Your Guide to Staying Healthy This Winter
Posted by Dolores
Andrew Mitchell asked:
The days are getting darker, autumn’s colour is slowly giving way to a drab landscape and no matter were you go, the sound of coughs and sniffles always seems to follow you. This can only mean one thing: winter is on the way.
Winter comes with all sorts of unpleasant surprises, which tend to have a negative impact on your physical, as well as psychological wellbeing. In order to keep you healthy and happy this winter, we have combed the world for some of the best tips and brought them together. Everyone has a different approach on how to stay healthy, but just in case your local witch-doctor’s remedy is faulty, let’s look at this year’s words of wisdom:
Your nutritionist says: Throw your Atkins low-carb diets out the window - carbs are key! Your body needs many carbohydrates to produce those extra energy reserves you need to keep warm during winter. Don’t go overboard of course - the key to optimum health is to eat everything in moderation. It is all about the quality of the food (a good balance of whole foods, protein, vegetables, and starch), eaten in the proper quantities, which gives you the body you always wanted.
Your GP says: Build up your defences in as many ways as you can. One of the ways you can do this is by getting the flu jab. Modern medicine is a wonderful way of tacking long-existing illnesses. Other ways to boost your immune system are to take vitamin tablets and to get plenty of rest. A few extra hours of sleep a night will also increase your chances of staying healthy, doing miracles for your mind as well as your body. Also get some extra nutrients in addition to your daily meals, such as Zinc, Iron, and Vitamin C, will help strengthen your defences against the inevitable flues and sniffles that come knocking at your door at this time of year.
Your Osteopath says: Acupressure and acupuncture are well-used ancient practices which will enhance your sense of well being. They help spread and balance the energy within your body so you feel more centred and revitalised. A good deep-tissue massage can also achieve this sense of balance. By loosening up your stiff joints and sore muscles, a massage stimulates blood flow which enables you to feel fresh and more energetic. In order to treat external illness, we have to start by tackling the disease from within - only then can we treat the problem, not just the symptoms.
Your Psychologist says: Many of my clients suffer from seasonal depression. This is primarily caused by a lack of sunlight during the winter months - you won’t believe the positive impact light has on your mood, as well as your body. Go on a vacation this winter, to a place where you can get plenty of sunlight, exercise, and peace. The French Alps or Spain are excellent destinations.
These expert perspectives should be enough to keep you healthy in every possible way this winter season: physically, mentally, and emotionally. So beat down the problem before it gets you down - eat that well-balanced meal, take some vitamin pills, get a deep-tissue massage and plan that holiday for mid-January. We all have our own ways of ploughing through another long winter, but hopefully, armed with these bits of advice, you are well on your way to emerging from that bitter cold unscathed, whole, and happy.
KIRSTEN
The days are getting darker, autumn’s colour is slowly giving way to a drab landscape and no matter were you go, the sound of coughs and sniffles always seems to follow you. This can only mean one thing: winter is on the way.
Winter comes with all sorts of unpleasant surprises, which tend to have a negative impact on your physical, as well as psychological wellbeing. In order to keep you healthy and happy this winter, we have combed the world for some of the best tips and brought them together. Everyone has a different approach on how to stay healthy, but just in case your local witch-doctor’s remedy is faulty, let’s look at this year’s words of wisdom:
Your nutritionist says: Throw your Atkins low-carb diets out the window - carbs are key! Your body needs many carbohydrates to produce those extra energy reserves you need to keep warm during winter. Don’t go overboard of course - the key to optimum health is to eat everything in moderation. It is all about the quality of the food (a good balance of whole foods, protein, vegetables, and starch), eaten in the proper quantities, which gives you the body you always wanted.
Your GP says: Build up your defences in as many ways as you can. One of the ways you can do this is by getting the flu jab. Modern medicine is a wonderful way of tacking long-existing illnesses. Other ways to boost your immune system are to take vitamin tablets and to get plenty of rest. A few extra hours of sleep a night will also increase your chances of staying healthy, doing miracles for your mind as well as your body. Also get some extra nutrients in addition to your daily meals, such as Zinc, Iron, and Vitamin C, will help strengthen your defences against the inevitable flues and sniffles that come knocking at your door at this time of year.
Your Osteopath says: Acupressure and acupuncture are well-used ancient practices which will enhance your sense of well being. They help spread and balance the energy within your body so you feel more centred and revitalised. A good deep-tissue massage can also achieve this sense of balance. By loosening up your stiff joints and sore muscles, a massage stimulates blood flow which enables you to feel fresh and more energetic. In order to treat external illness, we have to start by tackling the disease from within - only then can we treat the problem, not just the symptoms.
Your Psychologist says: Many of my clients suffer from seasonal depression. This is primarily caused by a lack of sunlight during the winter months - you won’t believe the positive impact light has on your mood, as well as your body. Go on a vacation this winter, to a place where you can get plenty of sunlight, exercise, and peace. The French Alps or Spain are excellent destinations.
These expert perspectives should be enough to keep you healthy in every possible way this winter season: physically, mentally, and emotionally. So beat down the problem before it gets you down - eat that well-balanced meal, take some vitamin pills, get a deep-tissue massage and plan that holiday for mid-January. We all have our own ways of ploughing through another long winter, but hopefully, armed with these bits of advice, you are well on your way to emerging from that bitter cold unscathed, whole, and happy.
KIRSTEN
