If you're running on empty, it's hard to recover from a bad cold. Getting plenty of sleep can help you bounce back, and not scrimping on sleep on a regular basis may even help prevent colds.

Handwashing is easy, free (or almost free), and a very effective way to prevent the spread of cold and flu viruses. Don't wait until someone in your house is sick, as it may already be too late. Make proper handwashing a year-round healthy habit.

Although winter is cold and flu season, it's not the cold weather (or going outside without a hat) that causes the sicknesses. Colds and the flu are caused by viruses that are spread from person to person. When the temperature drops, people stay crowded inside warm buildings, allowing viruses to spread more easily.

People have been popping vitamin C for decades with the firm belief that it could prevent or cure the common cold. Overall, though, research has not been promising. Every once in a while, a new study will come out that suggests that vitamin C supplementation works (or does not work) for cold treatment or prevention, but the bulk of research taken as a whole suggests no or minimal benefit. Although many vitamin C lozenges taste great, they probably aren't great for your teeth (all are acidic, and some contain sugar as well). A better bet: eating a healthy diet with plenty of natural vitamin C.

While research isn't convincing for vitamin C, zinc looks a bit more promising. Very popular for cold prevention and treatment (think Zicam), zinc supplements might actually be worth a try. Studies suggest that starting zinc within the first 24 hours of a cold may lessen its severity and shorten its duration.