Maintaining Vitality During Winter
30 December 2012
Read by 1552 persons
How to stay healthy during winter and avoid its share of minor setbacks? First, through quality sleep, a suitable diet, regular cardiovascular activity, and then by naturally stimulating your immune system… Here are some practical tips and recipes to give yourself the best chance of maintaining your energy during the cold season.
Getting ready for "winter mode"
Before the industrial period, people followed the rhythm of nature. Like nature, at rest in winter, the workload decreased and everyone's pace slowed down. Since then, the organization of society and the pace of work have changed, while natural cycles remain. It is therefore all the more important to support the body during this sensitive period, as it is subjected to severe strain.
Less sunshine, shorter days and cold have a direct impact on our immune system by reducing its defense capabilities, while respiratory infections, fatigue, and lack of motivation can occur. Fortunately, without too much effort and with a little common sense, we can ensure that both body and mind maintain their vitality.
Sleep More
The first aspect is to respect your body's sleep needs. The only way is to get under the covers earlier… Our great-grandparents slept on average an hour more per night than we do. That's huge, and the accumulation of fewer hours of sleep has become a real problem. The daily practice of breathing exercises, while calming the mind, facilitates falling asleep.
Eat Well
Maintaining the body's ability to adapt involves a balanced diet. First of all, it is a matter of eating vegetables in all their forms and consuming fresh fruit and dried fruit rich in fiber, vitamins and minerals.
For animal proteins, don't neglect eating fish 2 to 3 times a week for the supply of omega-3s, these so-called essential fatty acids, which nourish our brain.
Also, don't forget to consume whole grains and meat (preferably white) where you'll find the amino acids essential for good muscle tone.
Take a Vitamin C Supplement
Vitamin C is the preferred vitamin in winter, particularly because of its anti-infectious properties. Acerola (a small cherry from Brazil) contains 20 to 30 times more vitamin C than an orange. Many products based on acerola can be found in health food stores. It is preferable to divide the intake of vitamin C throughout the day, as our body does not store it.
Get Oxygen and Get Physical Activity Outdoors
Regular cardiovascular exercise (walking, swimming, cycling) helps to better manage daily aggressions. Exercising outdoors is even more beneficial, as it allows you to get plenty of oxygen.
Physical exercise improves overall metabolism: pulmonary ventilation, blood circulation, heart rate, digestion… It is a panacea in itself. So choose an exercise that you enjoy so that you want to practice it!
Opt for Plants
Certain plants have very interesting immunostimulant virtues.
Gemmotherapy, commonly called bud medicine, is a very popular therapy at present, because it is very effective. Blackcurrant buds are immunostimulants and fig buds have a tonic and regulating effect on the nervous system in case of fatigue and stress.
You can also take tonic plants such as echinacea, thyme, sage and ginseng, in tablet form.
Also not to be neglected is the diffusion of essential oils, such as eucalyptus globulus and eucalyptus radiata, maritime pine, lemon, rosemary, lavender… to purify the ambient air by killing microbes.
Being tired and stressed is not inevitable. Feeling good is really a matter of personal management… Modern life is certainly hectic, but there are many ways to take care of yourself that are not too time-consuming.
Claire Jozan-Meisel.
Bien-être-au-travail.fr
Posted on December 30, 2012.
Getting ready for "winter mode"
Before the industrial period, people followed the rhythm of nature. Like nature, at rest in winter, the workload decreased and everyone's pace slowed down. Since then, the organization of society and the pace of work have changed, while natural cycles remain. It is therefore all the more important to support the body during this sensitive period, as it is subjected to severe strain.
Less sunshine, shorter days and cold have a direct impact on our immune system by reducing its defense capabilities, while respiratory infections, fatigue, and lack of motivation can occur. Fortunately, without too much effort and with a little common sense, we can ensure that both body and mind maintain their vitality.
Sleep More
The first aspect is to respect your body's sleep needs. The only way is to get under the covers earlier… Our great-grandparents slept on average an hour more per night than we do. That's huge, and the accumulation of fewer hours of sleep has become a real problem. The daily practice of breathing exercises, while calming the mind, facilitates falling asleep.
Eat Well
Maintaining the body's ability to adapt involves a balanced diet. First of all, it is a matter of eating vegetables in all their forms and consuming fresh fruit and dried fruit rich in fiber, vitamins and minerals.
For animal proteins, don't neglect eating fish 2 to 3 times a week for the supply of omega-3s, these so-called essential fatty acids, which nourish our brain.
Also, don't forget to consume whole grains and meat (preferably white) where you'll find the amino acids essential for good muscle tone.
Take a Vitamin C Supplement
Vitamin C is the preferred vitamin in winter, particularly because of its anti-infectious properties. Acerola (a small cherry from Brazil) contains 20 to 30 times more vitamin C than an orange. Many products based on acerola can be found in health food stores. It is preferable to divide the intake of vitamin C throughout the day, as our body does not store it.
Get Oxygen and Get Physical Activity Outdoors
Regular cardiovascular exercise (walking, swimming, cycling) helps to better manage daily aggressions. Exercising outdoors is even more beneficial, as it allows you to get plenty of oxygen.
Physical exercise improves overall metabolism: pulmonary ventilation, blood circulation, heart rate, digestion… It is a panacea in itself. So choose an exercise that you enjoy so that you want to practice it!
Opt for Plants
Certain plants have very interesting immunostimulant virtues.
Gemmotherapy, commonly called bud medicine, is a very popular therapy at present, because it is very effective. Blackcurrant buds are immunostimulants and fig buds have a tonic and regulating effect on the nervous system in case of fatigue and stress.
You can also take tonic plants such as echinacea, thyme, sage and ginseng, in tablet form.
Also not to be neglected is the diffusion of essential oils, such as eucalyptus globulus and eucalyptus radiata, maritime pine, lemon, rosemary, lavender… to purify the ambient air by killing microbes.
Being tired and stressed is not inevitable. Feeling good is really a matter of personal management… Modern life is certainly hectic, but there are many ways to take care of yourself that are not too time-consuming.
Claire Jozan-Meisel.
Bien-être-au-travail.fr
Posted on December 30, 2012.
