Ways to Stay Healthy in Winter
Winter can bring with it many nasty colds and viruses which is why it’s so important to keep your immune system healthy. Whilst it’s not possible to completely avoid becoming ill during winter there are some easy things you can do to boost your immune system in order to stay healthy during winter.
Self-care is important all year round but with low amounts of exposure to natural sunlight, dry winter air, and stuffy indoor heating. It’s important to help your body adjust to the cold weather as best as it can.
Some of our favourite ways to stay healthy in winter include:
Manual Lymphatic Drainage Massage
Manual Lymphatic Drainage Massage (MLD) is a hidden winter gem when it comes to boosting your immunity. Lymph fluid is vital for carrying important nutrients around your body and removing toxins. Swelling can occur when there is a build-up of lymph fluid in the body even though build-ups are not always visible straight away. MLD massage can remove any build-ups of lymph fluid whilst stimulating the flow of lymph fluid meaning that important nutrients can be carried around. Lymph fluid contains white blood cells which are essential for fighting bacteria and viruses. Not only can MLD massage give your immune system a boost, but it also feels amazing and releases happy hormones in the body such as serotonin and dopamine.
Unblock Your Sinuses
Not only can a massage move lymph fluid around the body to drain your sinuses but combining your massage with essential oils such as peppermint and eucalyptus oil is powerful in both draining and unblocking. Inhaling essential oils such as peppermint and eucalyptus is known to open your airways and ease congestion. Peppermint is also great at fighting bacteria, reducing inflammation, and relieving pain. Eucalyptus can also reduce headache and cold symptoms. Adding a few drops of these to your bathwater, during a facial steam, or a massage will have added decongestion benefits.
Vitamin D
A shocking 50% of the whole world population has a vitamin D insufficiency making vitamin D one of the most sufficiently lacked vitamins. A lack of exposure to daily sunlight during winter can lead to increased deficiencies in vitamin D. A lack of vitamin D can lead to brittle bones, insomnia, fatigue, and depression. Vitamin D deficiency can be tackled with a healthy diet full of oily fish, vitamin D tablets, light therapy lamps, and long midday walks. There’s no reason to not fight back at the lack of sunlight in winter with other ways to gain ample vitamin D levels.
Warm Herbal Teas
Staying hydrated is just as important in winter as it is in summer in order to keep your body functioning. Many people want hot drinks in winter and avoid cold glasses of water in favour of caffeinated tea and coffee. The problem here is that caffeine can increase dehydration which is why switching to herbal tea is the healthiest choice in order to get your eight glasses of water per day. Herbal teas can come with their own health benefits such as chamomile to aid sleep, ginger to boost immunity, and hibiscus to reduce blood pressure.
