30 Ways to Stay Healthy When Cold and Flu Season Is Lurking

“Stay hydrated” has become the new mantra for pretty much everything from losing weight to boosting energy, and it does provide some magic for improving health overall, says Tiffany DeWitt, R.D., a dietitian at healthcare company Abbott. Proper hydration levels can help your body clear bacteria more effectively, and if you’re already on the cusp of a cold, more hydration can loosen congestion.

Although water is the best beverage for hydration, you can also add in more foods with electrolytes and complex carbs, which help your body to better absorb the fluids you drink, says DeWitt. Opt for foods like celery, Greek yogurt, broth-based soups, and fruits and vegetables.

Skimping on sleep, or even just getting by on the minimum, can lower your immune response because you’re not giving your body the amount of restorative time it needs to fight off invaders, says Hannah Dove, D.P.T., C.S.C.S., at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, Calif. Deep, restful sleep makes your immune system more efficient, according to a recent study, and sleep deprivation can make you more susceptible to infection.

Tipping back a few too many—or even one more than you planned—can have a ripple effect on other behaviors that affect your health, according to Joshua Scott, M.D., primary care sports medicine physician at Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute in Los Angeles. That can include poor sleep quality, less-than-ideal food choices, less exercise, and greater dehydration, which can all negatively impact your immune system.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) emphasizes that washing your hands with soap and water can help prevent infections, especially since we’re so exposed to germs every day. For example, think about the potentially germy and virus-laden surfaces you touch, from elevator buttons and paper coffee cups to door handles and restaurant tables. Scrub up when you can.

Whether it’s resting your hand against your cheek, rubbing your eyes, or covertly picking your nose (no judgment), you likely touch your face more than you realize. Even with frequent hand washing, germs can still accumulate on the hands in the between-washing times, and the CDC notes that germs can easily get into the body through the eyes, nose, and mouth.

A big part of the “stop touching your face” rule is to keep your fingers, in particular, out of your mouth. The mucous membranes of the mouth are the perfect breeding ground for infections like the rhinovirus, according to Mayo Clinic. Also watch out for other potential infection sources making contact with your mouth—for example, sharing eating utensils or chewing on your pen.

Throughout history, even introverted artists and writers had daily routines that got them out of the lab or studio, said Alex Soojung-Kim Pang, Ph.D., author of Rest: Why You Get More Done When You Work Less. That fostered better physical health, but also more emotional balance and lower levels of depression, which can both contribute toward keeping you healthy.

As much as a debate might rage on Facebook whenever it’s mentioned, the flu shot is still considered the best way to protect against the flu, according to the CDC. Plus, you’ll be contributing to better protection for those who can’t get the vaccination, such as babies and people with compromised immune systems.

Chronic allergies can be a hit to your immunity, says Tania Mucci-Elliott, M.D., allergist and immunologist at NYU Langone Health. Allergies cause constant inflammation in your nasal passages and sometimes in your lungs, causing excess mucus production, she says. Bacteria and viruses love this environment for settling in and causing sick days.

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine point out that a huge proportion of your immune system is actually in your gastrointestinal tract. Cells lining the gut are responsible for producing antibodies that fight off bacteria and viruses. Help them out with tactics that boost gut health, such as lowering stress, increasing exercise, eating more vegetables, and increasing more probiotic-rich foods like yogurt and sauerkraut.

Exercise improves that way your body’s immune system fights infection, according to the National Institutes of Health. That’s because physical activity helps to flush bacteria out of the lungs and also increases your body temperature—a process that may prevent bacteria growth.

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People who have sex at least once a week may have higher levels of antibodies compared to those who have sex less often, according to one study. Although the sample size for that research was modest, it’s worth a try out, right?

If you need an extra couple minutes to rouse yourself, that’s fine, says Jerald Simmons, M.D., a sleep expert at Comprehensive Sleep Medicine Associates in Houston. But more than that can lead to you feeling groggy, because your body isn’t starting the chemical cascade that comes with being awake. Over time, that can impact your health because you start to feel “off,” and that might lead to less-than-ideal habits like overeating and staying sedentary, Simmons says.

Love your skin, and you’ll stay healthier. The skin is colonized by bacteria with a direct connection to the immune system. It’s basically the first line of defense against potential invaders, and when it gets dry, you’re more likely to get small cuts or scrapes that can allow the bad bugs to get in.

Magnesium is a natural sedative that helps your muscles relax and improves how you digest fatty acids and proteins, says Leslie Korn, Ph.D., MPH., a behavioral medicine clinician specializing in integrative therapies. Another benefit? Your digestion tends to create a more regular output, shall we say. All of this contributes to staying healthy, Dr. Korn says, especially if you’re the high-stress type.

Just like booze, too much caffeine can have a ripple effect on your health that leaves you more susceptible to colds and flu. A recent study noted that going over the 400 milligram (mg) mark—check your consumption with this chart—can affect your central nervous system, gastrointestinal system, and sleep quality. It can even amp up anxiety, which is another big downer for your immunity

To be considered an adaptogen, an herb has to offer support to the body and bring it back to equilibrium in some way. Most commonly used options include ginseng, holy basil, ashwagandha, and maca. Studies and clinical trials are still ongoing, so don’t consider these plants to be miracle cures quite yet. But according to research on their effects, they do show promise as a natural complement to other healthy lifestyle shifts like getting plenty of activity, eating a more plant-based diet, and getting enough sleep.

The term “superfood” is in danger of being overused, but in general, it means any food that is nutrient dense and confers additional benefits in some way, like improving heart health, says nutritionist and educator John Bagnulo, Ph.D., M.P.H. This includes fruit, vegetables, fatty fish, nuts, seeds, and legumes, he says. One top pick for cold and flu season is berries, since they are packed with antioxidants that reduce inflammation.

Refined sugar may be glorious to taste, but it’s not doing your immune system any favors. The sweet stuff can deplete your body of important nutrients like vitamin B, zinc, chromium, and manganese, says Elson Haas, M.D., author of Staying Healthy With the Seasons. All of these are necessary for tip-top functioning, so the more depleted you get, the bigger risk you’re taking for catching a cold or the flu.