the breed, studies suggest that dog-owners enjoy a significant increase in the immune cell IgA after petting their beloved pet pooches.
Don't worry, though - if you're not a dog person, try it out on your cat instead.
9. Experience nature
Spend the day chained to your desk?
Then it's probably time to get out and connect with life outside the office.
See, studies show that people who spend more time in parks and forests exhibit an increased function of the immune system.
"There are certain chemicals that plants omit into the air called phytoncides designed to protect plants from insects and from rotting, it also has a positive effect on human immune systems," explains Shona.
10. Get your Zzz’s...
There never seems to be enough hours in the day.
But, according to Dr Marilyn Glenville, that's still no excuse to try and compensate by sleeping less - which is precisely what we've been doing for the past 100 years.
"As a society we are sleeping less; the time we sleep each night has reduced from 9 hours to 7.5 hours since the 1900s," she says.
Sleep is important for your health because it gives your body time to recharge its batteries and repair cells and tissue. A recent study showed that missing even a few hours a night on a regular basis can decrease the number of ‘natural killer cells’, which are responsible for fighting off invaders such as bacteria and viruses.
"This will come as no surprise to those of us who succumb to colds and other illnesses when we are run down – normally after periods of inadequate sleep."
