There is no doubt about it, winter is hard on the health. At no other time of year do our bodies face such an onslaught of bugs and infections; cold air contributing to aches and pains; excessive eating and drinking - often of the wrong kinds of foods - and lack of sunlight and exercise. This challenging cocktail is enough to test the strongest of constitutions. Small wonder then that so many of either fall ill or generally feel under par at this time of year. There are steps that you can take however to increase your body's vitality and resistance to infections during the winter months:

 Follow the Rainbow Rule: try to eat as many different colours of fruit and vegetable as possible each day. This way you ensure an intake of all the different beneficial phytonutrients (nutrients derived from plants), like bioflavonoids in berries and quercetin in apples, both of which are potent antioxidants. Easy and enjoyable ways to incorporate extra fruit and veg into your diet include smoothies and juices, stewed fruit with muesli or live yoghurt, snacking on fruit and crudités and serving a range of vegetables with meals, instead of just the ubiquitous carrots and potatoes.

. Use superfoods in your cooking. Simply by adding foods like cinnamon, ginger and rosemary, or onions and garlic to dishes can bring significant health benefits. Cinnamon helps blood sugar control - add it to stewed apples for breakfast with muesli, or baked apples for a seasonal pudding, or even sprinkle it on your cappuccino instead of chocolate powder. Rosemary is naturally antibacterial and is high in antioxidants - add a couple of sprigs to roasted vegetables or meat while cooking. Onions, ginger and garlic all help to fight infection and reduce inflammation, so they are all particularly important ingredients at this time of year - they work well in stir-fries or steam-fries.

. Match each alcoholic or caffeinated drink with a glass of water. Alcohol and caffeine both place the liver under great strain to detoxify them, thereby reducing its ability to keep up with other essential functions. By keeping yourself hydrated you will help the liver to deal with eliminating waste and harmful toxins. It is also an easy way of cutting down the amount you drink. If you find cold water unappealing during the winter months, try warming herbal teas or just add a slice of root ginger and some lemon juice to hot water to keep you hydrated and warm.

. Supplements to keep on stand by include your annual health insurance policy, a high potency multivitamin and mineral supplement (take this every day to safeguard against dietary deficiency) as well as extra vitamin C and zinc, both of which play a vital role in maintaining immune power.

. Glutamine is also something I take regularly and I recommend you do too. This amino acid is needed for immune cells to multiply and mature. Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid found in our muscles - over 60% of our skeletal muscle is glutamine! During infections, injuries and even just physical and mental exertion glutamine gets used up at a rapid rate. Taking in more of this amino acid helps the body's immune response. It is richest in meat, fish and eggs but as it is denatured by cooking the most effective way to increase your glutamine levels is via a supplement, either through capsules or as a tasteless powder. I prefer the powder as you can take large doses more easily. A heaped teaspoon (5g) a day in water can make a difference to the immune system. 
 
. Alcohol, sugar and foods containing refined wheat flour such as cakes and biscuits all take their toll on the probiotic bacteria in the digestive tract. If like millions of others you suffer from digestive discomfort, try topping up your levels of good bacteria with a probiotic supplement. Don't waste money on 'health drinks' containing live bacteria as these are often incredibly high in sugar, more even than cola weight for weight! This offsets any benefits of the good bacteria. Far better to take a good quality supplement and eat the right kind of foods like unsweetened live natural yoghurt and 'prebiotic' foods like onions, leeks and artichokes, which create the right environment in your gut to nourish the probiotic bacteria in the first place. Stress, HRT and the contraceptive pill all deplete these bacteria so a supplement is particularly important for anyone who falls into these categories.   

. Arthritis sufferers may also find relief from joint discomfort via rose-hip extract. (Litozin). A Danish study in 2005 found that it reduced pain significantly in osteoarthritis sufferers, and dramatically reduced the need for painkillers like ibuprofen or paracetamol. The ideal dose seems to be 5g per day.

. Apply the 80:20 rule! Practise a little moderation most of the time, and they you can still enjoy your favourite foods and drinks with a clear conscience. If your diet is generally good then you can indulge every so often without ill effects.