Have you ever been sick in winter because of a cold or flu? Today, you will receive 12 recommendations for winter health.
If the coldest season has arrived or is approaching where you live, you should take care of the low temperatures. They could affect your health again and prevent you from enjoying these days.
Adverse weather conditions often cause runny noses, coughs, sore throats, and acute respiratory problems.
With so many people sick, you are more likely to catch a virus. Or pass it on to others.
Read on and watch our recommendations to stay healthy during this season.
Table of contents
- 1. Eat Healthy and Balanced
- 2. Recommendations for Winter Health – Exercise Regularly
- 3. Take Care of Your Skin From the Cold Weather
- 4. Drink Plenty of Fluids
- 5. Recommendations for Winter Health – Sleep
- 6. Get Vaccinated
- 7. Stay Warm
- 8. Strengthen Hygiene
- 9. Recommendations for Winter Health – Take Care of Your Mental Health
- 10. Avoid Cravings
- 11. Avoid Alcohol
- 12. Prepare Your Home
1. Eat Healthy and Balanced
A balanced diet is essential in any season of the year. However, in winter, it is necessary to reinforce the intake of certain foods.
Be sure to include fruits, vegetables, and meats with sufficient amounts of essential vitamins and minerals on your plate.
Vitamins A and C strengthen the immune system. Kiwi fruit, tangerines, grapefruit, oranges, and strawberries have them.
Eating foods rich in vitamin B12, zinc, iron, and protein is also essential. These nutrients increase your energy level. They are in meats, poultry, fish, eggs, lentils, dairy products, seeds, and nuts.
2. Recommendations for Winter Health – Exercise Regularly
Even if it is too cold, do not stop practicing sports or doing activities that keep your body active all day long.
Regular exercise makes you feel more vital during the winter. This makes it easier to get out of bed on frosty mornings.
It also increases your defenses against viruses, fungi, bacteria, and seasonal pathologies. This prevents frequent colds and flu.
If winter doesn’t allow you to go out, practice yoga, dance, or lift the dumbbells at home. Any exercise is good for your health.
Physical activity provides other benefits, such as natural warmth, and improves mood, figure, and self-esteem.
3. Take Care of Your Skin From the Cold Weather
An essential part of your body to take care of during the winter is your skin. Intense cold can cause skin damage.
Among other things, it leaves it dry and sensitive, with a rough texture. It usually becomes irritated, a flaky spin appears and causes itching or burning.
Lips and heels also become chapped, so protecting this area of the body is essential.
If you regularly apply a moisturizing cream and drink plenty of fluids, you will always keep it hydrated and healthy.
This routine is very effective for winter skin care. Take care of your lips with moisturizing balms.
4. Drink Plenty of Fluids
Drinking plenty of water is another of our winter health recommendations. It would help if you had it so your vital organs are unaffected.
If you don’t drink enough fluids, you become dehydrated. The sensation it produces is unpleasant. It leads to dizziness, fatigue, and even mental confusion. So, any drink, whether plain water, tea, fruit juice, or soda, will help you stay hydrated. Drink it, even if you are not thirsty, to minimize risks.
Drink at least six glasses of water a day to have adequate hydration. Soups and broths are another excellent option.
Water not only hydrates you but also helps to purify the body. If you are not in the habit of drinking fluids, start building it gradually.
5. Recommendations for Winter Health – Sleep
Winter invites you to stay warm in bed longer. Take advantage of these dark days to sleep more and recover energy.
If you do not get enough sleep, your immune system gets weakened. Therefore, you are more likely to get sick.
Lack of sleep leads to fatigue, loss of memory and concentration, lower performance, and increased risk of accidents.
If the cold keeps you awake, close the windows or adjust the room temperature. Try drinking hot tea before going to bed.
Your body regenerates when you rest for an average of 7 to 8 hours. As a result, you enjoy better physical and mental health.
6. Get Vaccinated
You know that viruses are everywhere. So, get vaccinated in time to avoid being caught by the flu or influenza and follow our recommendations for winter health.
The vaccine against these diseases is given annually, between October and November, because each year they are different.
If you do it, you have a 50% less probability of contracting a viral infection at this time of the year.
A medical check-up before winter is also advisable to see what things you are susceptible to.
For example, insects, mold spores, and cypress pollen cause allergies. That way, it is possible to prevent a reaction beforehand.
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7. Stay Warm
During this season, wearing warm clothing such as sweaters, hats, and scarves is essential, especially when you leave the house, to avoid catching the flu.
If the thermometer drops below zero degrees, the right thing to do is to wear gloves to prevent your hands from getting numb.
Likewise, you will need earmuffs to cover your ears and thermal socks to keep your feet warm.
It is also good to have blankets and thick blankets to use at night when it is colder.
Try not to expose yourself to the danger of sudden temperature changes. Sometimes, they cause serious health complications, such as pneumonia.
8. Strengthen Hygiene
Another winter health recommendation is washing your hands frequently with soap and water, the best method to prevent diseases.
Viruses and bacteria stick to surfaces, and when you touch them, they spread quickly. That’s why you need to clean and disinfect everything.
In case you catch a seasonal virus, stay home. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing.
This way, you will also care for others, reducing the chances of infection. Clothes, towels, and sheets should also be clean.
It is not good to share personal utensils, such as glasses or cutlery, with other people because it increases the risk of transmitting bacteria or viruses.
9. Recommendations for Winter Health – Take Care of Your Mental Health
Sometimes, winter forces you to stay indoors for a long time. This confinement is capable of altering your emotional well-being.
In these cases, finding a distracting activity to deal with the stress and anxiety generated by this situation is necessary. Read a book, watch a movie, cook, or play with your family. Another option is to interact with your friends online and tell them how you feel.
It is expected to feel anger, frustration, sadness, or apathy, among other things. But it would help if you did not let these emotions affect your health.
The first step is to recognize what is happening to you and try to understand that it is normal. Focus on the positive things, and don’t lose touch with others.
10. Avoid Cravings
The body needs calories to maintain body temperature. That’s why, on cold weather days, you crave too much food.
Consuming too many carbohydrates and sweets is not suitable for your health. In excess, they can cause metabolism problems. Obesity and diabetes are the most common, and these are things you should avoid. It is best to eat them in moderation.
If you have high blood sugar levels, forget about these cravings. There are healthier foods to satisfy your appetite.
Ask your doctor or nutritionist what foods and amounts are appropriate for you, especially if you have a medical condition.
11. Avoid Alcohol
There is a belief that drinking alcoholic beverages is good for fighting the cold. However, this is just a myth and is not part of our recommendations for winter health.
In reality, what alcohol does is to lower your body temperature rapidly, putting your health at risk.
The sensation of warmth it generates is temporary. It is mainly due to the dilation of the blood vessels.
With increased blood circulation, the skin feels hot. For the same reason, people become red when they drink too much.
Drinking chocolate, tea, coffee, or any other hot beverage is better to withstand the low temperatures. Drinking liquor intoxicates you.
12. Prepare Your Home
Before winter arrives, prepare your home to keep it comfortable. Ensure the heating system works correctly since too much heat inside the house affects your health. If you set it on high, it reduces the humidity in the room.
The consequences are dry skin, dehydration, allergic conditions, respiratory infections, and sleeping problems.
Also, check the chimney system and install better insulation in the ceiling, floor, and walls, if necessary.
Cover the cracks around doors and windows so the cold does not sneak through any part of the house.
While you have everything closed, avoid using stoves, braziers, or fireplaces. Due to poor ventilation, you could get carbon monoxide poisoning.