Winter, while having its own unique charms and fun aspects, can be a major inconvenience for some people. This is especially true for those who are particularly susceptible to colds and cold-related ailments. The chilly temperature slows down metabolic processes, which in turn can cause lethargy and, in some cases, bouts of mild depression.
If these aren’t bad enough, winter ice and slush can pose added risks of injury, like in cases where people slip on ice-covered sidewalks during their morning runs. Although hypothermia is pretty much far-fetched (unless you go out of your way to embark on an icy adventure on your own, using old inefficient winter gear), there is always that tiny possibility that the change of climate will affect you in ways that are not exactly beneficial to your overall well-being.
To hedge your chances of “surviving” this coming winter, you will have to get in tiptop shape. Chopping firewood will beef up your muscles as well as your stores of fireplace rations, but it is your immune system that you must pay particular attention to as it is the one singular system of the body most affected by cold.
The following health tips though will help you to avoid the usual winter illnesses. Hopefully, these tips will ensure that you don’t have to miss out on any workout sessions or dampen your enjoyment of your skiing vacation:
1. Increase Your Intake Of Vitamin C-rich Foods
Substituting on traditional winter fare like your forebears did in the old pioneering days is just like it is today, old and passé. Food-related technologies have made it possible for people nowadays to enjoy fresh produce and meat all-year round. Citrus fruits, in particular, will boost your immune system to take on the challenges of cold weather. Load up on healthy, fresh foods as much as possible. The cold is not an excuse to gorge on junk foods and other preservative laden entrees. Check out this article to learn How to Increase Vitamin C Intake.
2. Drink More Water
To counter the slowdown of your metabolism, increase your water intake to stimulate digestion. Six to eight glasses is generally recommended. If you simply cannot tolerate drinking cold water, a good hydrating alternative is to drink organic teas that have the added benefit of detoxifying your body, among others.
3. Up Your Activity Level
It is natural to feel like staying in bed all day long during extreme weather conditions, but to keep your body strong, you must avoid oversleeping as it is known to cause lethargy and depression. To stimulate the production of antidepressant hormones, regular exercise and an active winter lifestyle are a must. The mundane act of shovelling snow off your driveway, for example, not only makes for easier ingress and egress to your home, it will also give you that much-needed exercise. By all means avoid getting cooped up for long periods indoors doing nothing, get on that at home NordicTrack treadmill. Keep those arms and legs pumping; with good activity, your heart will keep up as well.
4. Keep a positive outlook
Sunny days have a certain way of brightening up moods, but during winter such days are markedly deficient. This is no reason for you to be gloomy, though. Go outdoors whenever the weather permits it. During those rare moments when the sun does shine brightly (it does at times, even in winter), don’t let the opportunity to catch some rays slip you by. Play in the snow, go out with friends for some hot cocoa, and think about how the cold winter is just nature’s way of preparing for spring.
Author Bio: Abbas Hussain, blogger who talks about staying healthy for companies like http://www.newboulds.co.uk/