Staying active and eating healthy are essential steps in maintaining your wellbeing throughout the winter months. To assist you in staying healthy this winter, here are five tips from Health4U Nutritionist and Registered Dietitian Peggy Crum.
1. While it is tempting to hibernate in the winter, it is better to keep active.
Exercise invigorates the immune system by speeding up the cells that fight off bacteria. You don’t have to be a super athlete for this to happen—a moderate amount of exercise such as a daily walk will do. Check out this list of indoor walking facilities for places to flex your legs.
2. Get adequate sleep.
Your immune system relies on sleep to stay healthy. Ongoing sleep deficiency can change the way the immune system responds, leading to trouble in fighting common infections.
3. Limit alcohol and avoid tobacco products.
There are hundreds of chemicals in tobacco and tobacco smoke—many of these chemicals cause inflammation and cell damage, which weakens the immune system.
4. Keep winter bugs at bay by getting a flu shot and washing your hands frequently.
Practicing basic good hygiene keeps infectious germs away from your nose and mouth. The flu shot provides antibody protection against this year’s flu bugs.
5. Eat a varied diet and get enough to eat. Just as there are no magic bullet foods, specific supplements are not helpful and may even be harmful.
It appears that our bodies are best able to use nutrients that come directly from foods, likely because they are combined with other substances in the foods to make them effective. While it is prudent to eat fruits and vegetables, it is also important to eat foods that provide your body with adequate energy and protein.
Need recipe ideas for staying healthy in the winter? Download any of these great winter time recipes from the Recipe for Health archive and remember keep moving!