Colds

If it feels like you're constantly battling a cold, a weakened immune system might be to blame. Making a few changes to your lifestyle can help strengthen your body's ability to fight back against pesky germs and keep you feeling healthy.

1. Drink green tea: Green tea can help you lose weight and de-stress, but it has also been linked to preventing the flu. In a study, Japanese children who drank green tea six times a week were less likely to catch a bug than their peers.
2. Work out consistently: According to the American College of Sports Medicine, people who exercise on a regular basis report fewer colds than their inactive peers. Studies have shown a 25 to 50 percent decrease in sick time for people who take part in moderate exercise for at least 45 minutes most days of the week.
3. Promote positivity: When you're feeling down and negative, you might be doing more harm to your body than you realize. Keeping your attitude light and happy can do more than help you stop stressing; optimism also boosts your immunity.
4. Keep your sweet tooth in check: Naturopath practitioner Dr. Holly Lucille explains that too much sugar is one of the biggest problems that contributes to being "immuno-compromised or susceptible to catching flus." Limiting your sugar intake will help toughen up your immune system for the long haul.

Keep reading for more ways to prevent bugs and boost your immunity.

When it comes to sinus infections, it's hard to say what's worse — the relentless nose blowing, the unbearable pressure and pain in your face, or the postnasal drip that makes it impossible to sleep. Antibiotics used to be the go-to method for dealing with the misery, but now doctors are thinking twice since research shows antibiotics don't ease patients' symptoms.

You don't have to suffer through a sinus infection. There are many natural, yet effective remedies to help relieve your symptoms so give these a try.

• Get steamy: The heat and steam from a hot shower does wonders for congestion and sinus pressure. Close the bathroom door and run the shower on hot for a few minutes, staying in the bathroom to breathe in the steam. Lower the temp and hop in, allowing the hot water to gently massage your sensitive sinuses. If you don't want to get in the shower, you can also place a towel over your head, and lean over a pot of hot water, breathing in the vapor.
• Try a Neti pot: To loosen up mucus and help it make its way out of your sinuses, give a Neti pot a try. Follow the instructions, adding noniodized salt and warm sterile (not tap) water to the pot. Mix it well, place the spout in one nostril, lean over the sink, and gently flush out allergens and mucus. If you're really clogged, try using it after a hot shower. If this freaks you out, use an over-the-counter nasal saline spray instead.
• Hot compress: If the pressure is getting to you, run a washcloth under hot water, lie down and place the folded hot compress over your eyes. Gently press along your sinuses, massaging the sensitive areas to loosen up mucus.

Keep reading for more natural ways to get sinus infection relief.

The blustery cold weather and snowy landscape may not deter you from sticking to your New Year's resolutions, but it's important to take the right precautions to minimize the risk of getting sick. Battling an illness takes time and energy that could be spent doing other things, not to mention the possibility of it derailing your fitness goals. Whether you exercise indoors or brave the outdoor temps, don't forget to prepare with these useful tips for staying healthy.

• Clean equipment thoroughly: Fellow gym-goers are supposed to wipe down equipment after they're done, but just as a precaution, sanitize it before you use it. Or better yet, bring your own gear such as yoga mats, blocks, resistance bands, and even dumbbells to decrease your chances of coming in contact with other people's germs.
• Use a towel for your sweat: Gyms are festering with germs in the Winter, and since touching your face is one surefire way to get sick, use a towel instead of your hands to wipe your perspiration. Then after your workout, be sure to wash up.
• Don't leave the gym in wet clothes: Your sweaty workout wear will get chilly in the cold Winter air, which can weaken your immune system and leave you susceptible to any germs floating around, so change out of your exercise clothes before you leave the gym.
• Decrease your workout's intensity if you have a cold: If you're sick and have above-the-neck symptoms — meaning a runny nose or sore throat but no hacking coughs, chest congestion, swollen lymph nodes, or muscle pain — then you can still exercise, but start at half your normal intensity, and gradually increase as you feel up to it.
• Wear the right gear: Eye-searing UV rays, slippery roads, and chilly wet clothes are all reasons to dress the part for your Winter workout by wearing sunglasses, sunblock, waterproof sneaks with rugged soles, and wicking wear.
• Warm up indoors: Not loosening up those muscles and getting your blood flowing can lead to muscle strain, which makes you more susceptible to injury during your workout. Spend a few minutes warming up indoors (five to 10 minutes of cardio should do the trick) so you can prevent injury and soreness.

Of course you already know how to wash your hands, but since regular hand washing is one of the best defenses against catching a cold, keep these three things in mind the next time you hit the sink.

1. Move your rings: Germs are so tiny, they can hide anywhere, so slide any rings up toward your second knuckle when washing hands. To wash the actual rings, slowly spin them around (being careful not to drop them down the drain).
2. Scratch your palms: Germs lurk underneath your fingernails too, so when you lather up your hands, gently alternate scratching your palm with the opposite hand — don't forget your thumbnails too.
3. Time is everything: Don't rush. Lather up your hands for at least 20 seconds (you can slowly sing the ABCs or "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star"). Use the time to wash every part of your hands including your wrists, around your cuticles, the area between the fingers, and the backs of your palms.

Congestion is one of the more annoying manifestations of catching a cold, and the stuffy nose and sinus pain that result from it can make other cold symptoms even more unbearable. Instead of loading up on an over-the-counter decongestant, which may make you drowsy and foggy-headed, here are four natural ways you can relieve congestion.

Use the shower: Steam from a shower is beneficial for opening up nasal passageways, so focus on breathing while you're in there. Make a conscious effort to breathe deeply and slowly to maximize the steam's decongesting benefits.

Exercise: You may not feel like you're at full energy, but even if you go slower than you're used to, cardio can help open up your nose and relieve sinus pressure. Aim for 20 minutes of brisk walking, jogging, or other cardio to help break up sinus pressure.

Tea remedy: A spicy tea can help open nasal passages while also warming you up. Peruse your spice cabinet and look for ingredients that help with other aspects of your cold as well, like this sage tea, which helps soothe a cough, or a ginger-based brew, which helps boost your immune system. For extra-strength congestion help, make this apple cider vinegar and cayenne pepper tea.

Neti pot: Many people swear by using a neti pot and warm saline solution to clear nasal passages when they are congested from a cold or allergies. While using a neti pot is generally safe, there are some precautions you should use to ensure your pot stays bacteria free, like only using sterilized or distilled water and cleaning your neti pot thoroughly after each use. Read more tips on how to use a neti pot safely here.

Your loved ones might beg you to cut back, but Winter is the time to embrace your garlic breath. The reason? Full of antioxidants and a natural anti-inflammatory, garlic has been linked to warding off colds. To make an even more compelling case, garlic contains allicin, the active ingredient that fights infection and bacteria. In one study, British researchers gave 146 people either a placebo or a garlic extract for 12 weeks; the garlic takers were two-thirds less likely to catch a cold.

But there's no reason to force yourself to chew on raw garlic cloves or brew stinky tea. There are plenty of delicious ways to bring this bacteria-fighting bulb to the table that only enhance your recipe's flavor. This lightened-up, low-cal version of fettuccine alfredo uses a whopping eight cloves of garlic in the recipe! If that's too much for your taste buds, simply toss your salad in a healthy homemade grapeseed oil dressing that includes garlic and also adds some detox power with a little lemon juice.

If you're feeling sick but only have a cold (and not the dreaded flu that's going around), then you're in luck. You can still exercise if you've got above-the-neck symptoms like sneezing, a runny nose, and a sore throat (but not a fever). And since exercising helps boost your immune system and can make you feel better faster, sticking to a less-intense version of your normal workout routine is a healthy decision. Here are four workouts you can do if you've got the cold.

• Relaxing yoga: Try a slow yoga sequence, not a fast-paced Vinyasa yoga, to help stretch out your body and relieve tension. This restorative yoga sequence will help you feel better fast.
• Swimming: Now's not the time to do timed laps, but a low-impact pool exercise routine won't be too hard on your body.
• Jogging: When you're sick, experts recommend you exercise at 50 percent of your normal intensity, and slowly work your way up from there until you feel better. This walk-jogging workout is slow enough to keep you from overexerting yourself; cut it to 30 minutes if you don't have the energy for an hour.
• Easy elliptical: Likewise, a mellow elliptical routine will still burn calories, open up your lungs, and make you feel better. This 35-minute beginner elliptical workout is a good go-to workout when you're sick.