How to Get the Proper Nutrition This Winter?

The cooler months can make it very difficult to stay motivated to lead a healthy life. But, to keep your immune system strong and control your weight, you still need to eat right during winter. During the cold weather, it is easy to crave more food and junk. This is because, in such weather, our bodies demand more food to keep us warm. If you want to stay full and be healthy, ensure you are making nutrient-dense meals.

The following article has a few easy tips to follow - simple tips to ensure that you meet your healthy living goals even during the winter. To have a sound immunity system, you need to ensure that you are healthy in all ways possible.

How to Get the Proper Nutrition This Winter?

1. Your Meals Need to be Healthy and Well-Balanced

Winter calls for hot stews, broths, energy-dense root vegetables, soups, and slow-cooked casseroles - partly because they take less time to prepare and allow more time spent in front of a fireplace. Ensure that every meal you are consuming has high nutritional value and that you are eating a consistently well-balanced diet. You should also invest in meals that are high in antioxidants, such as pecans, berries, and dark chocolate, as they protect you from free harmful radicals that can damage body cells. At the same time, try and fill up on proteins like lean meat and beans.

Prioritize foods that are rich in fibre too. These include peas, beans, whole wheat bread, and pasta. If you cannot get these kinds of proteins, try supplements that are full of proteins. Make sure that you are adhering to a balanced diet by including a variety of vitamins. Try to incorporate foods rich in vitamin B - these are leafy greens and whole grains. Include foods rich in vitamin C, such as sweet potatoes and spinach; eat foods rich in vitamin E consisting of nuts and seeds. Don't forget foods rich in vitamin D, as well. During winter, you do not get to see as much sun; thus, ensure you consume meals rich in this vitamin. 

2. Go for Seasonal Produce

There are so many ways in which you can enjoy the seasonal winter produce. Choosing seasonal fruits and vegetable guarantees you are consuming fresh, nutrient-dense food and still have a rich flavour. Non-seasonal foods are usually grown in different places. This means, for these items to get to you, they have to be transported. Thus, the produce likely loses its nutrients by the time it gets to you. 

Seasonal foods offer you a list of benefits, from eating a wide range of foods that provide a balanced diet to meals that burst of flavour. Some of the fruits you should look forward to are apples and pears - a perfect combination for your morning porridge, and when garnished with some cinnamon, it offers a well-balanced meal full of flavour. 

3. Drink a Lot of Water

Many of us know we need to up our water intake on the hotter days of the year. The thing is, most of us forget to equally hydrate during the winter season. This is common for most people because when it is cold, you do not get thirsty, which means that you are less likely to remember to drink water. While your thirst will drop during winter, you still need to hydrate as it helps to regulate your body temperature. Staying hydrated during the winter will also help your body get rid of toxins, improve your metabolism, improve your immune system, and helps with digestion.

4. Consume Hot Foods and Drinks

Besides drinking water, try to consume drinks and foods full of spices. The hot drinks will warm your internal organs, stimulate blood circulation and metabolism and at the same time protect you from the cold weather. 

5. Pimp Your Pantry

During winter, you should fill your pantry with various warming spices - the likes of ginger, curry powder, turmeric, cinnamon, cumin, and paprika. These are the kinds of spices that will make your winter meals more exciting. Besides that, these spices have very many nutritional benefits. Furthermore, you should add nuts such as cashew nuts, hazelnuts, and peanuts to your pantry. This is because melatonin, a sleep hormone, is produced during low sunlight days, making you tired and unmotivated. To counter this, you need to initiate the production of serotonin, which stabilizes your moods, happiness, and feelings of well-being. This hormone can be activated by amino acids present in nuts.

Final Thoughts

In as much as winter can be difficult, the tips above will help you make more minor changes that will keep you healthy throughout.