Guest Post: How to look after your health in the colder months

Here I have a guest post for you all about how to keep healthy with your vitamin D in the colder months. This is something I am a bit clueless about so welcomed this advice. I am sure you will find it helpful too.

Don’t we all feel a bit different when the weather turns colder and days get shorter? We may be ready to hibernate but this doesn’t mean we should neglect our health. In fact, we should pay more attention to our health because getting ill in winter is so common. Here are some of the things you can do to look after your health in colder months:

Consider supplementing

In the colder months, it’s recommended that we all supplement with vitamin D in the UK since vitamin D deficiency is very common in winter. If you haven’t started supplementing yet, now it’s the time.

There are also other supplements that are beneficial for your health in colder months especially if you tend to get colds and flu often. Consider adding supplements to your health regime such as echinacea, garlic and Bee Prepared capsules. They all work to boost your immune system and protect you from getting ill. There are several other natural immune support supplements to consider as well.

Looking after your mental health

When the days get shorter and darker, it’s very common for our mental health to start to suffer. We may feel demotivated, lethargic or even depressed. Don’t ignore these symptoms and take some actions immediately to improve your mental health.

Although it may be dark outside and uninviting, the worst is to sit on your sofa and do nothing. Going for a walk will re-energise you and make you feel better mentally since exercise releases feel-good hormones. If you don’t feel like walking in the dark, do it in your lunchtime or in the morning before work. Alternatively, participate in indoor activities such as table tennis, home workouts or visit a gym instead.

If the dark days are impacting your mood, invest in a good quality SAD lightbox which will certainly help you feel better.

Another way you can get some motivation back into your life is by visiting friends and family and hanging out together. You can motivate each other, exercise together and socialising will also bring some light into your dark days.

Pay attention to how you feel and any symptoms

When the season changes, it is very common we start to feel different. Not just mentally, but also physically. This may be due to vitamin and mineral deficiencies which we may not even be aware of. For example, if you are deficient in vitamin D, this could show as fatigue, getting ill often and bone and back pain. There are also other symptoms of this common vitamin deficiency.

Another common deficiency is magnesium deficiency and although it’s not associated with colder months it’s still good to be aware of it. Signs of magnesium deficiency include muscle cramps, migraines, PMS, fatigue, nervousness, eye twitching and sugar cravings. If you’re experiencing some of these symptoms and want to determine if you have a magnesium deficiency, you can test for magnesium deficiency at home in order to find out. To make sure you get enough of this essential mineral consume a variety of whole grains (millet, brown rice), buckwheat, nuts and seeds, green leafy vegetables and broccoli. You will also find this essential mineral in raw cacao powder (I add it to porridge and smoothies).

Eat your veggies!

In colder months it’s more important than ever to look at your diet and see how you can improve it. That’s because a good diet will keep your immune system strong and your body healthy. This will help you stay healthy when other people are getting ill.

Although you may not be in a mood for salads when it’s cold, it’s still important to eat your greens. Raw vegetables contain lots of vitamins and minerals important for your health and you should not avoid them in winter. If you struggle with this aspect of your diet, consider introducing supergreens powder which is full of nutrients that your body needs. Instead of having a salad, you can make a delicious green smoothie to help you meet your daily fruit and veg quota.

Eat zinc-rich foods

Zinc is one of the most important trace elements in our diet and adequate levels of zinc are necessary to keep your immune system strong. Even a small deficiency could result in an increased susceptibility to infection, hence why you should make sure you get enough in your diet, especially in winter.

Make sure you eat enough of zinc-rich foods such as oysters, shellfish, fish and red meat. If you are a vegetarian have pumpkin and sesame seeds, nuts, pulses and whole grains instead. You may have to supplement if you struggle to eat all these foods.

So there you have it, some of the ways you can look after your health in colder months. Do you have any additional tips?

Author Bio

Petra Kravos is a UK based health blogger, originally from Slovenia. She runs one of the top UK’s health blogs, Be Healthy Now. Petra is very passionate about health and loves helping people on their healthy living journey. On her health blog, you will find a variety of topics, from natural health and healthy eating to fitness and natural living. You can follow Petra on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

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