If there's ever a time you need your body to be at the top of its game, it's winter — after all, there are holidays to get through, icy roads to drive on, runny noses to wipe ... Unfortunately, there’s also never a more likely time you’ll come down with a cold or flu. Put your game face on this season with the following immune system-boosters. The best offense against cold and flu viruses is having a good defense! One of the immune boosting tactics highlighted in this article is getting out of your home's stale air during the winter because you may be breathing allergen-laden air. Space heaters, stoves and water heaters “release gases and particulates into the air,” said William J. Calhoun, MD, vice chair at UTMB. He went on, “There is also the fairly intense burden of allergens with indoor air quality such as pets [and] house dust mites.” Breathing only this air day in and day out can increase your chance of developing colds, sore throats and coughs. Don’t become another casualty of cold and flu season this winter. You’ll need every ounce of strength you have to get through the holidays.