Winter health – 5 methods to maintain the body and stay healthy in winter
The days are starting to get shorter and colder and winter is upon us. Along with the long sleeves and umbrellas join the tissue and a host of seasonal stresses. So that you can really enjoy a warm and healthy winter, we have gathered here the leading recommendations for strengthening the immune system and mitigate not feeling your best. We recommend you start now to get through the winter in peace.
Fighting Statistics: Tips for Keeping Healthy in Winter
The cold season brings with it quite a few germs and many of us are preparing for sick days with colds, books or series for Binge. But this is not a fate, and even if you have children, you should not start setting up a babysitting system for difficult times. If you do not want to go into the statistics of needing to take time-off you should simply support the immune system.
To stay healthy you should avoid drinking alcohol and smoking which harm the body and weaken it. It is also recommended not to overheat the rooms and to maintain a clean air circulation to reduce the chances of not feeling well. [1] Of course you can follow the ancient folk remedies and take a clove of garlic when you start to feel sick or consume over-the-counter medications that relieve symptoms of the cold. In addition, some common infections such as influenza and pneumonia also have vaccines that healthcare providers recommend to carry out each year. [2]
Despite all these steps, it is not always enough to not get sick and there are many viruses circulating in the closed and heated rooms. The way to protect against them is to have a strong immune system that can kill the viruses it encounters. There is no way to know for sure who will be infected and who will not, but the stronger the immune system is, the better the body will naturally deal with invaders.
Exercise
Winter causes us to shut ourselves at home more, sit more on the couch and move around more in the car. Even if on normal days you are not an outstanding athlete, it is especially in the winter days that you should take advantage of the coolness and go out for even light exercise such as walking. Apart from strengthening the body muscles, exercise helps with metabolism, and warming up the system and thereby mitigating your body’s response to colds and infections. As in any season, even in winter – an active body is a healthy body. [3] [4]
Proper nutrition in winter
Our immune system is mainly made up of the food we eat and to strengthen it for the winter it is desirable that the diet will contain a healthy amounts of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. The good news is that everyone is accessible and simple foods, for example:
- Fruits like apples, kiwis and citrus fruits contain vitamin C which is considered as a natural bactericidal agent of the body and prevents oxidation.
- Orange vegetables like pumpkin, carrots and sweet potatoes are full of vitamin A which is responsible for regenerating cells in the body and strengthening the immune system.
- Green leaves like chard, celery, parsley and dill are full of vitamin A and chlorophyll that fight bacteria.
- Pumpkin seeds contain zinc which supports the immune system.
- Garlic supports the immune system.
- Oats contain vitamin B and substances that nourish the nervous system and supportit, and don’t forget, when the mind is healthy the body will follow. [5] [6]
Winter supplements
In the modern lifestyle, we do not always have the leisure to prepare nutritious meals or eat them leisurely. Also, even if we are champions of a healthy diet and live only according to its principles, the body does not always absorb everything it needs. Therefore, for the winter, you should strengthen the immune system with the help of dietary supplements that are designed to support the immune system and often contain special herbs that cannot be consumed in any other way. For example, the RENEW, contains in one capsule a wide range of minerals extracted from herbs such as European Elderberry, American ginseng root, cedar and andrographis, and they are combined with zinc and many more beneficiary ingredients that help the immune system in one easy to use capsule. [7]
Excessive drinking
In the summer we all remember to drink a lot, we are thirsty and drinking helps us to cool the body. Many times in the winter we begin to reduce the amount of fluid we put into the body and that’s exactly why drinking is even more important. The fluids help the proper functioning of our body which is made up of about 70% fluids, and it is definitely not worth drying out. You can of course vary the types of drinks throughout the day and on the way also put good vitamins and minerals into the body:
- Hot drinks encourage the introduction of fluids into the body on cold days, help maintain body heat, help activate the digestive system and support blood circulation. [8] [9]
- A green smoothie helps consume a lot of vitamins in one glass, especially vitamin A and chlorophyll. You can combine for example spinach, mint, lemon and almonds or make a smoothie from two types of leaves together with a water-based fruit, juice or milk drink. [10] [11] [12] [13]
- Fruit juice from apples, kiwis or citrus fruits helps increase the supply of vitamin C in the body, which is considered a natural antioxidant. [14]
- Herbal infusions contain many vitamins and minerals and you can combine several plants and get a lot of health in one cup. The most familiar infusions are chamomile or mint but there are other plants worth getting to know like European Elder berry , fennel, thyme and oregano. To all of these you can add cinnamon that helps warm the body or ginger which is considered to be an inflammation support. [15]
- Hot soup helps maintain body heat and with the help of vegetables, chicken and spice leaves puts a lot of health and fluids in one bowl. [16] [17] [18]
Winter clothes
We are all familiar with the following picture: a gray day in winter, a man wearing a thin shirt and in front of him passes a boy wearing a sweater and a coat. It is not clear to us which of the two is right, but as long as each of them is comfortable it is probably okay since what they wear will not necessarily affect their health. The cold itself is not the cause of the stress but our transition from warm places to the cold outside may weaken the immune system and expose us more to the many bacteria we encounter along the way in winter. Therefore, you should dress warmly but you should avoid overheating and especially adjust the clothing details to your temperature transitions throughout the day. [19] [20] 21]
