The nights are drawing in and the air has a distinct chill in it. Love it or hate it, winter is just around the corner and with it comes the onslaught of coughs and colds. But that doesn’t mean you should automatically reach for the Lemsip. Nutritionist Liam Holmes reveals his top five tips for proactively warding off winter bugs, with not a medicine bottle in sight.
1. Exercise
Getting moving helps improve metabolic rate and this in turn helps your white blood cells battle against the bugs.
2. Sleep well
Sleeping is our body’s chance to recover and repair. By depriving it of this you will carry these over to the next days and beyond.
3. Breathe Right
Getting oxygen into your lungs helps your cells repair damage and your white blood cells to race round your body like Pacman.
4. Eat Right
We truly are what we eat and eating food that stress the body will divert the immune cells away from their true job of fighting off infection.
5. Fresh Air
When it’s cold, it’s tempting to close all the windows and stay inside as much as possible but these are the places where bugs like to spread. If you get the tube, think about cycling to work instead (what a great excuse!) If you get the bus insist on having the windows open.
Liam Holmes (MSc) has worked as a nutrition coach in elite sport for over 10 years, coaching athletes, Premiership footballers, cyclists and triathletes with his personalised approach to nutrition.
The osteopath clinic at Third Space Medical is focussing on immune health this month as we head into winter. Next week we will look at the top 10 foods that boost immunity. To book an appointment with Liam please call Third Space Medical on 020 7940 4937
