Secret ways to stay healthy and flu-free this winter

Change your pillow case once a week

Your beloved bed can harbour a variety of germs which in turn can make you poorly in the winter time.

Try your best to change your sheets once a week, in particular your pillow case. Wash in a 60c hot wash to make sure all those germs are taken care of.

If your other half is suffering from a nasty cold try and change your pillow cases daily to stop the germs from spreading.

Have sex twice a week

Boost your immune system by getting frisky between the sheets.

According to studies, couples who have sex twice a week produce more of a cold-busting chemical immunoglobulin.

But don’t go overboard! The same study also discovered that couples who have very frequent sex- more than three times a week- have a reduced amount of this chemical.

What more reason do you need to schedule a date night?

Change seats during your commute

If there’s a fellow commuter coughing and sneezing next to you on the tube/train/bus, it might be worth doing the very un-British thing and changing seats at some point in your journey.

One sneeze can transmit over 100,000 droplets into the air and according to studies your body needs just 30 of these particles to become infected.

If you can’t move seats, simply turn your head away for ten seconds after the sneeze until the air clears.

Eat with your left hand

If you shake hands and greet people with your right hand at social events always eat with your left hand. This reduces the transmission of germs, viruses and infections and decreases the chance of bacteria being transferred to your mouth. Clever, right?

Obviously, always wash your hands regularly to make sure you’re not carrying around any nasty cold-causing bacteria.

Cut back on the booze

Try and swap your evening glass of wine for a smoothie or even a hot milky drink. Scientists claim that drinking alcohol can trick your body into thinking it’s warm when the temperatures are plummeting. Getting chilly can put you more at risk of getting sick, not good.

Get a flu jab

If you’re over weight, suffer from diabetes or asthma or have any other underlying health concerns it might be worth booking in for a flu jab.

Winter is peak flu season and a bout of the virus can knock even the fittest people off their feet for days, sometimes weeks. It’s always best not to risk it. Be safe, not sorry!

Go to bed slightly earlier

Lack of sleep is known to have a detrimental effect on our immune systems. When we become tired and run down we’re more likely to catch an infection and become unwell.

Give your body a head start by going to bed slightly earlier each night and turning off phones and laptops to improve your quality of sleep. Keep warm with a hot water bottle and plenty of blankets and avoid sleeping with wet hair to help give yourself a refreshing night’s sleep.

Wear a scarf over your nose and mouth

Give your immune system an extra line of defence by placing your scarf over your mouth and nose when you’re out and about.

You’ll helping prevent yourself from breathing in droplets of cold and flu, especially if you’re around busy town centres.

Invest in a light box

If you suffer from seasonal affective disorder then it’s definitely worth investing in a light box for winter.

Our bodies will experience a lack of Vitamin D as we enter the colder, darker months and this can affect our moods and sleeping patterns.

Be healthier and happier and give yourself 30 minutes exposure each morning to perk yourself up.