Winter Warm-Up Health Tips: Eat Well, Be Positive, Move More

By Coleen M. Andruss, MD

When it starts to cool down, we typically crave comfort. Our senses tell us it is time to hibernate. We want to curl up in a blanket, sit by the fire, watch our favorite movie, eat soup, and drink hot chocolate. Quite often, our health takes a back seat in the wintertime, but there is no reason healthy habits can’t continue throughout the winter.

Winter has plenty of delicious food to embrace and love. Citrus fruits, such as mandarins and oranges, are at their best in winter, and they are packed with vitamin C, which is great for fighting off colds and infection. Lemons also provide vitamin C and are great to use in cooking or in water as a natural diuretic. Despite wanting the comforts of casseroles and baked goods, remember that the grill can be used all year round. But if grilling is not in your plans, embrace the use of the oven for roasting turkey and chicken and for broiling vegetables, such as brussel sprouts and sweet potatoes.

Winter is the growing season for cauliflower, radishes, spinach, cabbage, and leeks. Get creative with new veggies that are packed full of the nutrients that are necessary for good health. We know that fresh vegetables are always the best, but winter may be the time to stock up on bags of frozen vegetables that can be steamed. However, stay away from canned vegetables; they are high in salt and preservatives.

Winter is also an awesome time to enjoy a daily cup of bone broth, as its minerals and nutrients will give your immune system the boost it needs to stay healthy. Broth fills you up and is low in calories, helping you keep your weight under control.

Be on the watch for symptoms of seasonal depression: carbohydrate cravings, weight gain, lack of energy, concentration difficulties, irritability, feelings of negativity, and a loss of the desire to do pleasurable activities. If you are feeling blue because of the shorter daylight hours, you may have seasonal affective disorder (SAD), or you may simply have the winter blues. When there is less sunlight, the biological clock shifts, and you become out of tune with your daily routine. Sunlight is a primary source of Vitamin D, which helps raise serotonin, that neurochemical in our brain that contributes to feelings of happiness. Less sunlight can lead to lower serotonin and thus, more sadness.

To remedy this, don’t stay secluded during the winter. Open the shades and shutters to let the daylight in. Get outside for that vitamin D, even if just for a quick, short walk. Sunlight will lift your mood and spirit. Many people do not know that the lack of sunlight stimulates the production of melatonin, the neurochemical that enhances sleep. Sleep is important for our health; we need uninterrupted, quality sleep to regenerate and reinvigorate our bodies. But too much sleep affects our circadian rhythm. A strong, alert, positive mind means a happy and healthy body.

Stay active. The cold weather in winter can be an easy turn-off for exercise, but it doesn’t have to be. Embrace the colder temperatures, and try something you do not do in the summer, such as snowmobiling, walking, snow skiing, snow shoeing, golfing, or ice skating. Maybe it means embracing new indoor activities, such as yoga, walking the mall, or using the gym more. Staying active is not only important for keeping the weight off but also helps your lymphatic system and thus, the immune system.

Lastly, stay hydrated. During the heat of summer, we are keenly aware that we need to keep up on our water intake, but it is just as important to keep hydrated in the winter. Wearing multiple layers can cause sweating, which can lead to dehydration. While studies show that the intake of alcohol, coffee, and tea goes up in colder weather, these beverages do not hydrate but do just the opposite. Hydration is critical for metabolism, immune system function, and energy all year round.

So don’t forget to keep all of the same rules in the winter that you keep in the summer. Good sleep, high water intake, low stress, good nutrition, and plenty of activity will get you through this winter, and you will be able to enter the spring in great shape. Stay happy and healthy this winter season!

About the Author

Dr. Coleen Andruss

Dr. Coleen Andruss practiced as an internist for ten years and has specialized in weight management for twenty-nine years. She and her staff have personally experienced weight management issues and have a compassionate understanding of patients in the Healthy Lifestyles program. Dr. Andruss’s internal medicine background helps her to see underlying medical problems when formulating individual plans that work.