Winter has a way of making everything feel a little heavier.

The days get shorter. The air gets colder. Schedules tighten. Social plans and new commitments pile up right as energy tends to dip. And suddenly, it feels like everyone around you is coughing, sniffling, or “coming down with something” while you’re praying you’re not next. Every year it goes down like clockwork, doesn’t it? It doesn’t have to.

Cold and flu season is often framed as something we need to fight. Boost your immunity. Kill germs. Armor up. Don’t visit any classrooms and stay far from any and all children in your life (kidding). While all that language is understandable, it misses something really important.

From a functional medicine perspective, winter wellness isn’t about fighting off the world — it’s about supporting your systems so they can adapt well during a season that naturally asks more of them.

“Winter wellness isn’t about fighting off the world — it’s about supporting your systems so they can adapt well during a season that naturally asks more of them.”

As a physician myself, I can tell you that every single year I see this in my practice: People don’t usually get sick because they didn’t take the “right” supplement. They get sick when their reserves are low, their stress is high, their sleep is disrupted, their routines are off, and their immune system is already working overtime.

Sounds like the start of every year, doesn’t it? That’s why focusing on resilience over band-aid fixes is really the ticket for those winter sniffles.

Immunity is not just about germs

Your immune system isn’t a single switch you flip on when winter hits or when you hear your coworker called out sick after you caught them tossing tissues into the shared trashcan two days ago. It’s a living, responsive network that’s in constant conversation with your nervous system, gut, hormones, and metabolic health all year long.

Winter, just like every season, changes the context of that conversation because our lives change along with the weather. We spend more time indoors, which means more viral exposure. Sunlight drops, affecting vitamin D levels and circadian rhythm. Stress ramps up with holidays, deadlines, travel, and year-end pressure. Sleep becomes shorter or more fragmented. Movement slows. Eating patterns become less consistent. And then January hits and we try to overhaul everything overnight.

“What matters most isn’t avoiding every germ. It’s how supported your body feels as it moves through these seasonal shifts.”

None of this is a personal failure. It’s just the season doing what seasons do. What matters most isn’t avoiding every germ. It’s how supported your body feels as it moves through these seasonal shifts.

A resilient immune system isn’t one that never gets sick. It’s one that can respond appropriately, clear what it needs to clear, and recover without tipping into lingering inflammation or deep exhaustion.

Takeaway: Immune resilience is about responsiveness and recovery, not avoiding getting sick.

Winter wellness starts with the nervous system

One of the most overlooked drivers of immune health is the nervous system.

When your body is stuck in chronic fight-or-flight, immune signaling becomes dysregulated. Cortisol stays elevated. Inflammation rises. Gut integrity weakens. Recovery slows. Over time, the immune system becomes less coordinated and more reactive.

Winter already places greater demand on the body, which means regulation matters more, not less.

“Winter already places greater demand on the body, which means regulation matters more, not less.”

Supporting your nervous system doesn’t need to be dramatic or complicated. It looks like consistent sleep and wake times, warm meals, gentle movement, time outdoors even when it’s cold, moments of stillness before meals, and reducing constant stimulation like late-night scrolling.

You don’t need to optimize winter. You need to work in harmony with it.

Takeaway: A regulated nervous system creates the conditions for a resilient immune response.

Why immune health and stress are inseparable

One of the strongest predictors of immune function isn’t a supplement or superfood; it’s stress load.

Chronic stress directly alters immune signaling. Elevated cortisol suppresses certain immune responses while increasing inflammation. Blood sugar becomes less stable. Sleep quality drops. Gut permeability increases. Over time, this creates an immune system that’s overworked and under-supported.

This is why immune health and stress are so tightly linked. You can eat well and take supplements, but if your nervous system never receives signals of safety, immune resilience suffers.

“You can eat well and take supplements, but if your nervous system never receives signals of safety, immune resilience suffers.”

Winter tends to amplify this connection. Shorter days, packed schedules, and less movement all raise baseline stress levels. Supporting immune health means lowering that baseline, not eliminating stress entirely.

Takeaway: Stress reduction isn’t optional during cold and flu season. It’s actually immune support.

The cold & flu season mistake I see every year

A pattern I see every winter is people waiting until they feel depleted to start caring for themselves. Supplements are added reactively. Sleep becomes a priority only once exhaustion hits. Stress is addressed after burnout shows up. By then, the body is already behind.

“A pattern I see every winter is people waiting until they feel depleted to start caring for themselves.”

Winter wellness works best when it’s preventative and steady, not reactive and intense.

Think of it less as a protocol and more as a rhythm. Small, supportive habits layered consistently will always outperform last-minute immune panic.

Takeaway: Consistency protects immunity better than urgency.

How to start with nutrition and gut health

If there’s one system I pay close attention to during cold and flu season, it’s the gut.

About 70 percent of your immune system lives in your gut. That means what you eat, how well you digest it, and how supported your gut lining is all directly tied to immune resilience. This doesn’t mean eating perfectly. It means eating in a way that stabilizes blood sugar, reduces unnecessary inflammation, and provides immune cells with the raw materials they need.

“About 70 percent of your immune system lives in your gut. That means what you eat, how well you digest it, and how supported your gut lining is all directly tied to immune resilience.”

In winter, immunity-supportive nutrition favors regular meals with adequate protein, fiber, and healthy fats. Warm, cooked foods are often easier to digest when stress is higher. Soups, stews, roasted vegetables, slow-cooked proteins, and mineral-rich broths support both digestion and hydration.

What I love about where wellness is headed right now is the return to the basics, with more nuance. That means less restriction and more nourishment, specifically with foods that deliver polyphenols (plant compounds that help regulate inflammation and support your microbiome), fiber diversity (to feed different beneficial microbes), and steady protein and healthy fats (to support immune cell function and recovery). Winter is not the season for under-eating, skipping meals, or trying to “cleanse” your way into resilience. Your immune system needs energy to do its job.

Here are my top immune-supportive immune-supporting foods to prioritize for winter, and why they matter:

  • Fatty fish (wild salmon, sardines, anchovies): Omega-3 fats support inflammation balance and immune regulation, and they’re especially helpful when stress is high and recovery is slower.
  • Cruciferous vegetables (especially broccoli sprouts): These are rich in sulfur-containing compounds that support detox pathways and inflammation balance. Broccoli sprouts are a personal favorite for extra “immune nutrition density” without doing the most.
  • Mushrooms (lightly cooked): Mushrooms contain immune-supportive compounds, and they’re one of those foods that are worth cooking. Studies show that raw mushrooms don’t offer the same benefit because some compounds are less available until they’re gently heated. A light sauté will do the trick.
  • Fermented foods (unsweetened yogurt or kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, miso): These help support the microbiome which, in turn, supports immune signaling. This is especially relevant if you’ve been sick often, have a history of frequent antibiotics, or deal with chronic congestion patterns.
  • Berries + citrus (blueberries, raspberries, grapefruit, oranges): These deliver polyphenols and vitamin C in a whole-food form, supporting antioxidant capacity and inflammation regulation in a way your body actually recognizes.

A powerhouse add-on that I love:

One unique food I want to call out here is Himalayan Tartary Buckwheat. It’s loaded with immune-supportive polyphenols, and it’s one of those “food as medicine” ingredients that can actually fit into real life. I personally like the one from Big Bold Health because it’s versatile: you can cook with it, add the powder to a smoothie, or use it as a supplement when you want an easy option. The HTB Immune Energy chews are a favorite.

“Winter nutrition doesn’t need to be perfect. It needs to be consistent.”

And just to make this really practical: Winter nutrition doesn’t need to be perfect. It needs to be consistent.

Warm, cooked meals (soups, stews, roasted veggies, slow-cooked proteins, broths) are often easier to digest when your body is under more stress, and that digestibility matters. The goal is to keep your gut supported, your blood sugar steady, and your immune system resourced, not stressed out by your “health plan.”

Takeaway: Winter immune resilience is built through the gut, and the most effective strategy is steady nourishment, not restriction.

Sleep, circadian rhythm, and light exposure in winter

Sleep is one of the most powerful immune-supporting tools we have, and it’s also one of the first things to suffer during winter. Shorter days disrupt circadian rhythm, which affects cortisol, melatonin, and immune cell activity. When sleep becomes inconsistent, immune responses become less coordinated and recovery slows.

The goal isn’t perfect sleep or more sleep. It’s protecting rhythm.

Consistent bed and wake times matter more than total hours alone. Morning light exposure, even on cloudy days, anchors your circadian clock. Getting outside within an hour of waking helps regulate hormones that improve sleep later that night.

“Consistent bed and wake times matter more than total hours alone.”

At night, dimmer lighting, warmer environments, and fewer screens help the nervous system transition into rest. Cozy winter habits aren’t just aesthetic; they’re biological.

Takeaway: Your circadian rhythm is one of the immune system’s quiet regulators.

Supplements are helpful tools, not the whole strategy

Supplements can absolutely support immune health, but they work best when they’re targeted and contextual, not stacked out of fear.

I typically start with a foundational group: Vitamin C, vitamin D, zinc, probiotics, and omega-3s. These support immune signaling, inflammation balance, gut health, and recovery. Magnesium often plays an important supporting role by improving sleep and nervous system regulation.

That said, immune system support is not always a one-size-fits-all. Depending on stress levels, illness history, gut health, hormone balance, or active disease, additional support may be appropriate. This is where personalization matters.

“Supplements can support a system, but they can’t replace foundations.”

Supplements can support a system, but they can’t replace foundations. That vitamin C you start taking two days into a cold isn’t going to undo weeks of depleted sleep and stress, but it can be supportive.

More isn’t better. Poorly timed or excessive supplementation can create digestive upset, mineral imbalances, or immune confusion. Talk to your health care team directly about what’s uniquely supportive for you.

Takeaway: Supplements support resilience best when they’re personalized and paired with strong foundations.

My best tip for when you feel something coming on

That scratchy throat or sudden energy dip is usually when panic sets in. From a functional medicine perspective, this is a moment to slow down, not push harder. Treat panic as a symptom too.

“Treat panic as a symptom too.”

Early interventions that work best are rest, hydration, warmth, reduced demand, and consistent nourishment. This is not the time to power through.

Scaling back early often shortens illness duration. Gentle support beats aggressive protocols.

Takeaway: Early slowing down supports faster recovery.

How to recover well instead of pushing through

One of the biggest mistakes I see is returning to full speed the moment symptoms improve.

“Recovery is a phase, not a finish line.”

Recovery is a phase, not a finish line. Inflammation and energy production may remain impaired for days or weeks after illness.

Recovery looks like gradual re-entry. Gentle movement before intense workouts. Extra sleep. Nourishing meals. Listening instead of overriding.

Takeaway: Full recovery protects future resilience.

Your winter wellness toolkit (save this and come back to it!)

  • Support your nervous system daily
  • Lower baseline stress to protect immune signaling
  • Eat regular, nourishing meals that stabilize blood sugar
  • Prioritize gut health and microbial diversity
  • Include immune-supportive foods like broccoli sprouts, wild fish, mushrooms, bone broth, and Himalayan Tartary Buckwheat
  • Use supplements thoughtfully: C, D, zinc, probiotics, omega-3s, plus personalized support as needed
  • Protect circadian rhythm with morning light and consistent sleep timing
  • Slow down early when symptoms appear
  • Recover fully before returning to intensity

“The goal is resilience — enough internal support that when life asks more of you, your body doesn’t tip into depletion.”

Winter wellness isn’t about avoiding every sniffle. If you get sick, you didn’t fail. You’re human.

The goal is resilience — enough internal support that when life asks more of you, your body doesn’t tip into depletion.

When you work with your body instead of against it, cold and flu season becomes less about bracing for impact and more about moving through the season with steadiness, warmth, and trust.

And that, in my experience, is what actually keeps people well.

Dr. Jaclyn Tolentino is a Board-Certified Family Physician and the Lead Functional Medicine Physician at Love.Life. Specializing in women’s health and hormone optimization, she has been featured in Vogue, The Wall Street Journal, and Women’s Health. As a functional practitioner and a breast cancer survivor, Dr. Tolentino is dedicated to uncovering the root causes of health challenges, employing a holistic, whole-person approach to empower lasting wellbeing. Follow her on Instagram here for more insights.