{"id":809,"date":"2017-11-28T10:25:02","date_gmt":"2017-11-28T10:25:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thebodymatters.co.uk\/blog\/?p=809"},"modified":"2021-07-26T12:21:31","modified_gmt":"2021-07-26T11:21:31","slug":"beat-the-cold-this-winter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thebodymatters.co.uk\/blog\/2017\/11\/beat-the-cold-this-winter\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Tips to Help Beat the Cold This Winter!"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Christmas is approaching fast and as sure as the festive season will be coming so will colds and flu. But what is it that makes us so much more vulnerable to catching a cold in the winter?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>One reason is that the rhinovirus \u2013 the virus that causes colds \u2013 becomes more resilient as temperatures fall, so our immune system has a harder time to fight it. At the same time, <em>we<\/em> are getting cold more easily and as our core temperature drops, our immune system doesn\u2019t function as well and slows down. Add to this the stress of long working hours \u2013 not to mention the stress of Christmas itself \u2013 and the alcohol and sugar consumed during the festive season and it is little wonder so many of us succumb at this time of year. So, what can you do to protect yourself?<\/p>\n<h3>#1 Get out more<\/h3>\n<p>Viruses thrive in dry air and staying indoors in our heated homes doesn\u2019t help. Even though indoors, we may still <em>get<\/em> cold, with many of us experiencing cold feet, which makes us more vulnerable, so make sure to wrap up warm at all times, whether you are inside or out. Getting out and moving keeps us fit and boosts the immune system. The long dark winter nights mean that we are getting less vitamin D \u2013 a vitamin made in the skin when exposed to the sun \u2013 so the best time of day to go out is lunchtime.<\/p>\n<h3>#2 Eat real foods<\/h3>\n<p>The immune system relies on certain chemicals to function properly, and our body can only work with what it is given \u2013 so give it quality. Meat, fish, seafood, fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds and whole grains all contribute to a stronger immune system. Processed foods are devoid of many of the vitamins and minerals we need and can actually strip us of the few we\u2019ve still got.<\/p>\n<h3>#3 Avoid sugar<\/h3>\n<p>Sugar fans the flame of inflammation and affects the ability of white blood cells \u2013 our immune cells \u2013 to fend off viruses and bacteria. In fact, the immune system stays depressed for hours after consuming sugar, according to recent studies.<\/p>\n<h3>#4 Stay hydrated<\/h3>\n<p>Our mucous membranes need to stay hydrated. If they dry out, their barrier function is impaired and viruses find it easier to get in. Moreover, fluids help the lymphatic system to flush out waste. Go for herbal teas, green tea or water instead. Lemon is rich in vitamin C and ginger has antiviral properties, tea made with those two is not only great to fight colds or flu, but also very tasty. Sweeten with a little honey \u2013 ideally even Manuka honey, which like ginger is antiviral and antibacterial, too. Ginger is also very warming and helps keep us snug when it\u2019s cold out.<\/p>\n<h3>#5 Make some chicken soup<\/h3>\n<p>Did you hear that chicken soup is great when you\u2019re sick? It\u2019s an ancient home remedy and not just an old wives\u2019 tale: Studies have shown chicken soup to be particularly helpful in reducing symptoms in upper respiratory system infections like the common cold.<\/p>\n<p><strong>If you find that you always catch every cold going, maybe you\u2019ll need a more targeted and personalised approach. Book in with our nutritional therapist to learn more about how to strengthen your immune system.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Christmas is approaching fast and just as sure as the festive season will be coming, so will colds and the flu. <\/p>\n<p><a class=\"btn-primary m-posts-readmore\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thebodymatters.co.uk\/blog\/2017\/11\/beat-the-cold-this-winter\/\" title=\"Read more\">Read more <em class=\"iconfont-logo-arrow\"><\/em><\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":835,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[199,150,200,202,40,201],"class_list":["post-809","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nutrition","tag-cold-and-flu","tag-food","tag-immune-system","tag-minerals","tag-nutrition","tag-vitamins"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>5 Tips to Help Beat the Cold This Winter! 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