Cold and flu season, yep… it's here again: along with the sniffles, infected sinuses, coughing, sneezing, fever, headache and chills. We all know about flu shots, and there are people who swear by them and others who swear at them, but maybe this will help. Following are 10 ways (besides cough and cold medicine) to boost your immune system during cold and flu season (with or without flu shots)!

Do you know the reasons cold and flu symptoms occur? It is actually the way your immune system fights off whatever virus you managed to pick up. Look at this:

• Fever – Higher temperatures will both slow down germ production and increase the performance of your immune system.

• Swollen Sinuses – Those nasty germs cause an army of immune cells to rush into battle after them.

• Drippy Nose – What this does is flush germs out of your body along with excess mucus.

You need to build up your immune system to lesson and possibly avoi the severity of the flu or a cold. Try some of these suggestions:

1. Eat a healthier diet. Eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and minimal saturated fats. Consume alcohol in moderation.

2. Get enough sleep. Americans are noted for being sleep-deprived!

3. Work at maintaining your weight, through diet and exercise.

4. Get control of your stress level and your blood pressure. Diet and exercise will help here, too.

5. Wash your hands often and thoroughly. This is one of the best ways to avert germ contamination. Both before and after handling food it is especially important to keep your hands clean.

Many homeopathic immune system boosters can be found in health food stores or online at reputable websites. Some natural things you might try would be:

6. Natural expectorants, cough drops that contain green tea, lemon, and/or honey will soothe that cough, and natural herbal teas will ease your stress, clear that stuffy nose, and help you sleep.

7. Vitamins and supplements that do not contain chemicals, colors and preservatives, can boost your immune system and lessen symptoms when you have a cold. Zinc, vitamin C and multiple vitamins are helpful…but not when you take too many.

8. Quit smoking. If you don't smoke, avoid those who do when you have a cold or the flu.

9. Have regular checkups, especially if you are elderly or if you have chronic conditions that would be exacerbated by a cold or the flu.

10. Believe it or not, routine also helps to boost your immune system during cold and flu season! Getting up at the same time every morning and going to bed at the same time every night helps regulate your body. Also, eating at normal times, and drinking plenty of water every day, will help to keep the stress level down and the germs at bay!

These are all great ways to stay feeling healthy, avoid doctor fees and staying away from antibiotics. Finding homeopathic cold remedies will also help you in these areas.

Tagged as: cold medicine, cough and cold medicine, cough medicine, homeopathic cold medicine, homeopathic cold remedies, homeopathic cough medicine