Winter has arrived, accompanied by below freezing temperatures, rain, sleet, and snow. How do we stay healthy and happy in the winter? The sun has been hidden from view for weeks and we just don’t have the energy that we had just a few weeks ago. Many of us are feeling a little sadder and less motivated. How do we pick ourselves up without turning to sugar and processed food?
For many of us, winter is a time for warm socks, comfy sweats, and cuddly throws, sitting in front of a fireplace, and drinking hot cocoa with marshmallows, warm apple cider, or rich and sweet hot coffee concoctions. But, as our blood sugar levels rise, followed by the ultimate crash, we may begin to feel anxious, fatigued, and out of sorts.
To stay healthy and avoid feeling sad and depressed, during the dark and cold winter months, try eating a blood sugar stabilizing diet. Remember that we are each unique and the same diet doesn’t work for all of us. Some people advocate a vegetarian diet, while others, a carnivorous diet. It may take trial and error to figure out what is best for you. Regardless, sugar is not healthy for any of us. It can result in insulin resistance, inflammation in the brain and in the body, and is the root cause of many degenerative chronic diseases. Giving up gluten and dairy can also make a huge difference in your health.
When you eat enough protein, you become satiated with a decreased need for carbs and sugars. Eat real food, organic when possible, avoiding things in a bag, a box, or a can. Increase your intake of fresh fruit and vegetables, high in fibre and a great way to develop and restore a diversity of gut bacteria, aka a healthy microbiome. Drink 8 – 10 glasses of clean water daily, in order to stay hydrated. Don’t forget to chew your food well and slow down so that you can enjoy every bite.
Get out of the house and move whenever possible. Go for a hike, a walk, get into nature, weather permitting. Studies have shown that 2 hours a week in nature can decrease inflammation, increase immunity, and lower cortisol levels. You will feel better, have more energy, and improve your sleep. Animals shake to release their stress. We need to move, dance, or exercise to tell our nervous system that a threat has passed.
Spending time with friends, laughing, talking, hugging and connecting with others is great to improve your mood. Feel the love. This will put you into the Parasympathetic Nervous System, rest, reset, and digest. It will also increase your Serotonin levels, making you feel content, connected and happy.
Meditation, prayer, and gratitude will lower your stress levels and help you make better choices. Keeping a gratitude journal reminds you of all the wonderful things in your life. We tend to focus on what is going wrong and what might happen down the road. And most of all, don’t forget to breathe and get adequate sleep. 7 – 9 hours is optimal. Sleep is where the magic happens. It is when the brain detoxes itself. When the glia cells take out the garbage.
At Edison, you will learn about the root causes of disease and how to improve the health and well-being of your clients, your family, and yourself, no matter the season, while working at your own pace, from the comfort of your home.
By Gilda Rovan, BA, ROHP, DIHom(Pract)
