It's about that time of the season where colds and such are floating around. The cold temperatures that make us endeavour to stay inside also forces us into contact with more people. Combined with the drier air of winter and a generally lower intake of fresh vegetables, and you've given viruses an advantage.

Fight Back

Some believe that zinc and vitamin c work to fight against colds. Some studies support that theory and some do not. The theory is that zinc prevents viruses from multiplying.

Vitamin C has bit more evidence going for it. One study showed that marathon runners taking vitamin C cut their chances of getting a cold in half. In addition, vitamin C is an essential nutrient that your body needs anyhow that you may not be getting enough of in the winter.

As one bit of anecdotal evidence, whenever I feel as though a cold may be coming on, even just slightly, I start taking a zinc and vitamin C combination lozenge every few hours. I can't remember a time when I have done this that the cold progressed into anything that lasted more than 1 day. Even if it's not actually doing anything, it may still be working.

Exercise and Diet

Another sure fire way to make sure you are resistant to infections and colds is to make sure you are exercising regularly and eating healthy food. This one thing more than any other will help to ensure that you stay healthy this season.