Now, in the middle of fall — or what seems to be winter for the snow-covered city of Eau Claire — it is no surprise that the common flu season is here.

Left and right, from colds to stomach bugs, viruses are most common during the fall and winter, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

While it is especially important to get a yearly flu shot — either through Student Health Service or a local pharmacy and clinic — there are additional ways to boost your immune system that can add a fun step to staying healthy.

The immune system, by definition, is a defense system made up of internal cells, tissues and organs that work together to defend the body from foreign elements.

These “foreign elements” can include bacteria, viruses and parasites, which cause you to feel or become sick. With things like, the common cold or flu.

To keep your body’s health immunity up, certain foods, drinks or supplements can provide additional health benefits to the body. 

Here is a list of healthy items to boost your health and wellness journey for the fall season:

• Almonds: This nut can be consumed to prevent and fight off colds. Despite their small appearance, they are packed with beneficial nutrients for the body. Including vitamin E and C to boost immune health. 
• Citrus fruits: Vitamin C is commonly found in fruits to treat the flu and colds. These citruses increase white blood cell production, and white blood cells significantly help fight off infections. Some fruits with Vitamin C and citrus include lemons, limes, oranges, grapefruits and tangerines.
• Ginger and tumeric: Both of these supplemental roots and tubers have become popular for their health benefits against the flu and colds. Both tumeric and ginger have antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal properties. In addition, they reduce pain and inflammation in other areas of the body. 
• Wellness shot: If you can’t find any of these individual wellness foods, why not combine them all together? Wellness shots can be found at a local grocery store and are packed with a high concentration of supplements to boost immunity. Some even include ginger and turmeric roots as their primary antiviral ingredient. These small beverages can be taken straight or added to juice to tone down the flavor. 

Nelson can be reached at [email protected].