Feeling jaded?
It’s not unusual for dreary winter days to take their toll on
your physical and mental well-being. But help is at hand - these
diet and supplement ideas will help you cast off the winter
doldrums and limber up for spring.
Winter worry: Anxiety and stress
Spring solution: B Complex
Feeling stressed is a common post winter feeling, and it´s a
physiological state that increases the requirement for B vitamins.
The situation is made worse by indulging in sugary foods and excess
alcohol (both more common in winter, when comfort food features
large), which also depletes the B complex of vitamins. To increase
your intake of these stress-bolstering nutrients, the goodies to
include in your diet are wholegrain bread, lean meat and liver,
milk and fortified breakfast cereals. And a B-complex supplement
may also be called for - particularly if you have additionally been
suffering with poor skin and mouth ulcers. B vitamins are
water-soluble and don’t stay in the body very long so they
need taking daily.
Winter worry: Poor circulation
Spring solution: Ginkgo Biloba
Poor circulation can affect anyone, but you’re more likely to
be badly affected the older you are and the harsher the weather. If
you suffer from painfully cold fingers or toes right into early
spring, the herbal supplement gingko biloba can be a huge help. Its
active ingredients improve blood flow to the extremities and also
to the brain - which may make your memory sharper too.
Winter worry: Aches and pains
Spring solution: Fish Oils
After months of cold and damp your joints are probably feeling
aches and pains more keenly. For a sprightlier step into spring,
try upping your intake of anti-inflammatory omega 3 fats found in
oily fish. A portion or two per week of salmon, sardines or
mackerel is enough to give benefit, but if you don’t like
fish, opt for omega 3 capsules or a cod liver oil that is flavoured
to mask the fishy taste.
Winter worry: Low energy and mood
Spring solution: Magnesium and Selenium
When winter leaves you feeling wrung out and low on energy, topping
up your magnesium levels could help. In dietary surveys, magnesium
intake is frequently lower than optimum - a problem because this
mineral is an essential co-factor in the energy-releasing process
in cells. You can get magnesium from eating more wholemeal bread,
nuts, seeds and pulses - or taking a dietary supplement of around
300mg a day. Increasing your intake of selenium with a daily
handful of Brazil nuts will also help - studies have linked low
levels of this mineral with depression.
Winter worry: Coughs and colds
Spring solution: Antioxidants and plant based
phytochemicals
Fight back against lingering respiratory infections by upping your
intake of vitamins C and E, beta-carotene and other essential
immune-enhancing antioxidants in fruit and vegetables. Amongst the
best sources are red and green peppers, citrus fruit, blueberries,
green leafy vegetables and nuts. Some evidence suggests that two
500mg tablets of vitamin C per day - an amount you will get only
from a supplement - will help to clear up the vestiges of a cold
more quickly.
back to the top »