During winter, there’s very little sunshine, the weather is cold, which is why we decide to spend our time indoor while eating food that is rich in sugar and starch. These habits won’t keep you healthy. Luckily, some ways can help to preserve your energy, boost your immune system, and keep your body healthy through the winter days.
You must be aware that instead of consuming more calories, you should consume more vitamins, complex carbohydrates and proteins. It is also crucial to have regular meals. The best thing to do is to have 5 meals, 3 main courses and 2 snacks, with a 3-hour break between each meal. This will help your body to maintain its ideal temperature. It is good to know which food you should eat and how often you should eat it to feed your body with the necessary nutrients. But, in winter, creating a diet that will provide your body with all the nutrients it needs is quite tricky. That’s why you can try to add some ingredients in your diet, like black cod liver oil, ginseng, Echinacea syrup, and various other vitamin supplements. But, it is very important to stick to their dosage recommendations.
Check out the most important advices we recommend you for the upcoming cold period:
Drink only healthy beverages
Sweetened drinks, coffee and other caffeine drinks weaken the immune system, lead to obesity and dehydration. Even during winter, it is recommended to drink 8 glasses of water or an herbal tea to keep your digestive system healthy and to prevent weight gain. This is especially important during the winter months because that way you will expel all the toxins through your urine (we sweat less during winter).
Get enough sleep
This is very important because our body needs melatonin, a hormone produced only in pitch dark that is important for our immune system. When you lie down to sleep, don’t forget to close your blinds and turn off all the lights.
Avoid adding sugar
This means don’t add sugar in your tea, coffee, even in your cookies and other refined sweets that we consume. If you have a sweet tooth, then go for natural sugar – the one that is found in fruit. Honey is also an excellent natural substitute for sugar. If you really crave for something sweet, then go for dark chocolate that contains a minimum 70% cacao, which is proven to have a positive impact on overall health.
Eat garlic daily
Garlic encourages the production of T lymphocytes and macrophages, aiding the immune system. Plus, the garlic warms up the body.
Consume food that is rich in zinc
Zinc helps in improving the weakened immune system. You can find it in the chickpeas, in the pumpkin seeds, and in sesame seeds.
Favor the fruits and the vegetables
Even though it is essential to consume food rich in fats and carbs during the winter, never forget the fruits and the vegetables. They will significantly help you through winter.
Don’t be lazy
Exercise at home, ride your stationary bike, do yoga and, of course, take walks when the weather allows it. A short walk will burn some calories, speed up your circulation and boost your energy. It’s been proven that walking or any kind of movement boosts your immune system.
