Sleep is a healing force
Much like eating or breathing, getting a good night’s sleep is fundamental toward supporting a healthy immune system. The majority of the body’s healing happens while we sleep. Tissues are repaired, new cells are created, and the body takes some needed time out from walking, talking and digesting so it can turn its focus inward and replenish energy stores.

Ideally, you should fall asleep within five minutes of lying down, sleep through the night, and wake feeling refreshed and alert. Research suggests eight to nine hours of sleep each night is optimal. If this description sounds laughable when you consider your current sleep patterns, consider incorporating some of the following rituals into your nightly routine:

- Turn off the TV and shut down the computer a minimum of 30 minutes before bedtime.
- Remove electronic equipment, paperwork, food, books and other clutter from the bedroom to create a calm, peaceful space.
- Make sure your bedroom is quiet and dark at night.
- Keep a notebook and writing utensil next to your bed to capture any repetitive thoughts that may be keeping you awake.

Stress can weaken your system
Stress bears a curious relationship to illness. People who are ill are more likely to suffer from depression and people with depression or chronic stress are more susceptible to getting sick. Understanding this relationship can go a long way toward avoiding infection during cold and flu season.

For many people, the holiday season is a time of increased stress. Travel, changes in routine, even celebrating with in-laws can lead to elevated stress levels. An easy way to assess your stress level is to take a moment to tune into your body and take inventory. Ask yourself the following questions:

- How do I rank in the moment? On a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is feeling totally carefree and 10 is feeling paralyzed by stress, rank your current stress level.

- Do the muscles between my shoulders and neck feel tight? Take a moment to release these muscles by rolling your shoulders forward and back and rocking your head from side to side (ear to shoulder).

- Am I breathing shallowly? Taking deep, slow breaths (five seconds in, five seconds out) can help to increase feelings of calm and relaxation.

Stay hydrated!
Most of us do not consume the recommended 64 ounces of water each day, and this means we’re chronically dehydrated. It becomes a real problem during cold and flu season because the tissue of our nasal passages and lungs are lined with fine hairs that constantly pulse upward toward our mouth and nose, pushing out bacteria and viruses that may enter through breathing. When you’re dehydrated, these tissues and hairs can’t function as well -- and you run the risk of those bugs taking residence in your respiratory tract instead of being flushed out of your system.

Besides drinking more water when you’re feeling ill, try drinking herbal tea. From chamomile to mint, herbal teas possess a range of beneficial compounds that can help relieve congestion, soothe your stomach and help you sleep better.

Any herbal variety that suits you while feeling sick is fine, although it’s best to stay away from caffeinated versions; caffeine is a diuretic and can exacerbate dehydration. (Here’s a bonus: Non-caffeinated herbal teas can count toward your daily goal of 64 ounces of water.)

Choose your meals carefully
Regardless of whether you’re a vegetarian, omnivore or flexitarian, avoiding animal products while feeling sick can help support your body as it fights off infection. Animal protein is especially challenging for your body to break down and the digestive process requires a lot of energy. Vegetarian protein sources such as tofu, beans and nuts are easier on your body and still supply the protein needed to make immune cells.

In addition to avoiding meat when sick, many health practitioners suggest cutting out dairy, as it may increase congestion. For many of us, one of the most annoying aspects of a cold or flu is a runny, drippy nose. Avoiding cheese and milk -- along with the resulting congestion -- may be one way to minimize this symptom a bit as your body works to overcome infection.

Feeling achy? Take a bath!
There’s nothing like a warm, soothing bath to ease the aches and pains of a cold or flu. However, a bath provides more benefits than just relaxation. Known as hyperthermia treatments, warm-water baths are used by naturopathic physicians to induce a fever.

Although high fevers can be damaging to the body, a fever of a few degrees can actually be quite helpful. A fever is one of the body’s most powerful defense mechanisms against infection. When the body increases its internal temperature, immune cells work faster and more efficiently, putting the body’s systems into overdrive. In addition, many bacteria and viruses are highly sensitive to changes in temperature. A change of just a single degree may be enough to kill off the infection. Here are some tips for getting the most out of your bathtub soak:

- The bath should be hot enough that it causes you to sweat, but also comfortable enough to sit in for at least 10 to 15 minutes.
- Keep a cold glass of water next to the tub, along with a cold washcloth in a bowl of ice water to press to your face and head as needed.
- After your bath, quickly dress in warm clothing such as sweatpants, then lie down. Trapping in the heat from the bath will allow you to maintain an elevated temperature for an additional 30 to 45 minutes.

Another water therapy commonly used by naturopathic physicians is something called contrast hydrotherapy. Exposing the body to alternating cycles of hot and cold water has a variety of beneficial effects on the circulatory and lymphatic systems. Hot water causes blood and lymph vessels on the surface of the skin to dilate, opening pores in the skin and promoting detoxification.

Cold water has the opposite effect, contracting superficial vessels and pushing blood and lymph contents into the heart, lungs, kidneys and liver to be filtered and cleansed. When alternated back and forth, this process has a pumping effect, moving inflammation and damaged cells away and out from the body while moving healing nutrients and immune cells to areas of infection. Complete the following steps to perform contrast hydrotherapy as you shower:

- Start with warm water at the temperature you typically use for bathing.
- Soak your head, hair and front of your chest.
- Rotate 90 degrees and lift your arm to expose the side of your chest and armpit to the warm water.
- Rotate another 90 degrees, allowing the water to soak the back of your neck and back.
- Complete the rotation by soaking the other side of your chest and armpit.
- Spend about 10 seconds or two full, deep breaths at each point in the rotation.
Once you’ve completed the warming cycle, turn the water to cold (you’ll know you’ve got the correct temperature when it takes your breath away!) and repeat the steps. Note: You can complete as many rotations of hot and cold as you wish -- just be sure to end on a hot cycle.

From sleep to nutrition and the mind-body connection, the trick to keeping colds and flu at bay is to incorporate some simple yet powerful practices into your daily lifestyle. If you do get sick this season, don’t despair -- just refocus on behaviors that support your body and mind and give your system the support it needs to heal quickly and return to health.