5 Wellness Tips for Winter
No matter what the season, it’s important that we keep our bodies healthy. However, with winter comes more time spent indoors, and inevitably, bacteria and viruses will be more easily spread amongst us. To fight off sickness, there are lots of things we can do to help support our bodies, and specifically our immune system so that it is ready to fight off colds and viruses. Here are 5 of my favorite tips to keep your immune system strong during the cold season!
Support your digestive system 🥒
Did you know that your guts contain tissues that are a part of your immune system? This tissue is called GALT: gut-associated lymphoid tissue. To keep this tissue happy and healthy, we have to give it food that will nourish it. Additionally, there are a lot of friendly bacteria that live in our gut that help protect us against harmful bacteria. Important foods that help to nourish GALT and friendly bacteria are those that contain fiber- which are any plant food.
Fiber: Important for moving material through your digestive system and for feeding the friendly bacteria in your guts. Make sure to incorporate fiber into each meal of the day. My favorite foods for fiber are berries, leafy greens, root vegetables, beans, and whole grains.
2. Eat cruciferous veggies 🥦
Cruciferous vegetables are those that belong to the plant family Brassicaceae. They include arugula, cauliflower, broccoli, kale, cabbage, bok choy, and brussel sprouts. These vegetables are power houses of nutrition! They provide important nutrients that are essential for our immune system to function well, including magnesium, folate, vitamins A and C, and more. In addition to supporting your immune system, cruciferous vegetables support your body’s detox mechanisms, and may help reduce the risk of developing a variety of cancers. Try to eat cruciferous veggies at least three times per week!
3. Sleep well 😴
This one might seem like a no brainer- of course we need sleep! But do you ever think about the quality of your sleep? It’s so important that we get good quality sleep to support our immune system. When we don’t get good quality sleep, we may experience more inflammation in the body due to a reduced production of protective immune cells. Ask yourself these questions:
Do you spend time on your phone right before going to sleep?
Are the times that you go to bed and wake up inconsistent?
Do you eat close to bedtime?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, there is room to improve the quality of your sleep. Avoid screens at least a half hour before going to bed, adopt a consistent sleep schedule, and avoid eating late night dinners. These are only a few examples of how to improve your sleep quality, and of course it’s also important to get at least seven uninterrupted hours of sleep per night.
4. Get adequate Vitamin D ☀️
Vitamin D is not only important for healthy bones, but for a healthy immune system as well. deficiency of Vitamin D puts you at a higher risk for being susceptible to sickness. Even though this nutrient is so important, it’s actually one of the most common nutrients to be deficient in! Vitamin D can come from either sunshine, food sources, or supplements.
Sunshine: The UV rays in sunshine convert inactive Vitamin D in your body into active Vitamin D. Those who live in cloudy and northern climates are at a higher risk for Vitamin D deficiency
Food Sources: Salmon, tuna, egg yolks, mushrooms, fortified milk
Supplements: Consult with your doctor or Registered Dietitian for appropriate supplement recommendations
5. Load up on antioxidants 🍵
The role of antioxidants in the immune system is to reduce oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is damage to your cells due to exposure to environmental toxins, pollution, alcohol, fried foods, smoke, and other substances. Antioxidants help prevent this damage, and luckily they are found in a large variety of foods. These foods include red and blue fruits and veggies, dark leafy greens, olive oil, green tea, dark chocolate, and more!
