There are many tricks we can incorporate into our daily living habits or routines to combat colds or the flu and stay healthy.

The immune system is the body’s natural defense against infectious organisms and other invaders. Through a series of steps called the immune response, the immune system attacks organisms and foreign substances that invade our body’s systems and can cause disease.
Here are a list of immune-boosting tips to help you stay healthy and active this winter season.
1. Eat foods that strengthen your gut health. 80% of your bodies immune system is in the gut. Start by eating probiotic rich fermented foods and drinks such as kraut, kimchi, kefir and
kombucha tea. There are many recipes for homemade fermented foods and kombucha tea or you can get these products in higher end grocery stores. A local company called The Brinery, their link: brinery.com has some awesome fermented products on the market. Increasing probiotics in the gut will help build up the good bacteria in your body and boost the immune system.

2. Proper supplementation. Taking vitamin C powder in the form of simple ascorbic acid. If you feel something coming on start loading up 5-7 milligrams a day spread out. This is one of the
most inexpensive ways to help boost your bodies immune system. Colloidal silver is another supplement that can be taken, acting as an antiviral, anti-fungal, antiseptic agent to our bodies.
It can be taken orally 1-2 tablespoons per day, used as a nasal spray to combat sinus infections or gargling for a sore throat.

3. Bone broth soup. This is a hidden treasure. Bone broth soup is great for immunity and very healing to the gut for all of us but specifically for those suffering with IBS, Leaky gut syndrome
and other digestive issues. This is very rich in collagen which is great for hair, skin, nails and joints. You can purchase soup bones from the butcher or meat counter, check out this link:
fatburningman.comhow-to-make-bone-broth-to-heal-your-gut-reverse-aging-cure-the-commoncold

4. Proper hydration. Staying hydrated helps with detoxification and functioning optimally among numerous other benefits. Our bodies are made up of 75-77% water, a good rule to strive for is
divide your body weight in half and that is the number of ounces of water you should be drinking a day. Herbal teas are also good for boosting immunity, and fresh squeezed organic lemons in
our water gives an added benefit of cleansing & alkalizing the body.

5. Take optimal amounts of Vitamin D3. Many people are walking around Vitamin D3 deficient and this can cause your immune system to suffer. Here is a great article by Dr. Mercola that
goes more in-depth: articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/02/23/oral-vitamin-dmistake.aspx

6. Minimize coffee intake. Caffeine is known to increase cortisol which can temporarily lower the immune system. If you are going to drink it, drink a cup in the morning and preferably
organic. A better option is to drink a quality organic green tea instead of coffee. Caffeine also dehydrates you so drinking caffeinated products means you need to up your water intake to
compensate for that.

7. Sweat it out. Lay in the sauna or steam room for small periods at a time while drinking plenty of water & infusing Eucalyptus essential oils. This helps with detoxifying the body and increasing
body heat which helps improve circulation.

8. Eat clean, nutritious food. You are what you eat. Limit grains and eliminate processed sugar. Sugar causes more inflammation in your body. Fuel your system with lean proteins such as
grass fed meats, organic chicken, fish or turkey. Eat healthy fats such as avocados, raws nuts and seeds and extra virgin first cold pressed olive oil and fermented dairy such as cheese,
yogurt and kefir.

9. Drink raw apple cider vinegar with the mother such as Braggs brand. I put two tablespoons diluted with 8-10 oz. water first thing each morning upon waking. This has so many wonderful
benefits including boosting immunity, hydration, detoxification and is fantastic for gut health and alkalizing your body.

10. Manage stress. Stress is a silent killer and definitely contributes to lowering immunity. Try managing stress by taking time for things you enjoy, exercising daily (medium to heavy resistance training) and cardio plus getting plenty of rest each night. 7-8 hours of sleep a night is recommended for optimal brain health.