Seasonal Wellness 101
Cold weather comes with:
"Winter Blues" *darn you Daylight Savings time*
The “40 degrees when I left for work this morning, 80 degrees by noon” weather
Cold/Flu/COVID/RSV/EveryOtherScaryA**Sickness season
& our poor immune systems are working overtime to keep us healthy and functioning at the best level possible.
So as the seasons change (and then change again), why not help our immune systems out a bit?
Here are a few easy (and natural) ways you can give your immune system its best fighting chance during the fall/winter months of the year.
A Vitamin D3 supplement:
Vitamin D3 plays a huge role in regulating inflammation, immune function and promoting sleep.
This vitamin is well known for its mood lifting qualities as well as its ability to fight bacteria/viruses, and can be extremely helpful when supplemented during the darker, colder months.
Vitamin D3 is naturally found in sunlight and can be absorbed through the skin. But between 5pm darkness and our diets, it is not the easiest nutrient to get this time of year. So we must get it from somewhere, and that’s where a supplement comes into play.
Those of us who have more melanin in our skin can benefit from a vitamin D3 supplement all year round as our melanin makes it more difficult to absorb the vitamin.
A Magnesium Supplement:
Magnesium helps to support the immune system in its valiant effort to fight off infections.
It also aids the body in the absorption of vitamin D. Without magnesium present, the body stores vitamin D and does not use it. The body needs magnesium to convert vitamin D into its active form for it to be utilized in whole body wellness.
In addition to immune support, it also helps to keep muscles, nerves, and bones healthy along with maintaining healthy blood sugar levels.
And if you weren't a magnesium fan yet, this mineral helps to promote better sleep by relaxing the mind and body to promote a longer, more restful slumber.
Immune Boosting Foods:
Immune boosting foods such as berries, citrus fruits, brightly colored vegetables, leafy greens, etc) contain essential vitamins, nutrients and antioxidants to keep your body and immune system operating at 100%.
These foods enhance our body's resistance against infectious bacteria, viruses, and parasites.
During these colder months it's recommended to get as much of these foods in your diet as possible (daily would be fabulous) as their absence can weaken the immune system and its ability to defend the body against sickness.
Get your sleep:
We truly “sleep” on the benefits of sleep. *buh dum tsss*
Your body does all its rebuilding and regeneration while you're sleeping.
By not prioritizing or getting enough sleep, we impair our bodies defenses against seasonal “ick” whether that ick be physical, mental or emotional.
You are a lot more likely to get sick if you are not getting good sleep.
Your body also cannot recover as well from the seasonal “ick” (if you do happen to get sick) when you’re not sleeping like you should.
Let's aim for 6-8 hours a night.
(And if you need a little help relaxing your body before bed and getting better rest, refer back to the magnesium section above.)
Regular movement:
Numerous studies have shown that with as little as 20 minutes of exercise, the body sees anti-inflammatory effects and a boost in immunity cells.
Regular movement helps your body to heal better and is linked to a reduction in illnesses. Regular and intentional movement (@intentionalmovementstudio shameless plug hehe) is also shown to decrease stress, anxiety and depression, all of which tend to creep up on us a little harder during this time of year.
The recommended exercise prescription for adults is 150 minutes a week of moderate intensity exercise, or 75 minutes a week of vigorous exercise. This can be broken up throughout the week though, so don't be overwhelmed by the number!
And if you need some help/guidance in the fitness department, I'm your girl! I offer online as well as in person fitness training that helps you take the guesswork out of your workouts.
I hope this crash course on seasonal wellness was helpful for you!
Be sure to follow @hotmomwellness to keep up with the latest blog updates.
