Sam Wood: 5 tips on how to avoid sick days

Unfortunately there are no guarantees that you won’t get sick during winter. However, I definitely believe that you can make some smart choices to put the odds in your favour.

Boosting your immunity is your best defence mechanism when tackling the colder climates and escaping without a sniffle, so here are my top tips to stay at your best during winter.

Boost your nutrition \ You want to focus on plenty of nutrient-rich foods (like fruit and vegetables) and balance your diet with good quality fats, whole grains and lean protein.

I love immune-boosting foods with heaps of flavour like turmeric, ginger and garlic. These are some key nutrients you want to be consuming, and where to find them:

Vitamin C often springs to mind when you’re thinking about immune-boosting foods as it stimulates the production of antibodies. Vitamin C is found in citrus fruits, leafy green vegetables, capsicums, strawberries and brussels sprouts.

Vitamin E is a great antioxidant to help you fight off infection. You can get a dose of vitamin E by eating foods such as hazelnuts, almonds, broccoli, peanuts and sunflower seeds.

Foods that are high in carotenoids such as sweet potato, pumpkin and carrots (see the trend here?) are awesome for immunity. Your body turns the carotenoid beta-carotene into vitamin A and the antioxidant effect works to strengthen your bodies immunity.

Vitamin A helps your body fight infections by keeping the skin and tissues in your mouth, stomach, respiratory system and intestines healthy.

Zinc helps to ward off infection and to heal wounds as it assists your T cells to work efficiently. You can find zinc in meat, legumes, nuts and seeds.

Don’t skimp on sleep \ While most people load up on vitamin C to boost their immunity, they often overlook the importance of sleep.

When you sleep, your body produces and releases cytokines, a type of protein that targets infection and inflammation. So, if you’re sleep-deprived your body is less equipped to battle an illness.

Gutsy effort \ Gut health is very in vogue at the moment and for good reason. Up to 80 percent of your immune system is in your gut. A healthy gut helps your immune system’s T cells to develop so that they can understand when foreign organisms need to be fought.

Here are some simple ways you can improve your gut health:

■ Take a probiotic

■ Eat fermented foods (like kimchi and sauerkraut)

■ Avoid or limit alcohol, coffee and refined sugar

■ Eat lots of fresh vegetables, fruits, legumes and wholegrains

■ Ensure you are getting enough fibre in your diet

Get enough (not too much) exercise \ Moderate exercise can be beneficial for boosting your immune function but there’s a fine line as staying sedentary or over-exercising, which can achieve the opposite.

Drink lots of water \ Keeping hydrated is super important when it comes to your immunity. Water helps in the production of lymph, which is responsible for carrying white blood cells and other immune system cells. Up the immunity ante by infusing your water with citrus fruits.

If you’re trying to keep your immunity high and avoid catching a cold, by all means hibernate and hydrate, and remember to look after yourself from the inside out.

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