7 Tips to Keep You Vibrantly Strong and Thin When It's Cold

Let`s Keep Strong and Warm This Winter
In the winter your body craves more food. This is natural.

The problem is… we end up eating more often; lots of snacks between meals in an attempt to nourish our stressed bodies. Also, when it is cold we can be less physically active.

Inactivity in any season is a recipe for bad health but in winter it is so easy to do so. — Inactivity in any season is a recipe for bad health but in winter it is so easy to be inactive and therefor suffer.

Adding extra food + less physical activity = health challenges and weight gain.

Many of us notice an increase in problems like, dry skin, body pains, lethargy, coughs, flues and even depression. We need a seasonal way of looking after our bodies to maintain good health.

In general, winter increases the qualities of DRYNESS and COLD in your body. We can counteract these qualities with specific foods and activities. This kind of orientation to health is not what we are used to in the west since they come from the Ayurveda and Chinese health systems. Remember though, that a major portion of the world’s population had maintained high levels of health for thousands of years with these principles.

7 Tips to Balance out the DRY and COLD

1. Include Gluten free grains on your diet regularly
In the winter we need sustaining energy from the food we eat and grains are a great way to get it. These are ‘smart’ carbs and include Quinoa, Barley, Buckwheat, and Millet. They are full of nutrients and do not clog your sensitive winter digestive system.

2. Include Beans and Legumes in Your Diet
Beans are another means of providing sustained energy in the winter. Beans are called a ‘poor man’s meat’ because they provide the protein and strength of meat products at a fraction of the cost but really they are a ‘healthy man’s meat’ since they are so nourishing.
Lentils were called one of the healthiest foods on the planet by Health Magazine.
Other beans and legumes include green peas, chick peas, kidney beans etc.

Learn the 7 Ways To Avoid Gas from Beans

3. Eat warming, moist meals
When it is cold eating warming foods is so welcoming to our body. Include freshly cooked nourishing soups and stews into your diet. Avoid raw foods during the winter as much as possible, as these tend to cool the body. You can still eat salads but if you are like me, you will eat less of them now than in the summer.

4. Replace sugary food with fruit
Sugar depresses the immune system which is not something we want to be doing in the winter. When you are having that craving for a sweet, eat a piece of fresh fruit. Oranges full of Vitamin C are a good choice. Best to eat no more than 2 or 3 pieces of fruit a day as they can be cooling.

To learn how to get sugar under control read: 7 Tips to Stop Sugar Cravings

5. Take time to eat
During the winter it is important to get an abundance of nutrients. When we chew our food well, we will get more nutrition from that food, than when it is in chunks. The chunks of food create more work for your body at a time when it is already taxed from the cold. People who eat fast are often heavier than slow eaters according to research. It takes 20 minutes for your stomach to send a message to your brain that you have eaten enough. Slow down by chewing each bite at least 10 – 20 times.
Keep moving is the rule in any season but particularly winter.

Keep moving is the rule in any season but particularly winter.

6. Move that body
When it is colder outside it is easy to go into couch potato mode. To keep a body healthy and happy we need to move it. This is not about burning calories. Every day take a 15 minute walk outside even when it is cold. Note: Walking is NOT optional.

Good reasons to get Walking: Tips and Benefits

7. Get enough sleep
Winter is the time for some animals to hibernate. As humans that will not work. Sleeping at night is the time our immune system is nourished and of course in the winter this is an especially good thing to be doing. Get 7-8 hours of sleep EVERY night. It is best to be asleep by 10-11 p.m.

These tips are a simple way to keep healthy during this cold season. Let’s enjoy the winter. Sleep early, rest well, stay warm, and expend a minimum quantity of energy.

To learn more about how to Strengthen Your Body for the Winter check out this Free Webinar To Help You Strengthen Your Body this Winter

Also, there are lots of good strengthening tips in my Balance Your Body E-book. You will find lots of healthy recipes here: Healthy Recipes]