Stay in shape during winter
The winter has nothing to please (especially for the followers of sunshine). The cold that attacks you and makes you want to strike under the blanket, viruses that love to defeat your immune defenses, the end of the year celebrations that turn into a trap to pounds leaving you to settle your accounts head-to-head with your scale. Three long months to try and stay in shape before finding the sweetness of the return of a charming spring sun. You then sink in a seasonal depression that will make you sing the blues of winter. The solution is in the plate and in natural methods that will boost you smoothly.
In winter, go groundhog but not too much
The cold makes you want to stay warm in front of the TV sipping hot chocolate? Winter tends to reduce physical activity. Normal, the motivation to go running by -5 ° is reduced. The sport will however serve as a barrier to winter weight gain and will strengthen your immune system. It remains the keystone of your emotional balance by channeling your stress. No need to put on your slip-resistant sneakers, brave snow and ice. Take advantage of indoor sports to fulfill your physical exercise quota. Roll up your elevator for the stairs and leave your couch for a floor rug in front of the TV to compose a custom gym. In a word, move, it warms!
In winter, change the air!
With intensive insulation and maximum heating, your house looks like a tropical cocoon. Aeration is however a prerequisite for renewing oxygen. Open the windows in large for a good 10 minutes every day and avoid overheating your rooms that end up generating too dry air that will promote small infections. In your room, do not push the thermostat beyond 20 °. Better to add a blanket than to try to sleep in a sauna that leads you to insomnia. Ambient heat envelops you in a seasonal mollusk softness incompatible with your usual tone. A few degrees less and a sweater and more should help you regain your energy.
Winter sleep, yes please!
Less light, a cold temperature, you idle like the batteries of a flat car engine. Sleep is early. Why resist him? Your body aligns with the rhythm of winter in a good mammal that the word “hibernation” makes dream. Respect these impulses by identifying the signs of sleep without falling into the excess of fat that would only make you tired more. In the morning, you have trouble opening your eyes? You can get help from a dawn simulator that will diffuse light gradually half an hour before your usual awakening to stimulate your awakening. A gentle way to start a good morning.
Osteopathy in prevention
To strengthen your immune defenses and reset stress counters, a session of osteopathy allows you to take the lead and act preventively. “I will see my osteopath on average twice a year,” says Sonia, who has difficulty coping with the cold. In case of crisis when I find myself stranded and at the beginning of winter to boost my energy. I still feel very tired with the cold weather that is coming. My osteopath, working in particular on the visceral, rebalances my body and energizes me. The effect is immediate and I am quiet for a few months.”
Obligatory weight gain?
Winter is good for storage and it is not uncommon for a few pounds, especially during the holiday season, weigh down the balance. But this is not inevitable ! “It is true that in summer, the appetite is not so sharp, but it is not a general, says the doctor Sophie Ortega Loeff, nutritionist doctor in Paris. Some will crack more with the beautiful days, the ice and the relaxation of the holidays. Others will tend to eat more during the winter months. The most important thing is to monitor your diet and diversify it.
Your anti-virus weapons
Yes, it is quite possible not to spend the winter deep in bed a handkerchief in hand! Diet is your best ally to strengthen your immune system. For those who are not a fan of fruits, take the good habit of preparing fresh lemon juice every morning. In addition to its vitamin C, lemon is an antibacterial that will eliminate microbes that attempt an intrusion. Bees come as reinforcement to strengthen your immune system. Do you feel tired? A pollen cure is a good fortifier that contains a vitamin complex and essential amino acids for the balance of the body. “If oligotherapy diffuse its active principles in case of infection, with the taking of copper bulb, silver or gold to strengthen your immunity and fight against viruses, there is no point in taking them in prevention” insists the nutritionist.
In winter, stock up on antioxidants
To block the small seasonal infections that await you at the first drop of vigilance of immune defenses, strengthen your body with the cocktail of vitamins VIP, A, C and E, which are powerful antioxidants. To find them, bet on seasonal fruits and vegetables. “Winter is the citrus season like clementine or grapefruit,” says Dr. Sophie Ortega Loeff. Kiwifruit is also a good source of vitamin C. Orange-fleshed fruits, such as mango and persimmon, are rich in beta-carotene, which turns into vitamin A. Do not forget the apple, which prevents the oxidation of blood cholesterol and brings you vitamins of group B and E. Indulge yourself with some grapes (no more to avoid a consequent sugar intake). Its skin, rich in Resveratrol, gives you its anti-oxidant benefits. ”
Rebalance your diet
Your body has specific needs in the winter to protect yourself from the cold and resist seasonal viruses. “It’s better to focus on hot foods that will warm your body,” says the nutritionist. The protein ration must remain constant, favoring white meat and fatty fish, rich in omega 3. Accompany your dishes with spices and aromatic herbs, which warm and bring a good amount of vitamins and antioxidants . If fruits and vegetables need to be on your plate, avoid eating fruits that come from far away. Generally they are not mature and finish maturing in storage silos. Their vitamins are not preserved. On the other hand, frozen fruits preserve many vitamins, provided they do not forget them in the bottom of their freezer for months! ”
Transient depression
A bit of sun and good mood come back. But as soon as the gray of a white sky settles, your morale takes a hit. You are sensitive to the change of season or more precisely to the light. In winter, the days get shorter and the sun exposure also lasts. Light influences our biological rhythm. Seasonal blues, also known as seasonal affective disorder (SAD), are not uncommon and are a direct result of a lack of exposure to light. If you do not have the opportunity to spend the winter on the side of Australia, you can try a gentle method that has been proven by acquiring a light therapy lamp.
Light therapy against the evils of winter
Free of ultraviolet (UV) and infra-red (IR) radiation, unlike UV booths that attack your skin and have no effect on your biological clock, light therapy lamps are used every day. With no side effects, they help regulate secretions of hormones such as melatonin, the “sleep hormone” and rebalance your biological clock. Light therapy fights against heavy fatigue and blues, including acting on serotonin, which has a direct influence on mood. It improves the quality of sleep and regulates the appetite. A bright winter, do you like it?