Tips How to Stay Healthy During the Cold Season

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10 Best Ways to Stay Healthy In Winter

Winter is not only a change for nature – your body and mind are just as affected by the change in weather and shorter days. You often find yourself in a bad mood, having trouble sleeping, aching muscles and limbs, and having rough/dry skin. We can’t just grow a thicker coat and hibernate for most of the season like many animals, so we have to use adapt in other ways.

Here are the 10 ways you can keep yourself healthy during the winter.

Healthy Diet or Food

A healthy diet goes a long way toward strengthening your immune system. Eat five servings of fruits and vegetables throughout the day. There are some areas of the world where that might be challenging but in most major cities you can find these things all year round. You can order groceries and fruit bouquet delivery in London without even leaving your house, which is particularly useful in winter.

Reduce your intake of simple carbohydrates such as sugar and white flour, and eat more fiber. Plant foods such as vegetables, fruits, and whole grains not only contain many vital nutrients but also promote good digestion and immune defense.

Exercise

Exercise all year round and don’t take a break with the onset of the cold season. Exercise in the fresh air or in the gym strengthens the body’s defenses. Don’t put yourself under pressure with exercise, though. Competitiveness or excessive ambition is not good for your health. If you have already caught a cold, you should refrain from sports and rather go for a walk.

Skin Trouble

With healthy skin, you protect your body from infections. Too frequent bathing or showering destroys the important acid mantle of our skin. Washing with soap removes 90 to 95 percent of surface microorganisms. The germs that make up our skin flora are not only harmless but actually protect against infections by blocking possible points of attack for disease germs. In the case of average contamination, it is sufficient to shower off with water. Cleansing of the regions of the body, where there are particularly many sweat glands, is sufficient. The best pick-me-up for the cold season is a short warm shower followed by a cold one. This strengthens blood circulation and the immune system.

Water

Drinking keeps mucous membranes active and protects against pathogens. The fluid requirement varies – depending on height, weight, and activity. In addition to water, herbal tea, and natural mineral water, teas are a good choice. They provide vitamins and phytochemicals, and so can also boost the body’s defenses and help prevent and treat colds.

Sleep

An occasional sleep deficit is harmless, but in the long run, lack of sleep can have health consequences. While we sleep, important processes take place in the body. In addition to fatigue and concentration problems, a long-term lack of sleep also weakens the immune system. For healthy sleep, the room should be heavily darkened, cell phones and laptops should generally be banned from the room.

Hygiene

Make sure that you wash your hands even more regularly during the winter. Please be sure to use soap and warm water to eliminate all germs.

If a wave of colds or flu is rolling in, or if there is a norovirus infection in your environment or family, you should additionally resort to disinfectants for shared objects, toilets, and also your hands.

Checkup Your Health Regularly

You can go to a doctor not only when you are sick, but also as a preventive measure. This can be done in the fall or early winter. The hospital can check your overall health and prescribe the right vitamin supplements that, perhaps, your body currently lacks.

Quit Smoking

Smoking is long been proven to cause a drop in immunity defenses. As such, people who smoke are more likely to get the common cold or flu in the winter. If you are not a hard smoker and do it casually, we would recommend dropping this habit for at least the winter season (ideally you will quit smoking altogether).

Vitamin D

As mentioned, five servings of fruits and vegetables should be consumed per day. If you find it difficult to include them in your meals, simply switch to vitamin supplements.

You should also pay attention to vitamin D. The body produces vitamin D with the help of sunlight. Since during winter we spend a lot of time indoors and the sun shines for less time, vitamin D deficiency can occur.

Clothing

Wrapping up warm is the absolute key to staying healthy in the winter. This is because as soon as the body notices cold, it constricts blood vessels to retain heat. As a result, other areas of the body, such as the nose and throat, can have poorer blood circulation, which limits the immune defense system and can thus quickly lead to colds. Cold feet in particular are a common problem in winter and quickly weaken the immune system.

FAQ:

  • How Can I Improve My Health in Winter?

Most importantly:

  • Keep yourself warm;
  • Be active (exercise);
  • Eat healthy food with plenty of vitamins;
  • Do not forget about hygiene.

By sticking to these tips you will significantly reduce the probability of getting a cold.

  • Does Cold Weather Make You Healthier?

Yes and no. If we are cold our body usually sacrifices immunity in favor of keeping itself warm, so exposure to cold often leads to getting sick. However, you can slowly build up your body’s cold tolerance by taking cold showers for example, and as a result, improve your immunity.

  • Is Being Exposed to Cold Healthy?

Extreme colds can lead to reduced immunity and you might get sick more often.

  • How Can I Avoid Getting Sick in the Winter?

Stick to basic hygiene rules and eat healthily, or at least consume plenty of necessary vitamins, like vitamins D and C.

  • What to Eat to Get Strong in Winters?

Frutes and vegetables. They can be difficult to find during the winter but they contain necessary vitamins that help your body to keep its defenses up.  

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