Winter months sometimes gets a bad rep. It's either you love it or you hate it and the frigid temperatures and early darkness does not help matters. With this change of season, it easy to lose that summer glow and high spirits.
5 Ways To Stay Healthy During the Winter Months.
1. Stay Active Daily - Moving your body and staying active during the winter months has a ripple effect of benefits. The most important benefit is the boost in your immune system. Secondly, with shorter days and less time in the sun, staying active improves your mood. Finally, if staying active helps keep winter weight at bay. Additionally, if outdoors, your body works harder to warm up allowing you to burn more calories.
2. Get Vitamin D - We need vitamin D to help us fight infections and reduce inflammation. We make vitamin D in our skin after sun exposure. With less sunlight during winter months, taking a supplement or increasing our intake of oily fish is a good idea to keep your vitamin D supply up.
3. Indulge In Winter Foods and Activities - Winter isn't most people's favorite season. When people exclaim their love for winter, it's usually because of the fashion, food or fun activities associated with it. If you typically loathe the winter months, try to make it more bearable by indulging in fun foods or activities you can only do during the winter months. For example, go sledding, skiing or visit winter markets. On the other hand, if you dislike winter due to its frigid temperatures, find places with cozy fireplaces and hot cocoa to pass as much time as you can.
4. Feed Your Body - Winter dishes can be delicious and nutritious. They are hearty and filling. Whats most important though, is that what we eat during the winter months helps sustain and nourish us. It might be a good idea to supplement your meals with vitamins. One thing most people ignore during the winter is hydration. Water is essential in maintaining homeostasis, transporting nutrients, removing waste and hydrating tissues and organs. A lack of water can increase your risk of developing kidney stones, urinary tract infections, constipation and dehydration. So be sure to stay hydrated during winter months.
5. Indulge In Self Care - If nothing else, the winter months forces us to take care of ourselves. Things we may have gotten away with not doing during other months (ie. taking care of your skin ) we are forced to give attention to because of the brutal conditions of winter months. Some things that we need to insure that we do specifically during winter months are sleeping, doctor visits and skin care routines.
Sleep - Getting quality sleep helps us fight illness, regulate appetite and weight and combat winter blues.
Doctor Visits - Winter months tend to be slower paced which makes it a good time to schedule annual appointments. We can also use this time to reach out to health care professionals to support with winter blues or seasonal depression.
Skincare Routine - The bite of winter has a way of bringing us to our knees. The bitter cold air pulls moisture out of our skin. If let unchecked, skin may become dry, dull or cracked making it susceptible to infection.
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