Staying Healthy During Cold & Flu Season
Shelby Stein, RDN, LRD – Community Dietitian
With cold and flu season upon us, many of us have gotten our flu shot (and if you haven’t, go get one!!) and are making a conscious effort to wash our hands more frequently. In addition, getting enough sleep, engaging in regular exercise, and eating well are all habits that help us stay healthy and keep our immune systems strong so we can fight off colds and the flu. But how exactly does our immune system work to keep us healthy and what roles do nutrition and physical activity play in all of this?
Our immune systems help to protect us against pathogens such as viruses, bacteria, and parasites. Many organs including the spleen, lymph nodes, bone marrow, and digestive system, along with other cells and tissues in the body, work together to destroy these pathogens to keep us healthy. Generally, our immune systems do outstanding jobs defending us against disease causing pathogens – just imagine how many germs and other pathogens we are exposed to everyday that our immune systems fend off. But is there anything we can do to boost our immune systems? At this time, research doesn’t support any specific lifestyle factors that radically boost immune function but what we do know is that living a healthy lifestyle helps every part of our bodies function optimally, including the immune system. Living a healthy lifestyle – not smoking, getting enough sleep, using alcohol responsibly, getting regular physical activity, and eating healthy – is the best thing we can do for our bodies, especially during cold and flu season.
Regular exercise helps protect us from a variety of diseases and contributes to general good health. Because exercise promotes good circulation throughout the body, it may contribute more directly to immune system health as the improved circulation moves immune cells and substances throughout the body. It can be hard to stay active during the winter months but try to find something you enjoy doing to get in some regular physical activity. The Awatii Wellness Center is open from 8am-7pm Monday-Thursday and 8am-6pm on Fridays; stop by to join for free and use our gym facilities during these cold months!
Healthy immune systems function best when they have regular nourishment. Eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, vitamins, and minerals helps keep our immune systems happy and us feeling good. Fruits and vegetables provide many vitamins and minerals, specifically vitamins C and A – get these immune supporting nutrients from foods like sweet potatoes, carrots, spinach, bell peppers, oranges, grapefruits, strawberries, and tomatoes. Zinc is a mineral that the immune system needs in order to work properly; it’s found in beans, nuts, seeds, whole grains like oatmeal, seafood, chicken, and lean meat. Include these nutrient rich foods on a regular basis to get plenty of zinc to support your immune system. What about vitamin and mineral supplements – do these help? Generally, if you think your diet is not very nutritious, for example, you rarely eat fruits or vegetables, a daily multivitamin/mineral supplement could be beneficial for overall health to ensure that all nutrient needs are being met. Your dietitian or doctor can help you decide if a multivitamin is right for you.
All that being said, sometimes our immune systems fail against a pathogen and we get sick. But getting a flu shot, washing your hands frequently, getting enough sleep, exercising regularly, and eating healthy are our best defenses during this cold and flu season.
If you’d like to set up an appointment with a registered dietitian for support in your nutrition and health goals or for assistance in planning a healthy diet, please give the diabetes program a call at 701-627-7931!