With the days getting shorter and colder, binge eating at its height, and finances running low due to the holiday period, it’s no wonder why some of us feel the most depressed and unhealthy in the winter than any other season. Make sure that you do whatever you can to beat the winter blues with these three tips for staying healthy, fit and happy in the winter.
Eat Comforting Food with Health Benefits
When it’s cold and dark outside, a really good way to lift your spirits while ensuring that you’re staying healthy is to sit in front of the fire and eat nice, hot, homemade comfort food.
One of the best and easiest to make comfort foods is bone broth. Not only will bone broth cheer your spirits with its delicious flavor, but it contains numerous health benefits that will make sure that you stay healthy all throughout the winter. Full of vitamins that will help to strengthen your bones and essential fatty acids, amino acids and vitally important vitamins, bone broth is extremely good for health and should be tried at least once this winter to keep you warm and cozy.
While there are many health benefits to this dish, it can take up to 48 hours to cook, which could become troublesome. Don’t worry though, you can get it as a protein powder so you can have the benefits without the long wait.
Don’t Stop Exercising
When the winter blues hit, it can be difficult to force yourself to get out of the house and exercise, but you need to make sure that this is an activity that you are consistent in. Exercising is obviously good for your body as it allows you to keep down fat levels, build and tone muscle, and increase overall endurance. While you need to make sure that you keep your body healthy through exercise, you also need to make sure that you’re taking good care of your mind – and exercise is very good at this!
When you workout, your body secretes a hormone called endorphins that release a feeling of happiness similar to that of morphine. You will also feel good mentally after a workout because you’ll be proud of yourself for doing something productive that day, rather than staying copped up under a blanket. If you’re stuck in the middle of a harsh winter and can’t get to a gym, there are many workouts that you can do in the comfort of your own home – so make sure that you do them!
Don’t Fear the Cold
It is incredibly tempting during the winter to stay inside all the time because we can’t bear the thought of going outside in the freezing cold wind, rain, and even snow. While this may seem a good idea at the time, staying inside all winter can be detrimental to your mental health, as you can begin to go stir crazy.
It’s important that you leave your house in the winter whenever you can, as the days will already feel much shorter due to how early it gets dark, so doing nothing during this short period will make you feel incredibly unproductive and can start to take its toll on your self-esteem and happiness. Don’t fear the cold, embrace it! Go on walks with your family and play in the snow – there are so many activities that you can do such as sledding, snowball fights, building snowmen, or even ice skating on frozen lakes (if you’re careful!) So, don’t waste the winter making yourself depressed indoors – embrace the cold and have fun!
The winter period is dreaded by many of us, as we know that it will lead to unhealthy eating and sluggish, unproductive and depressing days. It doesn’t have to be that way, though. Make sure that you stay healthy, fit and happy this winter by following these three tips.