You can bolster your health and help ward off illness by developing daily habits that boost your immune system. According to Dr. Erica Brownfield, M.D., at Emory School of Medicine in Atlanta, your immune system takes care of a lot of things naturally. “Even if you’ve been exposed to the flu, you don’t have to get it,” she tells WebMD. While prevention is still the best strategy to stay healthy, it is hard not to encounter germs. “Wash your hands frequently,” she says.

Here are tips on how to keep your body ready for action:

1. Eat your vegetables and fruit. Fuel your immune system with a rainbow of vegetables to get maximum antioxidant protection. The more colorful, the better, to obtain vitamins A, C, and E along with beta-carotene. Dr. David Friedman, a best-selling author and integrative physician, particularly recommends bell peppers. “Bell Peppers are very high in vitamin C and just one provides 170% of the recommended daily allowance,” he says. “Vitamin C helps build up your immune system, which is why many healthcare providers recommend taking this vitamin at the first sign of a cough, cold, or flu.” Vitamin C from bell peppers is helpful in the production of white blood cells, which is the body’s major defense against disease. Friedman tells Newsmax that yellow and red peppers have even more antioxidant benefits than green peppers.
2. Exercise. According to WebMD, every time you work out, you boost your immune system. Aim for a daily 30-minute walk as the minimum requirement for adequate exercise to promote good health. According to Harvard Medical School, a study of over 1,000 men and women found that those who walked at least 20 minutes a day, five days a week, had 43% fewer sick days than those who exercised once a week or less. And if they did get sick, their illness was less severe.
3. Get enough sleep. According to WebMD, most adults require between 7 to 8 hours of sleep nightly. “A lack of quality sleep not only affects how we feel during the daytime, but can also exacerbate health issues,” said Dr. Matthew Schmitt, who specializes in sleep medicine at Piedmont Healthcare in Georgia, according to CNN. Our cells and tissues repair themselves during the night and it is also the time our bodies manufacture human growth hormone that helps bone growth.
4. Reduce stress. According to AARP, too much stress suppresses the immune system — not what you want with the flu and cold season approaching. Experts suggest practicing yoga or meditation. Adults who learned mindfulness training were 20% less likely to experience respiratory infections, according to one study.
5. Socialize. In today’s world, it is still important to get together with friends and family, but in a safe fashion. AARP recommends virtual or outdoor gatherings. There is emerging evidence that social isolation and loneliness increase inflammation in the body.