dec 18 2012151 intro heres a surprise you may spend more time each year nursing a sore throat fever and runny nose than you do on vacation adults get about three colds a year on average each lasting a week or two on top of that 5 to 20 percent of us will also get the flu which can linger even longer thats a month or more this year take back that timeand your health these tested tips for fighting colds and flu can help you stay well all winter 10 ways your wrecking your immune system quicklist 1category ways to prevent colds and flutitle meditateurl your mind can cut your chances of catching a cold by 40 to 50 percent according to a 2012 university of wisconsin madison study fiftyone people who used mindfulness techniques logged 13 fewer illnesses and 51 fewer sick days than a control group during one coldandflu season probably because meditation reduces physical effects of stress that weaken the immune system meditation to match your personality quicklist 2category ways to prevent colds and flutitle try probioticsurl we recommend taking probioticsfoods or supplements containing bacteria that are good for your healththat include lactobacillus because it can reduce the risk of both respiratory and gastrointestinal infections says mike gleeson phd professor of exercise biochemistry at loughborough university in england and people taking probiotics were 42 percent less likely to get a cold than those on a placebo according to a 2011 metaanalysis of 10 studies 10 delicious drinks that support your immunity quicklist 3category ways to prevent colds and flutitle eat more garlicurl allicin a substance in crushed garlic helps fight viruses says dr richard nahas assistant professor of family medicine at the university of ottawa in a british study volunteers who took a daily 180 mg allicin supplement caught 63 percent fewer colds over 12 weeks than those taking a placebo garlic cloves contain less allicin 5 to 9 mg but even two raw cloves a day may help says dr randy horwitz medical director of the arizona center for integrative medicine in tucson find tasty ways to add more garlic to your life with preventions recipe finder quicklist 4category ways to prevent colds and flutitle practice qigongurl this chinese mindbody exercise combines breath control and slow movements to reduce stress and improve focus but it may also help combat colds twentyseven varsity swimmers in a university of virginia study learned qigong and during their 7week training season those who practiced it at least once a week got 70 percent fewer respiratory infections than swimmers who used it less 5 qigong moves that reduce stress quicklist 5category ways to prevent colds and flutitle exerciseurl people who exercise five or more days a week spend 43 percent fewer days with upperrespiratory infections according to an appalachian state university study i make sure i exercise to stay healthy says lead author david nieman drph aim for 30 to 60 minutes daily