Health Advice from Alfi - Autumn / Winter 2014 Autumn / Winter | Page 14

1. Eat Well

5. Embrace Garlic Breath

Keep your immune system at its best by ensuring
you eat a well-balanced diet. Hot drinks and meals
will also help to keep you warm. For your immune
system to be able to respond and defeat infections,
it requires you to intake enough proteins, vitamins
and minerals.

Heavily loaded with allicin, garlic is rich with both
antibacterial and antiviral properties making it a
perfect ingredient in winter meals. A UK study tells
that individuals who take garlic supplements reduce
their chance of catching cold by more than 50%.
Take it in tablet form or add it fresh to meals.

2. Hydrate, Then Hydrate Some More
Dehydration is the most-common reasons why
bacteria and viruses tend to hang around and
continue to make you feel ill. You may never feel
thirsty during the winter but staying hydrated is
just as beneficial as it is during the warm summer.
Some simple ideas include starting each day with
a glass of lemon water to help boost your immune
system, drink several glasses of water and mix it
up with juices and herbal teas. Remember that
as comforting as tea or coffee are, they can cause
dehydration so should be drunk in moderation.

'Staying
active during
winter is vital for
health and wellbeing.'

3. Quit Smoking
If you haven’t already quit, now would be the
time to do so. Smokers are more susceptible
to upper respiratory infections, which tend to
strike during winter. Smoking also decreases the
effectiveness of your immune system, leading to
other complications and illnesses.

'Garlic is rich with both antibacterial
and antiviral properties.'

4. Sleep Well

6. Get the Flu and Pneumo Jab

Adequate sleeping (at least 8 hours for an
adult) helps keep the immune system strong.
Avoid cigarettes, alcohol and caffeine as these
can affect the amount and quality of your sleep.
Regular relaxation techniques, moderate exercise
and establishing a regular sleep routine can help
promote better sleep time.

The elderly and those with chronic illness run
a higher risk of catching a flu. So it is wise to
talk to your GP about getting a flu jab. Also, the
pneumococcal vaccine is a one-off jab that helps
protect against pneumonia, septicaemia and
meningitis.

13 | Autumn Winter 2014

7. Keep Moving
Exercise boosts the immune system by promoting
production of white blood cells that fight off flu,
cold and infections. Although it is a bit harder
to find the motivation to exercise when it is cold
outside, remember that staying active during winter
is vital for health and wellbeing.

8. Consider Your Mental Health Too
Many of us feel more lonely and isolated during
the winter when the short days mean we venture
outside less and see fewer people. If you notice you
are feeling lonely, invite a friend or a family member
around for a chat. You may also express your
anxieties to a GP.
Autumn Winter 2014 | 14