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Eat a balanced diet. Exercise regularly. Rest and relax. Be proactive with prevention.

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While we'd all like to believe there is a "superfood" or two out there that can cure a cold, the legitimate medical evidence to back up such claims is slim at best. Eating a balanced, healthy diet can only improve your odds of having a strong immune system, which gives you the best chance of fending off a cold before it strikes. Eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. Try onions, blueberries, bell peppers, carrots, garlic, citrus fruits, mushrooms, fennel, leafy greens, and sweet potatoes, among others. They contain high levels of Vitamin C, Vitamin A, antioxidants, beta-carotene and B vitamins, which may improve how your immune system functions. Eat lean proteins, such as fish, poultry, pork and eggs. Vitamin E, zinc, selenium and iron are found in these foods. They may help boost immune system response. This list of so-called cold-fighting superfoods may or may not help you curtail a cold, but it does offer a group of many healthy food options that can only benefit your immune system when eaten in proper amounts. Like a proper diet, regular exercise promotes a healthy body, which is more likely to have a strong immune system that can better combat the cold virus, perhaps even stopping it before it starts. If you already have a cold, one or two 30-minute walks per day may be of benefit by improving circulation and lowering stress. While the relationship is unclear, low to moderate exercise may also play an important role in the immune system response. Low to moderate exercise is recommended when you have a cold, because over-exertion can take energy away from your body while it is trying to fight off the virus. Too much stress and too little sleep are bad for your body whether you are fighting a cold or are otherwise feeling great. A rested and refreshed body is more likely to fight off a cold before it starts or possibly limit the amount of time you have to suffer having one. Get eight or more hours of sleep. Your body recharges during periods of uninterrupted sleep, allowing your immune system the opportunity to strengthen. And when you have a cold, sleeping lets your body focus even more of its energy on fighting the virus. Use OTC medications or recommended home remedies to ease cold symptoms so that you can get a more restful night's sleep. Reduce stress levels. If work is the reason you are stressed out and have a poor immune system response, try taking the first day of the cold off to focus on treatments and getting better. You could possibly reduce the time you have the cold by one or more days. The only sure way not to suffer from a lingering cold is to avoid ever catching it in the first place. Of course, even the person with the best immune system and most immaculate hygiene will get sick from time to time, but you can improve the odds with some simple steps. The best way to avoid the common cold is to wash your hands regularly after contact with people or dirty surfaces. Reducing your contact with people who have colds will also reduce your risk of contracting a virus. Have regular medical screenings with your doctor. This is the best way to assess your overall health and address conditions or lifestyle choices that may make you more susceptible to colds and other illnesses.