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It’s time to tackle colds and flu head on and naturally boost your immunity with these simple tips
The new year brings with it a slew of new germs, or at least it feels that way. We’re naturally more susceptible to poorer immunity during the colder months, because viruses are rife when the outside temperature drops.
Staying healthy through the depths of winter starts with looking after your immune system to protect against illness. The immune system is built-in with special measures to defend against bacteria, viruses and other unwanted invaders, and the most common signs of a low immune system include recurrent or prolonged bouts of sickness.
There are many factors that affect how well the immune system works. As we get older, we naturally face a higher risk of vitamin and mineral deficiencies, which have an impact, while long-term stress and eating an ultra-processed diet also interfere with the regular functioning of the immune system.
Try these effective, natural ways to boost immunity and get yourself back in top form in no time.
1 Follow a Mediterranean diet
The Mediterranean diet has been ranked as the top diet for 2025 and has long been linked to longevity – especially in women. The core ingredients of a Med-style eating plan are foods that naturally boost your immune system.
Brightly coloured fruits and vegetables, wholegrains and olive oil are everyday staples, which are loaded with all the necessary nutrients to beat coughs and colds, so it’s worth adding these to your weekly shopping list.
2 Re-think sleep hygiene
Winter is a time for rest and recuperation and starting the new year by prioritising your sleep is one of the best health vows to set yourself.
Allowing yourself adequate sleep gives immune cells the opportunity to repair, while secreting appropriate levels of key hormones that are involved in defence.
Try to prioritise seven to nine hours of rest per night. Going to bed and waking at the same time each day and making sure that your sleep environment is comfortable are the best strategies for a good night’s snoozing.
If you struggle to get a good night’s kip, try these Natural Sleep Remedies.
3 Exercise regularly
We all know that exercise helps to keep our weight in check and keeps our mood stable, but staying active can help to counteract the effects of harmful stress hormones, which help to protect immunity.
Moving more is one of the best natural immunity boosters out there, and if you’re new to exercise, start by factoring more exercise into your day by walking instead of taking public transport, and doing micro-workouts at home. Try to build up to the NHS recommended 150 minutes of physical activity per week to keep germs at bay.
4 Fight back with herbs
Herbal extracts are one of the most natural ways to boost immunity and echinacea, a powerful herb, is a good place to start.
Echinacea root contains natural antimicrobial properties, which are thought to help boost the number of white blood cells – the specific cells that help to defend against infection; and it’s a key ingredient in HRI Coldcare and HRI Cold & Flu Echinacea Tablets with 56mg packed into every tablet.
Echinacea is also naturally anti-inflammatory, which means that it may help to reduce symptoms if you are struck down by coughs, colds or other winter illness.
5 Increase zinc
Zinc is commonly championed for its role in immune system support. Found in an array of foods including shellfish, pumpkin seeds and lentils, increasing zinc in your diet is a foolproof way to safeguard your body through winter.
And, when you need an extra top up, a good quality supplement can give you peace of mind. HRI Coldcare contains 3.3mg of zinc per tablet to help relieve the symptoms of colds and flu type infections.
6 Load up on vitamin C
You might be wondering what vitamins boost immunity and vitamin C is one of the heavy hitters in the battle against colds and flu. It works as an antioxidant to help regulate the immune response and specifically helps to send immune cells called neutrophils and macrophages to infection sites where it can help to protect against damage.
Vitamin C is found in abundance in strawberries, kiwi fruit, oranges and peppers, and it’s also been specifically formulated into HRI Coldcare, with 29.3mg per tablet to help offer the highest level of protection.
7 Eat fermented foods
The quality of the bacteria lining your gut helps to support all aspects of health, especially immunity. Improving your gut health by eating foods that nourish your digestive system is the best way to help populate your system with a range of different strains of beneficial bacteria.
Fermented foods in particular help your gut health to thrive and sauerkraut, kimchi and natto are all great fermented foods that you can easily incorporate into salads, sandwiches and side dishes to aid microbial wellbeing.
8 Spend time outside
Braving the cold might be at the bottom of your list of priorities, but sliding it to the top of your to-do list will help to give your body an immunity kickstart.
Our bodies need daily exposure to sunlight to manufacture adequate vitamin D, which is a potent immunity enhancer. The sun’s rays are naturally weaker in winter, so vitamin D levels naturally take a dip, however it’s still important to expose skin to around 20 minutes of direct sunlight everyday.
In terms of foods that boost the immune system, eating oily fish, egg yolks and dairy products will also help to top up levels along with popping a vitamin D supplement during the winter months.
9 Reduce alcohol
The new year presents a good opportunity to implement healthy habits and reducing alcohol consumption is a beneficial step, not just for general health but specifically to help strengthen your immune system. Alcohol can interfere with your body’s normal anti-inflammatory response, dampening down levels of white blood cells, which produce antibodies to fight infection.
Substitute your usual tipple for low-alcohol or zero-alcohol drinks, and if you do drink alcohol swap to red wine. Limit consumption to one or two small glasses of red wine per week as red wine contains antioxidants.
10 Stay stress-free
It’s impossible to live a live that’s totally free from stress but leaning into stress-relieving measures when the pressure gets too much will help to stabilise your mental wellbeing, which will have a positive knock-on effect in reducing inflammation and in turn, will help bolster your immunity.
Repeated deep breathing is a beneficial tactic and box breathing, where you inhale for the count of four, hold for four and then exhale for the same amount of time is a useful aid that provides immediate relief.
Meditation and breathwork are known to help calm and soothe, so why not try these handy tips from yoga teacher Sunita to get started:
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