Staying healthy during the cold months/holidays can be a challenge. It is a time when we eat more sugary foods, stay inside more and have less access to local fresh produce. As we are increasing our intake of sugary foods, we are also decreasing our in take of vitamin D3 (sunshine) and nutrients (vegetables & fruit) which in turn lowers our immune system. . Eat GREEN and nutrient dense foods. Include dark greens such as kale, spinach, red leaf lettuce everyday. If you don’t like vegetables, make smoothies including the vegetables. It is a quick, easy and tasty way to get the nutrients and antioxidants that you need to keep your immune system strong. Enough sleep is our first defense. Though it is the toughest thing to fit in, schedule it in and try to stick to it. You will deal with the holiday stress much better and stay healthy. Be aware that drinking beverages actually increases dehydration so be sure to drink water throughout each day. There are supplements that seem to help ward off colds, the flu, and illnesses. These are vitamin C, zinc, probiotics and food enzymes. As we get older our bodies produce less digestive acids. Digestive enzymes help our bodies produce more acid to break down the foods, especially all the processed foods eaten during the holidays. If you have GERD or REFLUX, it is really a sign of not enough acid, not too much so don’t reach for the Tums, take the enzymes at the beginning of meals. You will see a difference. http://www.novozymes.com/en/about-us/our-business/what-are-enzymes/pages/default.aspx . To manage all this while you are traveling or visiting relatives or friends, Dr. Josh Axe gives great suggests as to what to take http://www.draxe.com/health-articles/  Enjoying the holidays by following these simple suggestions. Happy and Healthy Holidays to everyone.