Winter is here! This means cooler weather, flu season, and longer nights. Here are 5 expert tips to stay healthy this winter.

While winter brings us a much-needed respite from the summer Arizona heat, it comes with some tradeoffs. Namely in the form of colds and the flu. More people seem to get sick in these months than any other time of the year.

And this winter we’re in the middle of another Covid spike too.

So how do you stay healthy when all of this is happening around you?

Here’s what the experts say about how to stay healthy this winter.

Eat healthy and nourishing foods

While we often focus on the importance of diet for weight loss, it’s important not to forget the benefits a healthy diet has for your immune system.

Fruits and vegetables are high in vitamin C. This is an essential vitamin for staying healthy because it improves your immune system function. And while vitamin C supplements are absolutely helpful, you want to get it right from the source too. Because those fruits and veggies serve another purpose in keeping you healthy. Aside from delivering much-needed vitamin C, they’re also high in fiber. 

Why is that important? Because of the bacteria living in your gut.

Many gut bacteria live on fiber from fruits and veggies. Researchers have found that a healthy gut microbiome boosts your immune response against invaders. A healthy gut has the potential to reduce the likelihood of experiencing an infectious disease by 20%. Also, if you do get sick, thriving gut bacteria help you overcome illness faster.

So eating healthy and getting enough fruits, veggies, and fiber every day is one of the first things you can do to stay healthy. 

Get enough sleep every night

Sleep is one of the most overlooked natural defenses to getting sick.

First, sleep helps regulate the stress hormones circulating in your body. When you sleep, your levels of adrenaline, epinephrine, and norepinephrine taper off. This lowering is necessary for parts of your immune system to do their job efficiently. Because these stress hormones can interfere with your immune function.

This helps explain why studies show that people who don’t get enough quality sleep are more likely to become ill. This is especially true if exposed to a virus.

Sleep also improves the performance of your immune system by increasing T cell activity. These T cells are just one of many immune system cells. But these are critical for overcoming viruses and infections.

Exercise regularly

The colder winter months make us feel sluggish and ready to spend all day curled up in sweats and blankets. 

But we need to be active to take care of our health.

How does staying active help you stay healthy?

Daily moderate exercise improves your immune system efficiency, delays the weakening of your immune system caused by aging, and reduces inflammation. The last one is key, as inflammation is the cause of short-term and chronic illnesses showing up or getting worse.

Years of research into the effect of exercise on health points in one direction: the more consistent high-quality, moderate exercise you get, the less likely you are to get sick.

If you aren’t already exercising regularly, it’s never too late to start. And the research doesn’t say you must do a specific type of exercise to stay healthy. Find a type of exercise you enjoy, and make a commitment to do it at least 3 times a week. Your immune system will thank you.

Stay hydrated

It may not be above 100℉ in Arizona right now, but that doesn’t mean you should stop drinking plenty of water.

It’s common for people to feel like they can drink less during the colder months of the year. But it’s not a healthy thing to do for your body.

Water flushes toxins from your body and every organ in your body needs water to function at its best. Researchers find that dehydration lowers your quality of life. Being dehydrated lowers your immune function and leads to increased headaches, aches, pains, and fatigue.

So to make sure you stay hydrated, women should drink around 2.7 liters per day. Men should get for 3.7 liters. 

Make time for Self-Care

Self-care is so much more than just a luxury time to take for yourself. It’s a critical part of your physical and mental health.

First off, stress is one of the main disturbers of quality sleep. And knowing how important sleep is to stay healthy, you owe it to yourself to find ways to soothe your stress during the day. That way you can sleep soundly at night.

Plus, more studies find that stress increases your chance of getting sick. It even appears that at least 60% of the reasons for doctor visits are caused by stress. Because stress weakens your immune function and increases inflammation—which can trigger or worsen a chronic condition.

So while it’s hard in our busy world to take time for yourself, self-care time is one of your best lines of defense against getting sick. 

Take advantage of supplements

Supplements are one of the quickest and simplest options to boost your immunity.

So how do immune injections help you stay healthy?

Vitamin C injections boost your immune function by increasing your blood antioxidant levels. Antioxidants from vitamin C are important to reduce inflammation that triggers illness. With a vitamin C injection, you increase your body’s natural defenses and improve your ability to stay healthy this winter.

Another type of immune-boosting injection uses an all-natural, homeopathic remedy. You can get this injection monthly to prevent cold or flu and other viruses. It’s been proven to treat and prevent a range of viruses and improve your white blood cells.

Supplements are a great way to improve your immunity. And they’re especially helpful if you’re falling short in one (or a few) of the other ways of staying healthy this winter

We’re here to help you stay healthy

Our experts in weight loss help you stay healthy through a healthy diet, exercise, and hydration. We give you a plan that’s right for your personal needs and helps you become your happiest and healthiest self.

Part of that plan includes making sure your immune system is healthy and operating at its best. This is why we also provide vitamin C and immune-boosting injections that support your immune function.

Contact one of our locations today to schedule your visit and stay healthy this winter.

Sources:

• Wu, Hsin-Jung, and Eric Wu. “The Role of Gut Microbiota in Immune Homeostasis and Autoimmunity.” Gut Microbes, Landes Bioscience, 2012, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3337124/.
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• Turner RB;Woodfolk JA;Borish L;Steinke JW;Patrie JT;Muehling LM;Lahtinen S;Lehtinen MJ; “Effect of Probiotic on Innate Inflammatory Response and Viral Shedding in Experimental Rhinovirus Infection – a Randomised Controlled Trial.” Beneficial Microbes, U.S. National Library of Medicine, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28343401/.
• Dimitrov, Stoyan, et al. “Gαs-Coupled Receptor Signaling and Sleep Regulate Integrin Activation of Human Antigen-Specific T Cells.” Journal of Experimental Medicine, The Rockefeller University Press, 4 Mar. 2019, rupress.org/jem/article/216/3/517/120367/G-s-coupled-receptor-signaling-and-sleep-regulate.
• Besedovsky, Luciana, et al. “Sleep and Immune Function.” Pflugers Archiv : European Journal of Physiology, Springer-Verlag, Jan. 2012, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3256323/.
• Nieman, David C., and Laurel M. Wentz. “The Compelling Link between Physical Activity and the Body’s Defense System.” Journal of Sport and Health Science, Elsevier, 16 Nov. 2018, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2095254618301005.
• Popkin, Barry M, et al. “Water, Hydration, and Health.” Nutrition Reviews, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Aug. 2010, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2908954/.