Fighting Off 5 Winter Health Problems with a Healthy Lifestyle
Certain health problems are more common in the winter. The cold weather plays a part, but feeling run down can also make us vulnerable to colds, weight gain and low mood. Keeping active during the winter months is just as important as during the rest of the year and a game of golf can certainly contribute to your weekly activities. However, what you eat is equally important and while we might associate the run up to Christmas with more indulgent foods, it’s essential that we continue to include nutrient rich foods in our diet. Here we take a look at five common winter health problems and how they can be minimised through a healthy lifestyle over the winter.
Reducing infections
Even if you are fit and healthy, most of us will succumb to at least one cold during the winter months. While for most people this won’t cause a particular problem, you can be left with symptoms that linger for a number of weeks that can get in the way of your golfing. Throughout the winter it’s important to maintain a well-balanced diet, as this will provide your body with a range of nutrients that play a role in supporting healthy immune function, though a couple of nutrients in particular have been highlighted as beneficial. Vitamin C has long been advocated for the prevention of colds and although there is no good evidence that this vitamin can successfully protect you from colds, a good intake can reduce the duration of a cold and the severity of your symptoms. Besides oranges and other citrus fruits, berries, kiwis, tomatoes, bell peppers and green vegetables are rich in this immune boosting vitamin. Zinc is also implicated in helping the white blood cells to fight off infections. Although foods of animal origin are richest in this mineral, vegetarians can include baked beans and other pulses, nuts, oatmeal and dairy produce to enhance their intake.
Enhancing your circulation
During the winter months circulatory problems tend to be worse. Keeping warm can help with this, but besides turning the heating up and getting out your scarf, hat and gloves, regular exercise helps to boost the circulation; even walking round the golf course will help. Particularly if you include some strength training exercises in your weekly activities – this might involve using weights, a resistance band, a rowing machine or exercises such as sit ups and squats – this helps to increase your muscle mass, which increases your metabolic rate, not only to burn more calories but to generate more heat as well. Remaining well hydrated also helps to promote a good blood flow, so as a minimum aim for 6 to 8 cups of fluid daily and the good news is that this can include tea and coffee, but try to incorporate other fluids too. From a dietary perspective one of the best ways to maintain your circulation is to include oily fish in your diet; anyone with a history of a heart attack is recommended to aim for 2 or 3 portions each week, while the rest of us should include a fish such as mackerel, pilchards, salmon, sardines or trout once weekly. These are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which help to thin the blood, but also have a beneficial effect on blood pressure and levels of fat in the blood. Supplements to aid blood flow to the muscles and other tissues are additionally available, allowing a more efficient supply of nutrients for energy release, helping to fuel your activities.
Preventing weight gain
You are more prone to weight gain over the winter, in part through reduced exercise as the weather takes a turn for the worse and the longer nights, but also from choosing more comforting foods that tend to be higher in fat and sugar. If you get well wrapped up, there’s no reason why a round of golf and other outdoor activities can’t still form part of your weekly itinerary from November to March. When it’s cold outside and you are looking for warming options, instead of hot chocolate, why not try a hot fruit squash? You can use no added sugar cordial and add a warming spice such as cinnamon or ginger to taste. Equally, soup makes a filling yet healthy snack or light meal; you could even take a soup flask with you to warm up after a game of golf. ready-made soups are usually high in salt, but if you make up a big pan of soup then freeze portions, you will always have a serving only minutes away if you microwave them as needed.
Avoiding dry skin
If you suffer from dry skin the problem is usually worse in winter when the cold dry air and wind strip the moisture from your skin; spending hours on the golf course needn't be a problem though when you take some steps to protect your skin. Besides using moisturiser and keeping well hydrated, certain nutrients can also help to promote healthy skin. Vitamin E is one of these and the best sources in the diet include sunflower oil, almonds, hazelnuts and peanuts, avocados, green leafy vegetables such as spinach and broccoli, as well as wheat germ which is found in some bread and cereals. Another vitamin that benefits skin health is vitamin A. This is found in eggs, cheese and fortified margarine, but is also produced from beta-carotene, which is sourced from fruit and vegetables, particularly those with an orange pigment such as carrots, apricots, peaches, citrus fruits, peppers and squash.
Boosting your mood
Shorter days and spending less time outside can leave some of us prone to low mood over the winter. Exercise is a great way to boost levels of endorphins, the body’s feel-good hormones, particularly an outdoors activity such as golf, but you can take steps with your diet too. The omega-3s in oily fish are linked to improved mood, but this isn’t the only nutrient that can benefit mental well-being. A good intake of the B vitamins are also linked to better mental health, particularly folate and vitamin B12, as these play a role in maintaining the health of the nervous system and a good blood supply to deliver the brain with nutrients. Folate is largely sourced from wholegrains and fortified breakfast cereals, pulses, citrus fruits, berries and leafy greens, while B12 mainly comes from foods of animal origin, though certain items such as cereals, milk alternatives and yeast spreads have the vitamin added to them. It might be tempting to reach for sugary foods when you’re feeling down, but this can actually do more harm than good when it comes to your mood, as these foods simply promote more unstable blood sugar levels, which is unhelpful for brain function. Instead choose low GI carbohydrates to help stabilise your blood sugars; as a snack fruit with yoghurt, an oat bar, a small handful of nuts or a slice of granary toast would be a better option.
Written by Claire Holt
Certain health problems are more common in the winter. The cold weather plays a part, but feeling run down can also make us vulnerable to colds, weight gain and low mood. Keeping active during the winter months is just as important as during the rest of the year and a game of golf can certainly contribute to your weekly activities. However, what you eat is equally important and while we might associate the run up to Christmas with more indulgent foods, it’s essential that we continue to include nutrient rich foods in our diet. Here we take a look at five common winter health problems and how they can be minimised through a healthy lifestyle over the winter.
Reducing infections
Even if you are fit and healthy, most of us will succumb to at least one cold during the winter months. While for most people this won’t cause a particular problem, you can be left with symptoms that linger for a number of weeks that can get in the way of your golfing. Throughout the winter it’s important to maintain a well-balanced diet, as this will provide your body with a range of nutrients that play a role in supporting healthy immune function, though a couple of nutrients in particular have been highlighted as beneficial. Vitamin C has long been advocated for the prevention of colds and although there is no good evidence that this vitamin can successfully protect you from colds, a good intake can reduce the duration of a cold and the severity of your symptoms. Besides oranges and other citrus fruits, berries, kiwis, tomatoes, bell peppers and green vegetables are rich in this immune boosting vitamin. Zinc is also implicated in helping the white blood cells to fight off infections. Although foods of animal origin are richest in this mineral, vegetarians can include baked beans and other pulses, nuts, oatmeal and dairy produce to enhance their intake.
Enhancing your circulation
During the winter months circulatory problems tend to be worse. Keeping warm can help with this, but besides turning the heating up and getting out your scarf, hat and gloves, regular exercise helps to boost the circulation; even walking round the golf course will help. Particularly if you include some strength training exercises in your weekly activities – this might involve using weights, a resistance band, a rowing machine or exercises such as sit ups and squats – this helps to increase your muscle mass, which increases your metabolic rate, not only to burn more calories but to generate more heat as well. Remaining well hydrated also helps to promote a good blood flow, so as a minimum aim for 6 to 8 cups of fluid daily and the good news is that this can include tea and coffee, but try to incorporate other fluids too. From a dietary perspective one of the best ways to maintain your circulation is to include oily fish in your diet; anyone with a history of a heart attack is recommended to aim for 2 or 3 portions each week, while the rest of us should include a fish such as mackerel, pilchards, salmon, sardines or trout once weekly. These are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which help to thin the blood, but also have a beneficial effect on blood pressure and levels of fat in the blood. Supplements to aid blood flow to the muscles and other tissues are additionally available, allowing a more efficient supply of nutrients for energy release, helping to fuel your activities.
Preventing weight gain
You are more prone to weight gain over the winter, in part through reduced exercise as the weather takes a turn for the worse and the longer nights, but also from choosing more comforting foods that tend to be higher in fat and sugar. If you get well wrapped up, there’s no reason why a round of golf and other outdoor activities can’t still form part of your weekly itinerary from November to March. When it’s cold outside and you are looking for warming options, instead of hot chocolate, why not try a hot fruit squash? You can use no added sugar cordial and add a warming spice such as cinnamon or ginger to taste. Equally, soup makes a filling yet healthy snack or light meal; you could even take a soup flask with you to warm up after a game of golf. ready-made soups are usually high in salt, but if you make up a big pan of soup then freeze portions, you will always have a serving only minutes away if you microwave them as needed.
Avoiding dry skin
If you suffer from dry skin the problem is usually worse in winter when the cold dry air and wind strip the moisture from your skin; spending hours on the golf course needn't be a problem though when you take some steps to protect your skin. Besides using moisturiser and keeping well hydrated, certain nutrients can also help to promote healthy skin. Vitamin E is one of these and the best sources in the diet include sunflower oil, almonds, hazelnuts and peanuts, avocados, green leafy vegetables such as spinach and broccoli, as well as wheat germ which is found in some bread and cereals. Another vitamin that benefits skin health is vitamin A. This is found in eggs, cheese and fortified margarine, but is also produced from beta-carotene, which is sourced from fruit and vegetables, particularly those with an orange pigment such as carrots, apricots, peaches, citrus fruits, peppers and squash.
Boosting your mood
Shorter days and spending less time outside can leave some of us prone to low mood over the winter. Exercise is a great way to boost levels of endorphins, the body’s feel-good hormones, particularly an outdoors activity such as golf, but you can take steps with your diet too. The omega-3s in oily fish are linked to improved mood, but this isn’t the only nutrient that can benefit mental well-being. A good intake of the B vitamins are also linked to better mental health, particularly folate and vitamin B12, as these play a role in maintaining the health of the nervous system and a good blood supply to deliver the brain with nutrients. Folate is largely sourced from wholegrains and fortified breakfast cereals, pulses, citrus fruits, berries and leafy greens, while B12 mainly comes from foods of animal origin, though certain items such as cereals, milk alternatives and yeast spreads have the vitamin added to them. It might be tempting to reach for sugary foods when you’re feeling down, but this can actually do more harm than good when it comes to your mood, as these foods simply promote more unstable blood sugar levels, which is unhelpful for brain function. Instead choose low GI carbohydrates to help stabilise your blood sugars; as a snack fruit with yoghurt, an oat bar, a small handful of nuts or a slice of granary toast would be a better option.
Written by Claire Holt