Here are a few things you can do to keep colds and flu away.
Wash your hands
Colds are infectious diseases caused by viruses, and these viruses are spread by human contact.
Wash your hands regularly to remove many of the viruses that cause a cold.
Wrap up
When you go outside and get cold and wet, you lower your resistance to colds and flu by raising your stress levels.
Wrap up well before going outside especially if it's cold and damp.
Take your vitamins
Vitamins A and C help activate infection-fighting white blood cells and boost immunity.
These vitamins have been linked with protecting against respiratory ailments.
Humidify the air
In the wintertime, indoor air is very dry, and the lack of humidity becomes a breeding ground for cold viruses.
Add moisture by leaving bathroom doors open during showers, have a lot of house plants which add humidity and keep open pots of water around, especially near ovens and radiators.
Get vaccinated
Get a flu jab each year, particularly if you are elderly or have asthma, bronchitis, heart disease, cystic fibrosis or any other condition which involves the lungs.
Drink plenty of water
Drinking plenty of water helps to replace the fluids lost during fever.
Drink hot liquids
Hot liquids raise the temperature of the throat, which slows down viral reproduction.
Eat chicken soup
Any form of hot liquid (for instance, honey and lemon, or cordial) will give some relief from sore throat, blocked nose and cough.
They have a soothing effect on the throat and make your nose run a bit.
Spicy foods and hot soups loosen thick mucus and have a calmative action on an inflamed throat.
As for chicken soup, the combination of heat and ingredients inhibits the production of mucous, soothing the throat and generally making you feel better.
Raw garlic
Garlic has properties which kill bacteria and viruses.
Studies have suggested that eating raw garlic may help fight off or treat the cold symptoms thanks to the allicin produced when garlic is chopped or crushed.
Allicin encourages white blood cells to reproduce, which boosts the body's defence system.
This effect is destroyed by cooking, but if you don't fancy raw garl ic you can buy capsules.
Hot baths
Relaxing in a hot bath won't just help ease aches and pains, inhaling the steam will relieve cold symptoms.
Add menthol to the water to ease nasal congestion.