Few easy tips to boost your immune system and stay healthy this winter season!!!

Eat Your Vitamins
Researchers believe eating these foods may enhance the immune system. Try adding them to your daily meals:
Vitamin C-rich foods, like citrus fruit and broccoli
Vitamin E-rich foods, like nuts and whole grains
Garlic
Zinc-rich foods, like beans, turkey, crab, oysters, and beef
Bioflavanoids, which are found in fruits and vegetables
Selenium-rich foods, like chicken, whole grains, tuna, eggs, sunflower seeds, and brown rice
Carotenoid-rich foods, like carrots and yams
Omega-3 fatty acids, found in nuts, salmon, tuna, mackerel, flaxseed oil and hempseed oil

Manage Stress
According to the National Institutes of Health, hormones (like cortisol) that hang around during chronic stress can put us at risk for obesity, heart disease, cancer, and a variety of other illnesses. Take time out of your day to do a relaxing activity you enjoy, like journaling, meditating, going for a jog, or talking to a friend on the phone. Return refreshed and kick your stressors to the curb!

Drink in Moderation
According to a 2007 article in the British Journal of Nutrition, there is an increasing body of evidence linking health benefits linked with moderate consumption of polyphenol-rich alcoholic beverages, like wine or beer. The article states that, while heavy alcohol use can suppress the immune response, “moderate alcohol consumption seems to have a beneficial impact on the immune system compared to alcohol abuse or abstinence.” So for the time being, the advice remains: everything in moderation.

Work Out Regularly
According to the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports (PCPFS), data from numerous studies show that regular exercise reduces the number of sick days. In three separate studies cited in the June 2001 issue of the PCPFS’ Research Digest, women who engaged in 35-45 minutes of brisk walking, five days a week, for 12-15 weeks experienced a reduced number of sick days compared to the control (sedentary) group. A consistent fitness program may be your ticket to better health!

Prevention is the key
According to the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) "it appears prudent for all adults to take vitamin supplements". Choosing high quality nutritional supplements containing optimal levels of vitamins, minerals and other important nutrients your body will greatly appreciate for disease
prevention.

Drink Your Water
Water helps to cleanse the body and remove toxins, including germs. By keeping body systems, especially the respiratory system, well hydrated, you can enhance your virus-fighting potential. You know that: 8 cups a day will keep doctor away!

Get Enough Sleep
According to authors of a sleep study published in 2001 in the journal Seminars in Clinical Neuropsychiatry, just a few days of sleep deprivation can be detrimental to one's immune system. The average adult should be getting 7 to 8 hours of sleep per night, although some people need as few as 5 hours, while some need as many as 10 hours. Make sure you avoid caffeine and other stimulants before going to bed to ensure that you will be well rested.

Eat Your Vegetables
When you eat vegetables from the brassica family, which includes broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and cabbage, they produce a chemical that can stop the growth of cancer cells and boost your immune system, according to research published online in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry from the University of California, Berkeley. Choose a variety of veggies, including broccoli, to meet your daily quota.

Listen to your body
Whatever you do, listen to your body.
During exercise, you deplete glycogen and raise cortisol, putting your body into a catabolic state that is the first step towards building stronger muscles. Remember about recovery foods. Even if you don't feel hungry immediately after exercise, your body needs the resources to restore itself and build new muscle.
Consume carbohydrate, such as fruit or juice, within 15 minutes post-exercise to help restore glycogen.

Follow these few simple steps and you'll experience new YOU, staying healthy, loosing weight and keeping your stress levels under control for years to come!

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References
> Fairfield KM, Fletcher RH. Vitamins for chronic disease prevention in
> adults: scientific review. JAMA 2002; 287:3116-3126.
> Fletcher RH, Fairfield KM. Vitamins for chronic disease prevention in
> adults: clinical applications. JAMA 2002; 287:3127-3129.
>parts of article from SparkPeople.com