Your health can take a dip during the cold winter months, where winter illnesses such as colds and the flu – not to mention the coronavirus – are rife, and the lack of sunlight can cause dips in mood and a drop in vitamin D levels. Considering this, what can you do to ensure that your health and overall well-being remain in tip-top condition? Read on for three tips for looking after your health in winter.
1. Make sure you get all your vitamins
Ensuring that you eat a balanced diet is essential for maximum physical health throughout the year, but it is indispensablewhen helping the body fight winter ailments. A balanced diet will provide all the vitamins needed for a healthy immune system that can quickly recover from winter colds and the flu. For instance, vitamin C, found in citrus fruits like oranges and lemons, helps maintain healthy skin and bones and can really help speed up the wound healing process.
Although you should aim to get all your vitamins through food, you might decide to boost your immunity over winter by taking additional vitamin supplements. However, always discuss such decisions with your physician beforehand, as too many vitamins can be just as harmful as too little.
2. Look after your teeth
Your teeth can be a massive indicator of the state of your general health. You should aim to get them checked by a reputable dental team at Best Dental at least every six months, who will be able to identify and deal with dental problems early on. Brush and floss your teeth twice a day to ensure that they are clean and to avoid a build-up of plaque and gum disease. Additionally, although the festive period and following January slump might leave you tempted to overindulge in sweet treats, consider how this will affect your oral hygiene. It’s also best to swill your mouth out with mouthwash or water after having eaten anything sweet to wash lingering sugar from your teeth and try to limit the number of sweet things you eat.
3. Get your vitamin D
Vitamin D is hugely important in keeping bones, teeth, and muscles healthy. In the spring and summer months, the main source of vitamin D is the sun; however, due to shorter days and poor weather conditions, there is an understandable drop in vitamin D levels over winter. To up your vitamin D intake over winter, try finding it in other sources.
Foods such as oily fish, egg yolks, and red meat contain small amounts of vitamin D. You could also seek out foods that have been fortified with vitamin D, such as cereals, spreads, and milk (in some countries). Vitamin D supplements are also available to help further boost your levels of the sunshine vitamin during the dark winter months. Don’t forget to get outside whenever you can, even in winter. As well as getting vitamin D from the sun, exercise will also help boost your mood.
