Although the ongoing pandemic is at the forefront of most current health conversations, winter is here, and so is cold and flu season. While vaccines, boosters, and masks remain our best defenses against the spread of Covid-19, you can help your body quell low-risk infections by bolstering your system with immunity-boosting supplements.

Chances are your New Year’s resolution centers around wellness in one way or another, and getting stuck in bed is a quick way to slow your progress. Fortunately, you can limit your risk of catching a cold by intentionally focusing on what you put into your body. To learn more about using supplements to encourage our immune systems to do their job well, we spoke to nutritionist and wellness advocate Mona Sharma.

Sharma has worked with leading clients such as Will Smith and Julianne Hough, and promotes a holistic approach to wellness centered on “food as medicine, movement as therapy, and mindfulness as a journey to optimize health.” She is also the founder of Xicama, a health drink company powered by the many benefits of jicama, a Central American superfood.

If you want to take better care of yourself and feel good this year, Sharma thinks a good place to start is a simple semantic adjustment:

“This year, try to replace the word fixation with the word feeding,” she says. “Often when we try to fix [things], that may seem like a lot of work. This leads to resolutions that fall by the wayside because they seem too harsh. Instead, shift your mindset towards activities that nurture your health… This is a subtle shift that invites more sustainability as it involves you feeling good along the way, instead of being deprived or exhausted. To do feeling right priority and align yourself with the daily rituals that help you get there.

Sharma says that for her, a morning ritual of meditation, herbal tea and a brisk walk outdoors is the best way to start her day. She also recommends a number of nourishing supplements that promote good health, so you can embark on the ritual that works best for you (even when it’s freezing outside).

Based on our conversation, we’ve rounded up some of the best additional options to focus on, as well as specific brands that tend to get the most out of these immunity-boosting nutrients. When it comes to supplements, Sharma says, quality is key.

“The brand of supplements you choose is very important, as many companies use cheap synthetic ingredients with added fillers, preservatives and colorings. These are often found in pharmacies and department stores…Quality is key, with healthy digestion, to make sure you’re getting the nutrients you need.

With that in mind, here are some of the best supplement picks to get you started on your wellness journey in 2022.

Liposomal Vitamin C

Most of us probably seek vitamin C first when hoping to boost our immune system. But, according to Sharma, there are more effective ways to get it than drinking a glass of OJ.

“We all know about the benefits of vitamin C for immunity. Taking it in liposomal form provides greater bioavailability than encapsulated forms,” she says.

This is because vitamin C is water soluble, so it often dissolves before it reaches your cells. In a liposomal form, the vitamin is encased in microscopic droplets called liposomes, which mimic the barrier of a cell membrane. This allows vitamin C to become fat-soluble and more easily enter your cells and support your immune system.

Vitamin D3

Vitamin D3 is most commonly associated with bone growth and strength, but it’s also an essential component of your immune system. Unlike vitamin C, which we can only get through ingestion, our bodies naturally produce vitamin D when we are exposed to sunlight. Of course, this could be rare when the sun goes out early in the day.

“[Vitamin D3 is] critical for immune function, and supplementation is needed during colder months,” says Sharma. If you can, Sharma suggests checking your blood levels to identify your own specific dosage, but generally recommends starting at 2,000 IU of D3 daily with food.

Probiotics

There’s been a lot of talk in the wellness world around gut health in recent years, and it all starts with probiotics. These live yeasts and bacteria (the good ones) help keep your digestive system in check, and some studies suggest they may promote natural antibody production in the body.

Although you can get these healthy bacteria from natural, delicious sources like yogurt, kimchi, and even sourdough bread, Sharma thinks a little boost should help.

“A healthy gut with optimal gut flora is integral to the immune system,” she says. “Look for a high strain of at least 10 billion organisms per capsule. Lactobacillus plantarum and Bacillus spore forms are some of the best for immunity.

High quality multivitamin and mineral formulas

Generally, multivitamin and mineral supplements are used to make up for needed nutrients that you might not be getting from your regular diet. According to Sharma, these shortcomings tend to get bigger when we do too much and face a lot of stress.

“When we’re busy our diet tends to suffer, and with stress we also tend to become more susceptible to disease,” she says. “So supplementing with a good multivitamin offers support for our immune system when our diet and lifestyle aren’t cutting it.”

Again, the focus should be on quality. Many drugstore multivitamins tend to lack an ingredient list, so it’s worth investing in a natural, well-made product.