Karla Tafra
Winter is coming and—although not the way it did on Game of Thrones this last season—it always comes with surprises. Dry and cold air, sudden temperature changes, wind, and snow tend to bring unexpected illnesses too.
Our bodies adapt to the changes in the seasons, but not always gracefully and a little extra help to ensure we’re healthy and cozy never hurts. Here are five easy things to help prepare your body against cold season and face everything it brings head-on.
Supplements: Give Yourself a Winter Time Boost
Taking supplements in the form of vitamins and minerals is important no matter what time of the year it is. It’s great to get nutrients from food, but when it comes to some vitamins, it’s just not practical to eat pounds and pounds of spinach or fish every day.
When the cold season approaches, our immune system seems to take a step back, and all sorts of viruses and bacteria start roaming through the air, causing colds and flu epidemics. Making sure we’re taking an adequate amount of Vitamin C and D helps us fight them off as we build our immune system and improve our gut flora. The same goes for Fish Oil Omega healthy fats, as well as magnesium and zinc. Before taking any of the supplements, talk to your doctor or nutritionist, and follow their instructions on which supplements and what dosage works best for you and your body.
Sleep: There’s No Substitute
Sleep is crucial when it comes to recovery and cell regeneration. And it’s no coincidence this is the time of year you’ll see even more articles about the importance of sleep—this is the time we need it the most!
Summer parties are over, and vacation comes to an end, which means we’re back in our grind, working or going to school, running from one place to another, completely draining ourselves and depleting our energy levels. By the end of autumn, we’re so chronically tired and missing out on sleep, it takes a toll on our poor immune system and leaves us sniffing and coughing our way through our busy days.
Before it comes to that, try making sure you’re getting plenty of sleep every night and pay attention to your bedtime routine – more rest, cozy book reading and warm teas, less screen time, heavy dinners, and late-night emails. Trust us; you’ll be thanking yourself in December.
Hot baths
Another great way to help your body unwind from a busy day and rejuvenate is by taking a hot, essential oil & Epsom salt-filled, self-care bath. Once your body dips into the cozy water, it will immediately activate your zen mode and help you lower your stress levels.
We’re so wired up all the time, that sometimes we need a bit more than just lying on the sofa to relax our muscles and release the overall tension. Dim the light a little, put on some relaxing music, light up a few deliciously smelling candles, and feel the sense of calm overtaking your whole being.
Exercise
After summer ends, we tend to turn into little hermits, dodging the gym every time we see a couple of raindrops on our window pane, especially when days start getting shorter and shorter. Our motivation is nowhere to be found, and we find it hard to get out of bed in the morning, let alone grab our gym bags and drag ourselves to sweat and stretch for an hour—when that’s precisely what we need!
Exercise and sweating activate our whole body, increasing our serotonin levels (the old’ happiness hormone), improving our immune system, and leaving us feeling energized, focused, and ready to tackle the day ahead. Our blood flow improves and helps to spread nutrients to every cell in our body, keeping them healthy and functioning at the optimal level. So, next time you want to skip the gym for the third time in a row, tell yourself to stop procrastinating and get sweatin’!
Layers
You know that time you said you’d be fine wearing that crop top, but then out of nowhere, it became super cold, and you ended up freezing the entire night? Dressing in layers is a great way to avoid that as the summer heat fades away into chilly winter nights.
When cold season starts approaching, the weather becomes unpredictable—and ironically, that’s the only predictable thing about it! One moment it might be warm and sunny, and then an hour later, it’s pouring rain, and the temperature dropped 10 degrees. The only smart way to combat this is to layer up. Yes, you might remember your grandma telling you this when you were younger, but she had a point.
When you wear layered clothing, you can always take something off during the warm periods, and put something on when it gets chilly. Simple as that. Luckily, you can always stay fashionable doing it, cause with the way our weather keeps changing, layers aren’t getting out of season any time soon.
These simple tips are pretty straightforward and easy to follow, but that’s the beauty of them. Everyone can make sure they’re doing something to help prepare themselves and their bodies against the inevitable cold, uncomfortable, and most of the time, annoying weather.
