Put Up Your Defenses

Three ways to supercharge your immune system this season

YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM wards off most of the millions of germs you come in contact with every day. So it's no wonder that every once in a while, some get through.

Fortunately, there are steps you can take to make your immune system perform even better. With these three lifestyle adjustments, you will be on your way to making it through the winter season cough- and sneeze-free.

1. Eat Your Greens

A healthy diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains has long been linked with good health - helping people avoid heart disease, diabetes, even cancer. So it stands to reason that eating the right foods can affect your day-to-day health too. Nutrients and antioxidants in vitamins and minerals are important in warding off viruses and infections.

2. Move Your Body

Just as exercise strengthens your muscles, it also strengthens your immune system by boosting antibody and T-cell responses, according to Cleveland Clinic. The best news is that you don't need much of it to benefit. Just 20 to 30 minutes of brisk walking five times or more per week is enough to get your defenses up. Plus, exercise improves sleep and mood, which are also connected to immunity.

3. Get a Massage

Sound too good to be true? It isn't. In fact, one of the biggest risk factors for falling ill is stress. Regular massage therapy not only helps alleviate stress, but also strengthens the immune system and its cytotoxic capacity (the activity level of the body's "natural killer" cells) and decreases the number of T-cells, which improves the body's immune functioning. -By Shelley Flannery