5 Ways to Avoid Getting Sick Right Now, According to a Nutrition Expert 5 Ways to Avoid Getting Sick Right Now, According to a Nutrition Expert As if the new COVID-19 strain wasn't enough of a stressor, it's also high time for the flu and common cold, which means it's all the more important to keep your immune system in tip-top shape. Thankfully, there are several ways you can do this naturally—and on a daily basis. Nicole Avena, Ph.D., nutrition expert and author of Why Diets Fail, specializes in functional nutrition and holistic health. Here, she shares five tricks you can employ to best prepare your immune system for illness this winter through diet and supplements alone. And after, be sure to read the 100 Unhealthiest Foods on the Planet.