Every season has its perks, and so does winter. When we think winter, we think of holidays, spending time with family, gift exchanges, carols and snowing. However, as the temperature changes, so do our body and immune system. Due to these changes, we can experience a weakened immune system, leading to getting sick more easily. In order to prevent this from happening and to be able to enjoy all the winter festivities, we should be really mindful of our health during winter.
You should start with mindful nutrition as the mouth is a window to your overall health. During wintertime, we should also supercharge our immune system, to make it less prone to viral infections. Even though it’s sometimes too cold outside, we should spend at least some time outside, especially when there is sunshine. You have probably noticed the changes on your skin – it tends to get dry, flaky and dull. In order to avoid this from happening, you should take really good care of it. Hydration remains a key aspect of our health during all seasons, so don’t forget to drink plenty of water. And another universal thing is engaging in some kinds of physical activities.
1. Mind your nutrition
To stay healthy during winter, you need to eat diverse whole healthy foods. You should avoid eating sugary treats and salty snacks and focus more on incorporating fresh fruits and veggies. Highly processed food and food high in sugar has detrimental effects on our immune system so we should steer clear of them. Instead of these, eat nuts, grains, lean meats, fish, poultry, legumes, seeds and foods high in fibre, protein, vitamins and minerals. Base your diet on typical seasonal fruits and veggies, which will highly depend on your location. Foods rich in vitamin C are essential for boosting your immune system during cold winter days. Try eating more superfoods such as walnuts, almonds, cashews, pumpkin seeds, raisins and pistachios instead of salty snacks. They will nourish your body more.
2. Supercharge your immune system
Supercharging our immune system is connected to our diet and the different health supplements we can take. We build our immune system with the foods we take in and our lifestyle habits, and we boost it with diverse health supplements. However, food is the base, supplements only strengthen our immune system. People often take dietary supplements such as multivitamins, vitamin D, vitamin C, protein, calcium, vitamin B or vitamin B complex, omega-3 fatty acids, magnesium and iron. Bad habits such as alcohol and smoking can also weaken our immune system, so we should be extra mindful of these during winter. If you smoke, you make yourself more susceptible to respiratory infections. So, what you can do is cut down on smoking if you can’t quit completely at once. Or you can try nicotine vape juice, as a way to transit to a cigarette-free life.
3. Spend some time outside
Wintertime can be harsh and cold, tempting us to stay at home and not put a foot outside. However, this is not so good for us. First of all, it causes us to be inactive and lazy. And second of all, lack of sunshine even in winter, can cause a vitamin D deficiency, weakening our immune system. So, push yourself to take a walk outside or go ice skating whenever it’s sunny outside during winter.
4. Take care of your skin
We often encounter different skin problems during winter. Our skin becomes dry, flaky and dull-looking. To avoid this, we should take special care of our skin during winter. The usual problems are on our face, lips, hands and feet. Taking care of our skin during winter should consist of moisturizing with heavy creams both in the morning and evening, as well as when we go outside. You must always protect your skin to prevent it from cracking. And of course, even though it’s winter, you should keep your hydration levels high.
5. Drink plenty of water
Water is life, so it is logically, key in every season, for distinct reasons. When we exercise in cold weather, we wear layers, so we might sweat more than usual. To compensate for that water loss, you should drink plenty of it. Different drinks such as alcohol, coffee and tea can dehydrate you even more, so either stay away from them or drink water with them. Moreover, water helps keep our system clean by removing harmful toxins. It also carries nutrients to the body cells and helps balance body fluids.
6. Engage in physical activities
Physical activity is essential for both our physical and mental well-being. Exercising regularly boosts our immune system by strengthening our defence against seasonal flu and colds. Even though winter is the time when our workout motivation is low, we should push ourselves to have at least 20 minutes of some physical activity. It will improve our circulation and keep you looking fit.
Every season has its special aspects and things we should be mindful of. We won’t be able to enjoy all the advantages of winter and holiday time if our health is compromised. So, we should be proactive about taking care of ourselves.
Jess Cooper is a part-time journalist and blogger based in Sydney, Australia. She is an energetic, creative highly motivated person with plenty of interests. The most prominent areas of interest include makeup and cosmetics, fashion, style, event organization and decoration, healthy food, fitness, learning languages as well as home improvement.
