How to stay healthy this winter
With winter quickly taking a grip of the United Kingdom, it is important to know how to deal with the associated health implications of the cold weather. Now it is a common misconception that your immune system is weaker over the winter. It is the fact more time is spent indoors in winter so it is easier for germs to spread, this is why it is very common to get a winter cold. The viruses that cause colds also find it much easier to spread in colder & drier air.
Included with prolonged time spent indoors, children are in school so they’re spending more time exchanging germs with other children than they may have whilst on summer holiday. As well our nasal passages are drier during the winter as a result of the drier air which allows for cold viruses to infect us easier than in the warmer months.
So how can you avoid spreading the common cold?
- Wash your hands – By washing your hands you can greatly reduce the number of germs and potentially nasty bacteria that can enter your system. So be sure you wash your hands thoroughly and you could also keep hand sanitiser on you.
- Cover your cough – To avoid spreading germs on to other people, do your part and cover your mouth with your hand when you cough or sneeze.
- Call in sick – If you are feeling unwell, it is far better you take the time off of work and further spread your germs than getting the rest of your workforce ill!
Not only does the coldness have an effect on us but so too can the lack of sunlight. If you spend all day indoors working and drive home when it’s dark, it can cause a person to feel tired and sluggish, as the lack of sunlight can which disrupt the body’s sleep and waking cycles.
It can be very hard to get the appropriate about of sunlight so It is important for your health to keep it in mind.
How can you feel less tired in winter?
- Go for a walk – take 10-20 minutes of your lunchbreak and go for a short walk, it may be a little cold but put on some layers and get out in the sun. This can go a long way to tackling winter tiredness
- Get a good night sleep – keep a consistent sleeping pattern by getting up and going to sleep at the same time. The body responds much better to routine and this can help avoid a poor night’s sleep.
- Exercise – time and time again exercise has been shown to massively help with tackling stress which can have a negative effect on your energy levels.
- Meditate – if you’re finding it hard to sleep, practise meditating for 10 minutes before going to sleep to help your brain stop thinking and let you switch off.
Eating healthy
It can be very tempting when winter rolls around with the Christmas period, to eat lots of unhealthy comfort foods. Whether it is multiple mince pies a day, leftover chocolate from Christmas or a few too many mulled wines. All of these things can get in the way of your normal healthy diet and these high sugar foods can lead to you feeling tired.
Of course, we aren’t saying don’t treat yourself over Christmas but be sure to keep up your fruit and veg intake. You can make warm comfort meals very easily by roasting winter veg such as carrots, parsnips, swede and turnips and then blending it up into the perfect winter soup. A very cost effective a delicious way to make sure you’re eating healthy over winter.
Strengthen your immune system
Although we mentioned earlier winter does not affect your immune system, that doesn’t mean to say your immune system couldn’t do with an extra top-up to help fight the higher numbers of germs entering your system.
Dairy products such as milk, cheese, yoghurt are all great for helping keep a strong immune system. As well all of them provide your body with protein, vitamin b12 and calcium. Make sure to have a good amount of dairy in your diet over the winter months.
Start your day right!
Winter is the perfect time of year to have a hearty breakfast, starting the day off with a warming bowl of porridge with a mix of fruit is a great way to start your day. A bowl in the morning can massively help your intake of starchy food and fibre.
These types of foods provide you with slow-burning energy and also keep you feeling full for a long period of time. As well oats are a great source for vitamins and minerals.
Stock up your medicine cabinet.
No matter how much preparation you do, it is still possible you may simply get unlucky and fall unwell! The best way to ensure a quick recovery to get you back on your feet is to fill up your medical supplies at home.
My Pharmacy offers a wide range of easy to order treatments to help you combat any illness you may pick up over the winter, whether that is coughs and colds, flu or allergies. We have a wide range of treatments with next day delivery available. As well as those treatments My Pharmacy also offers a range of vitamins and supplements to give your diet a kick and ensure you’re getting all the nutrients you need.
My Pharmacy wishes you have a healthy happy winter season!
