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Winter Wellness

Daria Fennelly • November 9, 2020

What to know about looking after yourself this winter

If you are following wellness bloggers, nutritionists, and other health professionals, you quite often come across their autumn and winter tips, programmes, articles. What is real and what is not when it comes to adapting our diets and lifestyle in colder months?

What's happening in winter? How does it make us feel?
First of all, let’s think about what's happening: it’s getting colder, and we are getting less daylight and sun. Secondly, let’s think how the above makes us feel: we feel more sleepy and want more sleep, it’s probably harder to get out of bed. And we all know that feeling like you are not getting enough sleep might lead to feeling more tired and stressed. So what do we need to change when it comes to self care and nutrition to address the above?

Diet

Let’s look at the foods we eat! Before we go into details, a few words on seasonal eating and its importance:

  • It goes without saying, that eating foods that are local and in season is better for the environment - less transportation, less storage.
  • Also seasonal foods have more nutrients, for example vitamins degrade over time and with storage, so the fresher the better!
  • And my favourite point, think of it this way - there is a reason why foods change with the seasons, and it’s nature’s way to meet our bodies changing needs.

So what are the needs in colder and darker months?

We probably want to nourish and warm ourselves. What are the best meals for that? Porridges, stews, soups, warm drinks, etc.


And what foods are in season to make these meals?

Root vegetables, whole grains, legumes, apples, pears, pomegranates, citrus fruits, broccoli, spinach, kale, artichokes, and other greens.


And let’s not forget the seasonal spices and herbs to bring the most flavour of the foods: cinnamon, turmeric, ginger, rosemary, thyme, basil.

Nutrients to pay attention to


Vitamin D


Our bodies create vitamin D from direct sunlight on the skin. During winter we spend less time outside and it’s not that sunny, it’s recommended to supplement with additional vitamin D. You can use supplements, or it can also be found in yolk, oily fish, liver or fortified products (e.g. certain cereals). Vegan sources of vitamin D are mushrooms, fortified milk alternatives, cereals. Vitamin D is needed for healthy bones, muscles, teeth, it’s also crucial for supporting our immune system.


Omega 3


Cold weather, central heating are damaging for our skin, and lead to dehydration, and dryness. Omega 3 acids are responsible for the health of cell membranes, which make up a large part of our skin. A healthy cell membrane means a moist, soft skin. Food sources of Omega 3: oily fish, yolk, flaxseeds, chia seeds, walnuts.


Vitamin C, Zinc to support the immune system


First of all, please don’t buy into the whole boost your immunity craze - we don’t need to boost the immune function, we need to support it (if anything a very strong immune function would be attacking things unnecessary and might lead to serious conditions like allergies, autoimmune diseases, etc.) However, it is recommended to pay extra attention to supporting the immune function during winter months as we come in contact with more viruses and infections. Vitamin C, vitamin D, and Zinc have been proven to support the immune function, and their deficiencies might lead to immune dysfunction and increased susceptibility of infectious diseases. Sources of vitamin C: citrus fruits, broccoli, kiwi, mango, etc. Sources of Zinc: oysters, beans, nuts, poultry, whole grains.

Being Active

Most people might want to slow down during colder months (there is an ongoing research to analyse how less light and less vitamin D play a role in muscle function and might lead to a reduced physical performance over darker months). So if you want to slow down - embrace it, and go for yoga, and other slow paced exercises. The main thing is to keep being active, but definitely don’t torture yourself.


Though keep in mind that to beat the coughing and sneezing season, you still would want to concentrate on your lungs - either through deep breathing or sprints and HIIT.

Daily Routine

Keeping the routine is crucial to navigate daylight and clock changes, so keep your sleep, exercise, meals at consistent times.


With less sunlight during the day, our brains produce more melatonin (so called ‘sleep hormone’), so we want to sleep more. Though we don’t actually need more sleep, it is still recommended to aim for an earlier bedtime to allow us to stay consistent with our morning wake up time. You can also try and get outside as much as possible, especially in the morning, to expose yourself to lots of sunlight.


When it comes to skincare, it is all about locking in moisture, so the following might work well:


  • Bath soaks (with epsom salt and soda to soothe dry, itchy skin damaged by cold winds)
  • Face and body oils (more like a moisture injection in comparison with basic moisturisers and lotions)
  • Strong moisturiser, hand cream, and lip balm.

So this is a quick overview of the things you might consider when adapting your daily lifestyle habits and diet during winter months. If there is anything that really works for you, I would love to learn about your experience, so get in touch!

Resources

  • Bartoszewska, M., Kamboj, M., and Patel, D. (2010). ‘Vitamin D, muscle function, and exercise performance’, Pediatr Clin North Am, 57 (3), pp. 849-861.
  • Rondanelli, M., Miccono, A., Lamburghini, S., Avanzato, I., Riva A., Allegrini, P., Faliva, M.A., Peroni, G., Nichetti, M., and Perna, S. (2018). 'Self-Care for Common Colds: The Pivotal Role of Vitamin D, Vitamin C, Zinc, and Echinacea in Three Main Immune Interactive Clusters (Physical Barriers, Innate and Adaptive Immunity) Involved during an Episode of Common Colds—Practical Advice on Dosages and on the Time to Take These Nutrients/Botanicals in order to Prevent or Treat Common Colds', Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2018; 2018: 5813095
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