Winter Wellness

Winter-Proofing Your Family’s Immune System

The holidays are behind us, and we’re in the thick of winter now, with a few more months of cold and flu season still to get through. For our family, that means the familiar cycle of sniffles, sore throats, and staying home from daycare — a telltale runny nose appearing just when you think you’re in the clear.

While conventional medicine often focuses on treating illness once it shows up, an integrated approach asks a different question: how do we strengthen our immune systems so infections are less likely to take hold in the first place? We spoke with Dr. Heather Flood, ND, EAMP, a Seattle-based integrated health practitioner, whose approach combines conventional care with holistic strategies that support the immune system’s deeper connections to stress, gut health, hormones, and overall wellness.

“There’s an important difference between a normal immune response to a cold or flu and an immune system that is under-functioning,” Dr. Flood explains. “The immune system doesn’t operate in isolation — it’s influenced by many other systems in the body.” Chronic stress, for example, can disrupt cortisol regulation, dampening immune defenses while increasing inflammation. The gut plays a similarly outsized role: a healthy, diverse microbiome supports immune tolerance, antibody production, and clear signaling between immune cells.

We talked with Dr. Flood about the foundations of immune resilience and what families can do now to stay well through the rest of the season.. Here’s what we learned.

Dad helping his son during cold and flu season

Photo courtesy of Unsplash.

During winter, which immune-support basics do you encourage patients to focus on first?

I’m big on foundations. Immune health isn’t built with one supplement, it’s built on the basics done as consistently as possible. Vaccinations also reduce severity and complications — not every sniffle, but the big hits.

Sleep: Sleep is the top priority; even modest sleep deprivation measurably reduces natural killer (NK) cell activity, blunts antibody responses, and slows viral clearance. When people are burning the candle at both ends, no supplement can fully compensate.
Nutrition: Focus on getting protein at every meal (immune cells are protein-hungry) and not overdoing sugar, which can transiently impair immune response and increase inflammation. I recommend following the principles of Chinese medicine: bundle up, keep the neck and feet warm, eat warm/cooked foods, and avoid cold/raw foods.
Supplements: I prefer to deploy them strategically vs. taking them year-round. I use zinc and vitamin C decisively at the first sign of acute illness, and if necessary, supplement throughout cold and flu season. I recommend taking Vitamin D in winter when sun exposure drops. This is particularly important in places like the Pacific Northwest, where the latitude impairs our ability to convert vitamin D even when the sun is out! For longer-term immunity, I also use medicinal mushrooms for overall immune modulation and astragalus as a winter tonic.

Get Outside: This isn’t just about fresh air reducing exposure concentration. Less daylight affects Vitamin D, circadian rhythm, immune gene expression, and melatonin (which is more than just a sleep hormone, it is also immune-modulating). Consider getting a Happy Light with 10,000 lux if getting natural light exposure in the morning is a challenge.

For patients with young kids, especially those in daycare or school, what’s your big-picture advice for getting through cold and flu season?

First: expect illness. Kids’ immune systems are in boot camp. They are training, learning, and building memory. Frequent viruses at this stage are not a failure, they are expected.

Second, focus on hygiene:

Teach kids to cough/sneeze into the elbow, remind them to be consistent
Wash or sanitize hands first thing when getting into the car and again arriving at home
Wash hands often
Shoes off at the door
Wipe high-touch surfaces (doorknobs, remotes, toys) 1–2x per week

What would you encourage families to do — or stop doing — during winter to help prevent (and manage) illness?

More isn’t better. Rotating ten supplements, megadosing constantly, or suppressing every fever can actually work against immune regulation. What does help:

Earlier bedtimes during the week
Simpler meals with adequate protein
Pulling back on alcohol and sugar during illness windows
Letting mild fevers do their job (when appropriate)
Rest! Rest is an underrated intervention. Make sure each illness fully resolves instead of pushing through, even if it means cancelling plans. Immune responses are energy-intensive — if the body doesn’t get enough rest, it compensates poorly.

Are there immune supports people might be surprised by?

Yes, and some of them are pretty old-school but shockingly effective. I’ll start with the strangest one!

Wet Sock Treatment

Use at night at the first signs of a cold or flu. This treatment uses a brief cold stimulus followed by warming and insulation to stimulate circulation and immune response. It encourages blood flow, lymphatic movement, and nervous system regulation, and may help reduce congestion, sore throat, and early illness symptoms. You will need one pair of thin cotton socks and one pair of thick wool socks. Do not use if the person is chilled and cannot get warm, is dehydrated, or has peripheral neuropathy.

Steps:

Wet the thin cotton socks with cold water and wring them out well.
- For stronger constitutions: place the damp socks in the freezer briefly.
- For weaker constitutions: skip the freezer and simply use cold, wrung-out socks (after a shower works well).
Take a warm shower for 10–15 minutes, until you feel thoroughly warm.
Put on the cold, damp cotton socks.
Immediately cover them with the dry wool socks.
Get into bed, bundle up with blankets, and go to sleep.
In the morning, remove the socks and go about your day. This can be repeated for up to three nights in a row.

Photo courtesy of Unsplash.

Hyperthermia / Fever Support

When appropriate, this practice supports the body’s natural fever response. An elevated temperature can inhibit viral replication, improve circulation and immune cell activity, and promote detoxification through the skin and lungs. (You can also try a hot bath, steam shower, or sauna.) Do not use if you already have a high fever (102–103°F), are pregnant, dehydrated, or when working with young children. Be sure to hydrate well.

Steps:

Take a warm shower for 15–20 minutes.
Get out, dry off, and bundle up with wool socks, a scarf, and a hat.
Get into bed and rest. You will likely feel very warm for about 20 minutes.
When it feels like the “fever breaks” and your temperature normalizes, the treatment is complete.

Steam Tent for Congestion

This method helps relieve sinus and chest congestion by delivering warm, moist air and antimicrobial plant vapors to the respiratory tract.

Steps:

Boil about 3 cups of water. Remove from heat and pour into a bowl placed securely on the counter.
Add 3–5 drops of essential oil (thyme, tea tree, or eucalyptus). If your eyes or nose sting, reduce the amount of essential oil.
Lean over the bowl and drape a towel over your head to create a tent that traps the steam. Keep eyes closed during the treatment, and do not tuck the towel in tightly, to avoid spills. Stop if you feel lightheaded or uncomfortable.
Breathe in the steam for as long as feels comfortable. You may come out from under the towel and return as needed.

Acute Treatments

Start these at the first sign of illness — sore throat, runny nose, etc. (pathogens enter most often through the nose and mouth). Many of my initial acute protocols include antimicrobial nasal and throat sprays. They are powerful!

Elderberry
EHB (echinacea, hydrastine, and berberine)
Biocidin Throat spray
Allimax
High dose Vitamin C
High dose Vitamin D
Zinc
Nasal spray

Any tips for avoiding the “passing it around the house” cycle?

This is less about supplements and more about systems. When a child does gets sick:

Have one parent act as the primary caregiver if possible
Have the child sleep in their own bed
Separate cups, toothbrushes, towels immediately to quarantine the sick individuals’ items
Briefly open all windows for 15 minutes to clear shared air
Don’t wait until everyone is coughing — taking action at the first sign of symptoms can prevent the whole household getting sick.

Dr. Heather Flood practices at Alta Integrative, a private integrative medicine clinic where evidence-based conventional care meets naturopathic and East Asian medicine. She specializes in women’s health, gastrointestinal disorders, and endocrine dysfunction, with additional expertise in acupuncture-based pain management. Her approach is highly individualized to help patients support meaningful, sustainable healing, restore balance and optimize long-term health.

Photo courtesy of Unsplash.

Have feedback on our story? Email [email protected] to let us know what you think!

Karin is a Seattle-based writer and editor. She writes on mental health and wellness, travel, and social impact, and edits fiction on the side. When she's not on assignment, you'll find her exploring the Pacific Northwest or planning her next trip.