The holidays are over, and winter is officially upon us. However, every passing day will bring us more light and warmer days. While we’re still in the depths of the cold season, we must take steps to protect our lasting health. Even with the opportunity to get out and participate in the beauty of this time of year, we’re all spending much more time inside. This increases exposure to a range of diseases, meaning that it’s essential that we protect our immune systems and take extra steps to stay healthy. Below we’re going to provide a few ways you can help protect your health overall.
How To Maintain Your Health Until Spring Arrives
Our healthcare providers are an essential part of maintaining optimal health. We’re here to help you learn how to protect your health. Between visits, include the following daily habits to maintain your health.
- Remain Flexible To Change – While every day will see the sunrise just a little earlier, it will remain dark in the mornings for a while longer. Likewise, the sun will continue to set early in the day, though we’ll have a few more minutes of daylight as the year progresses. While many use caffeine to see themselves through these darker hours, there are also herbal options. Rhodiola, eleuthero, and ashwagandha are other options to help boost your energy.
- B Vitamins are Helpful – Vitamin B Complex is essential to anyone’s winter survival kit. The lack of sunlight can notably impact our mood, causing some to experience Seasonal Affective Disorder. Vitamin B Complex can help manage our mood and reduce stress, often appearing in abundance during this season. Add poultry, salmon, eggs, oysters, yogurt, and beans to your diet to get these vitamins from a natural source.
- Boost Your Immune System – Staying physically active is essential to ensure our immune system works correctly. Preparing meals at home can help bolster your immune system and avoid exposure to illness. Ensuring you get enough magnesium, zinc, and Vitamin C can help maintain healthy function. Most importantly, make sure you’re getting sufficient sleep.
- Rest When Needed – Winter may involve much more time spent inside, but for many of us, that includes time spent in a car. We travel to work, to go shopping, to visit family, etc. During all this running around, it’s common for us to find ourselves even more worn out than the rest of the year. Too much stress can significantly impact our overall health, so be sure you’re getting plenty of downtime along with your usual schedule.
These four tips can go a long way to helping you stay healthy until the warm months of spring arrive.
Contact Your Healthcare Provider For More Tips
Your physician is your best ally during these cold months. They’ll help maintain your overall health and teach you new ways to protect yourself from illness. Most importantly, you should be sure that you have all the necessary vaccinations, including getting the flu vaccine yearly.
