Winter Health Tips

During the winter it is natural to feel a little sleepier, slower and possibly less motivated.  It’s the season of stillness and conservation. It’s a period of hibernation and our time to rest, slow down and revitalize our reserves. Winter is a great time of year to reflect on our health, replenish our energy, conserve our strength and heal on a deeper level.

During the winter, it is important to conserve our battery reserves. Our bodies are instinctively expressing the fundamental principles of winter: rest, reflection, conservation and storage. The “downtime” that winter provides gives us an opportunity to slow down, check in and take account as to how our lifestyle supports or detracts from our health, and to recharge our battery.

It is always healthy to get some form of exercise daily, but during the winter months it is best to participate in gentler, less exerting exercises, such as, yoga, Tai Chi, Pilates, swimming, walking, and other low impact sports. Save the extreme exertion activities for the spring and summer months.

Here are a few easy pointers on how you can support and promote your own health this time of year:

• Sleep. Early to bed, early to rise, makes a person healthy, wealthy and wise. Go to bed early and if possible, wake up after the sun appears in the morning. Extra sleep will also benefit you if you feel as though you are coming down with something. If you do become ill, naps may help you recover faster.
• “C” it. Load up on Vitamin C and other multivitamins. These can help support your health.
• Water, water everywhere. Drink water. Every cell of your body requires this liquid gold to keep it hydrated and running smoothly.
• Avoid the consumption of excessively cold foods such as ice cream and iced drinks. If possible, drink liquids at room temperature. Too many colds foods, especially during the colder months, can disrupt your digestion.  Go for warm drinks such as herbal teas.
• Winter foods should be nourishing and give us a more concentrated energy supply to help us through the cooler weather.  It is not too hard to eat what is needed as this season supplies us with a super variety of foods which will help us do just this. Root vegetables including garlic, onion, carrot, potato, sweet potato, turnip, parsnips and beetroot as well above-ground vegetables  like squash, pumpkin, cabbage, brussel sprouts, kale, cauliflower.  Along with this nuts and seeds are great sources of energy and help nourish our yin energy.
• Take care to keep wrapped up, especially around the neck area. Interesting here there is a point on the Bladder Meridian, BL-12 or Feng men, which translates as wind gate. It is thought that wind pathogens enter the body through this point and it is recommended to keep it under wraps at this time of year!
• Come in for acupuncture treatments. Acupuncture works extremely well when you have a cold, and also as a tune up to stimulate the healing capacity of your body. If you begin to get the sniffles, body chills, or feel under the weather, give us a call.  We may be able to help!