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Well being: beat the chill
Oli Coleman25/11/2005
AS IT gets harder to climb out of bed each morning and the sound
of sniffing begins to fill the cold air, nutrition consultant
Elizabeth Harfleet gives her advice on keeping healthy and
energised this winter.
"When you're thinking of how to stay healthy and avoid colds, then
it's the immune system that protects, and there are lots of things
you can do to keep it in good working order," says Elizabeth.
Herbal preparations such as an echinacea tincture are great, but
Elizabeth also recommends some more exotic alternatives like noni
or mangosteen juice, which are available from most health food
shops.
"They are really rich and nutritious in anti-oxidents and Vitamins
A,C and E and they give the immune system another little boost in
the winter months," she says.
As we start to need more energy to keep warm, our bodies
instinctively crave carbohydrate-rich foods, so we also need to
keep a particularly close eye on our diet.
"Out go the light salad teas and in come the steak pudding with
suet topping, as an extreme example!"
But to stay healthy and alert we should temper our urge for fatty
foods and maintain a balanced diet.
"If you feel that you just can't do salad in winter and have to
have something warm, then steaming vegetables as opposing to
boiling them will help to retain the nutrients."
At any time of year it's vital to get plenty of water to avoid
dehydration, which can cause headaches and fatigue, but it's
another thing we need to take extra care over in the winter
months.
The kind of food that appeals to many in the colder months is
harder to digest and we often drink more alcohol over the party
season, both of which mean we need to take in extra water.
"On a hot summer's day you just pour from the tap or get chilled
water, but in the winter you're going to go for coffee, soups -
thicker, warming drinks."
To make water more tempting Elizabeth suggests: "Keep water at room
temperature in a covered jug on the side and put a slice of lemon
or orange in it."
"If you do fall foul of a nasty virus, the old fashioned remedies
can sometimes be the most soothing" Elizabeth says.
"Honey and lemon with hot water is as good a remedy as any."
"Honey is obviously not suitable for infants, but for older people,
it has anti-bacterial qualities."
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