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"  Go ahead \u2014 wash your hands 20 times a day and avoid anyone with the sniffles like the plague. You&amp;#039;ll lower your odds of getting sick, but germs are everywhere, and you can&amp;#039;t dodge them forever. The key to staying healthy: strengthening your immune system to fight against the winter bugs you do come in contact with. Here are five easy methods to boost your body&amp;#039;s defenses during cold-and-flu season. Get a massage. Massage lowers levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which destroys immune cells, according to a study by the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami Medical School. &amp;quot;Massage also ups your stores of natural killer cells \u2014 the immune system&amp;#039;s front line of defense,&amp;quot; says Tiffany Field, Ph.D., director of the Institute. It only takes a 20-minute weekly rubdown to reap the benefits, so solicit a backrub from your guy, buy a vibrating massager, like the Buzz Mini Massager ($20, brookstone.com), or book a professional massage (massage-therapy schools may offer discounted prices; find one at naturalhealers.com). Take vitamins C and E. You&amp;#039;ve probably heard that vitamin C helps you get over a cold faster, but it&amp;#039;s even more effective if you also get enough vitamin E, says Brian Levine, M.D., medical director of The Cough Center in Laguna Hills, CA. &amp;quot;Vitamin E makes white blood cells more efficient at fighting off infection,&amp;quot; explains Levine. You need 65 to 75 mg of vitamin C daily, but if you feel a cold coming on, get up to 1,000 mg by taking a supplement or noshing on natural sources like berries, peppers, and citrus fruits. Vitamin E can be toxic if taken in large doses, so don&amp;#039;t take a high-dose supplement \u2014 you&amp;#039;ll get the 100 to 200 mg you need for immune support from your multi and by eating almonds, peanut butter, and sunflower seeds, all good sources of E. Have a good laugh. Women who laughed aloud while watching funny videos had higher levels of germ-fighting killer-cell activity than those who watched unfunny videos, according to an Indiana State University study. Laughter may lower cortisol levels and release endorphins, feel-good chemicals that trigger immune cells. To tickle your funny bone, spend time with a friend who shares your sense of humor, watch a funny YouTube clip, or follow your child&amp;#039;s lead: Kindergartners find something to laugh about 300 times a day, while adults laugh only 17 times. Go dancing. In moderation, most forms of exercise enhance immune system activity. But doing a mind-body workout such as dancing also reduces stress levels and raises endorphins. And if you boogie to the Billboard Top 10 Countdown, you&amp;#039;ll get another bonus: Those who listened to popular music experienced a 28 percent rise in levels of the antibody immunoglobulin A (IgA), according to a study from Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre, PA. &amp;quot;IgA is found in blood, saliva, and other bodily fluids and helps destroy viruses that enter the body,&amp;quot; says lead researcher Carl Charnetski, Ph.D. Make whoopee. People who had sex once or twice a week had 30 percent higher levels of IgA than those who had sex less often, according to one study. Sex also releases mood-boosting chemicals called opioid peptides, which rouse the immune system. But don&amp;#039;t fret if you&amp;#039;re not in the mood: Just a snuggle can also have flu-fighting benefits.  --&amp;amp;gt;  Here, germ-fighting food suggestions from M. Eric Gershwin, M.D., editor of  Handbook of Nutrition and Immunity. Green tea: Its antioxidants help heal infections. Dark chocolate: The antioxidants in cocoa keep immune cells working. Shiitake mushrooms: Lentinan, a carbohydrate found in these tasty shrooms, may boost cells&amp;#039; response to infection. Greens: They&amp;#039;re loaded with zinc, which helps white blood cells function. Garlic: Using garlic regularly can prevent or reduce the severity of common infections. Apples: Their antioxidants help prevent colds. Here&amp;#039;s to your health: ideas for dark chocolate, shiitake mushroom, greens, garlic, and apple recipes. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.redbookmag.com/body/health-fitness/advice/a2396/cold-flu-not-you/>