Top 6 Ways to Stay Healthy This Fall & Winter

by JJ Virgin on November 10, 2017

Cooler temps mean plenty of fun: hot cocoa, sweater weather, and holidays with your loved ones. But they can also signal the start of sneezes, sniffles, and body aches.

Believe it or not, seasonal colds and flu are completely avoidable—with the right mix of smart habits and health hacks, you can support a strong immune system and stay well all year long!

The 6 tips below will help you face cold and flu season ready to feel your best.

Getting 7–9 hours of quality sleep each night is good for your gut — which benefits your immune health! My Best Rest Sleep Cheat Sheet gives you my favorite strategies to fall asleep and stay asleep. Get your guide FREE here.

Tip 1: Make sure you have enough vitamin D

Most folks know that vitamin D helps build strong bones. However, vitamin D also plays a key role in supporting your immune system.

Studies show that not only can vitamin D help prevent infection, it can also shorten the length of an illness.1 That makes vitamin D an important part of your immune health regimen.

The best way to get vitamin D is plenty of sunshine. Exposure to direct sunlight for 20–30 minutes a day is all you need to make this powerful hormone yourself. So it’s no coincidence that rates of illness rise during the winter, when sunlight is scarce.

If you’re not getting your daily dose of sunshine, you may benefit from a daily vitamin D supplement.* I take Vitamin D Plus, a potent blend of vitamin D3, plus vitamin K for optimal absorption.*

Tip 2: Keep moving

It turns out you actually can outrun those winter bugs!

You've heard me talk about the benefits of burst training for revving up your metabolism and burning away fat. Regular exercise also increases the production of immune cells that help to ward off pesky invaders.2,3

The best news is that you don't need to spend hours in the gym to strengthen your immune system.

Tip 3: Dial down inflammation

It's crucial to dial down inflammation levels in your body to keep your immune system functioning optimally throughout the winter months.

Battling chronic inflammation weakens your immune system, making it harder to ward off germs. The main culprits behind inflammation are highly reactive foods such as gluten, soy, and dairy, along with a high Sugar Impact diet.

Stay on top of your Sugar Impact and get plenty of natural immune boosters in your diet, including healthy Omega-3 fats and coconut oil, as well as a variety of superfoods.

Tip 4: Add more antioxidants

There’s truth to the old saying that vitamin C fights off a cold! Antioxidants like vitamin C help decrease your risk of infection and protect your immune cells.4.5

Add these 7 tasty, antioxidant-rich foods to your menu, and you’ll be well on your way to defending against cold and flu germs.

Tip 5: Be good to your gut

Your gut houses 70% of your immune system and contains an entire ecosystem of trillions of microbes that play a major role in your immune function.6

That’s why it's vitally important to keep your gut healthy, so you have more good guys to protect you from bacteria and viruses that can cause illness. Check out these 7 Foods for Great Gut Health to help replenish your healthy gut flora and maintain a strong immune system this winter.

Tip 6: Get your Zzzs

Research proves that you need 7–9 hours of quality sleep each night to stimulate the production of immune cells that help fight infection.

In fact, one study found that participants who slept less than 6 hours a night the week before were 4 times more likely to catch a cold than those who got more rest!7

The lesson? If you want to stay healthy, you need to get good sleep! Find out 7 Easy Ways to Fall & Stay Asleep and start helping out your immune system tonight.

Here’s to a winter full of fun times, great memories, and zero sick days!

No more compromising on great sleep! Our Sleep Support Bundle combines 2 effective supplements that help you get great sleep: Sleep Candy™  (which includes melatonin, L-theanine + other sleep support nutrients) and Magnesium Body Calm. Combined, both supplements help you fall and stay asleep… every single night. *

The views in this blog by JJ Virgin should never be used as a substitute for professional medical advice. Please work with a healthcare practitioner concerning any medical problem or concern. The information here is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or condition. Statements contained here have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

References

1 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3166406/
2 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16906627
3 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16136008
4 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21506934
5 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022030293776171
6 Chassaing B, Kumar M, Baker MT, Singh V, Vijay-Kumar M. Mammalian gut immunity. Biomed J 2014;37:246-58
7 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4531403/