Catching cold or flu can be nasty! Oh, I hate the days when you have 101 things to do but are forced to stay in bed just because your body won’t cooperate. Having cold and flu may look oh-so-simple for us seniors and don’t require much but a day’s worth of good R&R but it can also be annoying especially if it comes around wrong times of the year, say, when you’re about to leave for a skiing trip or perhaps closing a big deal in the middle of the week!

Do note that your body is most vulnerable to catching common cold and flu if your immune system is running so low. Your first indication for such case is fatigue, that is, if you find yourself dragging your body out of bed every morning and all throughout the day. With that said, you should also note that when your immune system is low, your defenses are down too and infectious diseases like colds and flu are, well, opportunists.

The only way to fight cold and flu is to prevent them, and to prevent them, you’ll need to boost your immune system. Think of it this way, you’re not only building your defenses high but you’re doing your body a favor! Here are simple ways to boost your aging body’s defenses today!

•    Avoid stress. Stress must be the biggest enemy of your immune system as it keeps your system on its toes, running around trying to find the aggressor when there’s none. Due to stress, your body’s resources are used hence depleted making you vulnerable to infectious diseases.
•    Get enough sun! Vitamin D is crucial in activating your immune system or keeping it going strong, particularly its ability to find and destroy infectious viruses and bacteria. When your body lacks vitamin D, the cells that are responsible for such activity remain “dormant”.
•    Super soup to the rescue! Remember how homemade, made from scratch kind of soup can make you feel instantly good? It’s not just because it was made out of love but also the ingredients in it, when simmered, make it easier for the body to absorb the nutrients it needs to combat invading viruses.
•    Add vitamin A and C to your everyday list! These two are immune boosters. Beta-carotene found in vegetables are known to strengthen cells and enhance immune responses.
•    Get enough rest. Abusing your body or even always pushing it to its limit can never be good. You need to give it its much deserved rest when tired. Quality rest can help your immune system stay in tiptop shape.