Winter is well and truely here!

As the days are shorter and colder, we tend to find ourselves spending more time indoors, rugged up on the lounge, and eating our comfort foods. It is also a time where we can easily pile on the kilos, and experience things like runny noses and coughs and colds.

While I can’t sit here and tell you how to avoid getting ‘sick’ this winter, I can give you some valuable tools to keep your body happy and healthy during the colder months.

1. Go Outside and soak yourself in some sunlight. When your skin is exposed to sunlight, it manufactures vitamin D. The sun’s UVB rays interact with a protein in your skin (7-DHC), converting it into vitamin D3 – the active form of vitamin D. The more you expose yourself to the sun, the more vitamin D your body potentially makes. Did you know that Vitamin D also helps facilitate normal immune system function? So spending more time outside in the sunlight may help your body’s immune system fight against diseases.
2. Get moving by going for a 20 minute walk everyday. Walking (or any other exercise for that matter) helps keep your lymph fluid moving. Your lymph fluid (located inside your lymphatic system) helps to carry waste and toxins from your cells and organs to your gastro-intestinal tract. The less you move, the less your lymph fluid moves, and the more those waste products get recycled into your body. So help your body expel those unwanted toxins by moving throughout the day. And if you can do that in the sun, you’ll hit 2 birds with one stone everyday!
3. Eat a diet rich in wholesome foods (preferably organic). One of the main reasons we get ‘sick’ is because we don’t nourish our bodies with the nutrients it needs to keep it functioning optimally. Fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, eggs, meat and seafood contain many of the enzymes, vitamins, minerals, fats, proteins, and carbohydrates our bodies need to perform at its best. When we find ourselves reaching for that packet of chips, that chocolate bar, or those ready made dinners, we may be depriving ourselves of the nutrients that our bodies crave daily.
4. Drink your water. During the colder months we tend to find ourseves drinking less water than normal, as we do not sweat or get as thirsty as we would during those hotter months. Our bodies are 80% water, so replacing any water that is lost during the day is vital for our health. Our lymph fluid is also mainly water, so drinking water during the colder months helps to flush the lymphatic system, as well as keeping your bowels moving better to eliminate waste from your body.
5. Have a regular chiropractic adjustment. DId you know that your spine can influence your immune system? Your spine houses your spinal cord, and signals from your spinal cord travel to the spleen and thymus, which form part of your immue system. Misaligntments in your spine may place stress on your spinal cord and spinal nerves, thus influencing how well your immune system is functioning. The better aligned your spine, the less stress on your immune system.
6. Take Magnesium and Vitamin C wholefood supplements (not synthetic supplements). Low levels of magnesium and vitamin C may lead to oxidative stress in your body. Think of oxidation as ‘rust’. When your body has high oxidative stress, it is rusting away. This is why we experience pain, inflammation, and sickness. Taking a whole food Vitamin C and Magnesium supplement may help reduce the oxidative stress within your body.
7. Take some time-out and rest. Most of us get ‘sick’ when our bodies get worn out and tired. By scheduling regular breaks throughout the year, and making sure you’re sleeping well every night, will allow your body to repair itself. In doing so, it will be stronger and better able to handle life’s various challenges. Magnesium will also help with this. So if you’re feeling stressed, and can’t sleep at night, taking a wholefood Magnesium supplement may help.

So this winter, don’t shy away from the sun. Keep yourself moving, well hydrated, and eating well. And remember to get adjusted and take a break!

Buy Your Vitamin C and Magnesium Wholefood Supplements At ActivTherapy Gregory Hills!