With the colder season fast approaching, people become more susceptible to unwanted colds, flu and other respiratory diseases. However, the good news is that people can stave off these sicknesses by adhering to some natural prevention methods.

For whatever sickness, enough sleep is always a huge help. William Ellert, M.D., chief medical officer of the Phoenix Baptist Hospital, told Real Simple that sleep helps boost the immune system, thus better preparing the body against the onset of colds or flu. Getting at least seven hours of sleep a day will work wonders for one's body, he said.

But for people who have trouble sleeping, a mind-calming exercise might help. "Go over everything you did during the day, but do it in reverse order," said C. Evers Whyte, director of the Center for Health Renewal, in Stanford, Connecticut.

The second cold-buster is exercise. Moderate exercise — 30 to 90 minutes most days of the week — increases a person's immune function and reduces their chances of getting a cold. Even if people get a simple cold, doctors strongly suggest that they should continue doing moderate exercise to help recover faster from the ailment.

Strangely enough, some medical experts are recommending that people eat oysters to avoid getting a cold. Oysters contain more of the mineral zinc than any other food, and zinc has been proven to support and enhance the immune system. Zinc intake is also very effective when taken at the first signs of a cold.

Meanwhile, the Huffington Post recommends that people also eat honey to stave off colds and flu. Honey reduces flu infections by flushing bacterial and viral pathogens. People can eat honey straight from the spoon or mix it with their favourite teas and juices.

Lastly, the simple act of gargling water can help prevent the onset of colds and flu. People who gargle with water a few times a day were more than one third less likely to catch a cold. Still, if the cold persists, it is recommended that people add some salt to warm water then gargle with that. The salt will help clean up the virus from the back of one's throat.