boost your immunity today

We in the southern hemisphere are rapidly heading into winter and combined with River starting school this year I have one thing on my mind and that is boosting our immune systems! A house full of sick males is something I definitely want to avoid. So, here's a list of things we're doing to hopefully see us through winter feeling strong and healthy or if we do happen to catch a cold hopefully this preparation will see it over as quick as it began. (I feel I need to write some sort of disclaimer here and say I am not a naturopath or doctor, this is what works for me and you may want to do more reading or check with a health practitioner before following my suggestions).

• This will sound so obvious, but thorough, regular hand washing can't be underestimated for keeping the spreading of germs down to a minimum.
• The garlic crusher is my new best friend. Clove after clove is crushed and slipped into anything and everything ranging from soups and stews to dips and homemade pizza. Garlic is highly prized for fighting bacteria and infection.
• Mother Nature is so smart how she times an abundance of vitamin C rich citrus fruits to be in season right about now. Oranges and mandarines are on the table for breakfast in our house. We all also take a daily vitamin C in tablet form - read labels really closely to make sure they are not sweetened with artificial sweeteners no saccharin or aspartame.
• Good gut health is essential to a strong immune system and the best way to look after the friendly tummy bugs is to take a good probiotic. If you really want to read up on this topic click here.
• Sleep. Lack of sleep reduces your immune system's ability to fight off infection.
• Stay well hydrated. Our bodies rely on staying hydrated to function at their optimum. Drinking 8 glasses of water each day is one of the easiest ways to support our immune function. 

What are you doing to boost your immune system? Any tips? I'd love to hear.