At the height of cold and flu season, take precautions  to keep your immune system at its peak, ensuring no microbe or other insidious pathogen invades and causes illness.

Try some of the numerous ways to stimulate immune cells, keeping them in optimal condition to ward off the enemy –  microbial life that seeks your destruction.

Some methods to aid its effectiveness are derived from diet, sleep and exercise. These cellular soldiers greatly benefit from foods like garlic and pumpkin, which help to increase their numbers and activity.

Foods rich in zinc, an antioxidant, also support immune function.  Beef, crab, turkey and kidney beans are all great sources.

Diets deficient in vitamin C and E have been shown to impair immune function. Good sources of these vitamins include almonds, papayas, spinach, strawberries and grapefruit. Regular exercise and physical activity also strengthens the immune system.

White blood cells scour the body through a fluid network similar to blood. Lymphatic fluid is where white blood cells are predominantly located.

Physical activity causes this fluid to spread to all parts of the body, reaching every nook and cranny where a pathogen may be hiding out.

Brisk walking, yoga and weight lifting are all great activities to pump white blood cells to where they are needed most.

Receiving at least eight hours of sleep per night seems to be one of the most effective ways to energize the immune system and improve its efficacy.

While sleep’s benefits are well known, we still seem to sacrifice much more than our bodies can tolerate.

With finals soon approaching, begin managing assignments and time wisely. In response to stress, the body produces more of the hormone cortisol, which greatly suppresses immune function, increasing your susceptibility to infection.

Moderating your consumption of alcohol, too, can keep the immune system performing at its best. Multiple drinks have been shown to impair white blood cells’ functioning.

In the case an infection is successful against your body’s primary immune defense, try to limit the amount of over-the-counter medications you take to relieve the ailments associated with a cold.

Swelling of the glands in the neck, higher body temperatures and increased mucous productions are all methods employed by the immune system to combat infections.

Hold off taking Advil or Tylenol for a day or two to allow your immune system to accomplish its mission.

There is no secret ingredient that will give you an invincible immune system, but maintaining a healthy body and diet will ensure you are in the best shape to impede any microbial attacks.