Staying safe, healthy and fit during winter

It may be cold outside, but winter needn't be the unhealthiest time of year for you and your family. Many people feel tired and sluggish during winter.

This is due to the lack of sunlight, which disrupts our sleep and waking cycles. When it's cold and dark outside, it can be tempting to fill up on unhealthy comfort food. However, it's important to ensure you still have a healthy diet and include five portions of fruit and vegetable a day.We are more likely to get a cold in winter, so make sure your immune system is in tip-top condition. In cold weather, our immune system needs more support to keep everything safe. During the winter months, there are certain vegetables that warm you up and are available in abundance. So, change your diet for these months and enjoy these winter vegetables.

Following are the list of winter vegetables, we can enjoy this season. Carrot is a crunchy power food which contains vitamin A, B, B2, B3, C, D, E and K. Green peas are one of the most nutritious leguminous vegetables rich in health benefiting phyto-nutrients, minerals, vitamins and anti-oxidants. Cabbage has lots of vitamins and a mineral, including folate and vitamins C and K. Cauliflower has plenty of other nutrients including vitamin C, folate, dietary fiber and omega-3 fatty acids. Broccoli is known to be hearty and tasty vegetable which is rich in loads of nutrients. White radish is packed with sodium, vitamins C, potassium, phosphorus, as well as magnesium. It is also low in calorie. Sajna are loaded with valuable minerals, healthy proteins and essential minerals making it a healthy food. It may help in increasing Breast Milk production for mothers. As you can see, there are so many ways to eat healthy mineral-rich vegetables in the winter months.

Colder temperatures that keep us indoors can result in your body taking in less vitamin D than it receives during the summer, which is generated in our bodies via sunlight. For this reason, you need to ensure that your family receives enough vitamin D during the winter. Sources of vitamin D include fortified milk and other dairy products, eggs especially the yolks and fatty fish.

To chase away chills, replenish depleted glycogen stores, and rehydrate our body, enjoy warm carbohydrates with a little protein, such as hot cocoa made with milk, oatmeal with nuts, vegetable and chicken soup, lentil soup and pasta with meatballs. The warm food, added to the thermogenic effect of eating, contributes to rapid winter recovery.

Our skin is an outside indicator for our internal health. Poor nutrition can lead to dry skin, eczema, psoriasis, scarring, acne breakouts, inflammation and pale or ashy skin tones. Eating a varied and balanced diet of whole foods consisting of 40-60% complex carbohydrates, 20-30% lean protein and 10-20% mono- and polyunsaturated fats will give our skin most of what it needs to run efficiently, but occasionally supplementation is needed.

The fruit and vegetables will provide the three most important nutrients for healthy skin: water, trace minerals, and anti-oxidants. Three critical minerals for healthy skin include silica, zinc, and sulfur. These minerals are found in many plant based foods. Vitamin A deficiencies are characterized by dry, bumpy skin on the back of the arms, neck and back. Deficiencies of Vitamin C result in tendency to bruise, sagging skin, and slowed healing. Iodine also prevents rough skin from developing and prevents premature aging. Silicone is important in the fight against aging because it aids in collagen formation. Zinc helps control the oil content of the skin and reduces acne.Omega-6 Fatty Acids promotes healthy, moisturized skin. Cucumbers are rich in water, vitamin C, and silica. Spinach is very rich in water, vitamin C, magnesium, folate, and chlorophyll which help booster the skin.

Now it’s time to give some tips for healthy, beautiful skin in winter; Drink at least half your body weight in ounces of pure clean water, eat a big salad with raw spinach and hard/soft boiled organic eggs, slice up some cucumbers and add Apple cider vinegar, add brown rice, lean meat dishes. 

It’s that time of the year, when you get irritated by dry skin and frequent flu fighting that ruins your winter vacation plans. Doctor clinics and hospitals are filled with patients suffering from cold and cough. It’s essential to safeguard yourself from the cold weather and stay healthy throughout the season. Though it seems difficult, there are several ways to keep the commonly suffering ailments away from your family.

When the temperature drops and winter arrives it's important to ensure that everyone in the family continues to eat healthfully. By following this mentioned nutrition tips you can keep your family fit and healthy while boosting your immune systems.