The long, light evening of summer and lovely sunny morning is fading. Now is the time to welcome chilly autumn days. While we love the fresh air with a bit of cozy wind at this moment, they may cause a variety of bugs and colds, leaving us feeling run down and short of energy.
At this time of year, we seem to be craving for comfort foods and sugary treats, and the chilling weather often makes us want to skip a workout day to lie on our bed, grab some snacks and watch our favourite Netflix series, sometimes just to get a really good sleep. However, boosting your immune defences is more pertinent, and the good news is that a healthy, balanced diet can help you fight off whatever might come your way – and beating those cravings while boosting your energy levels is easier than you think.
Here's a look at how to add some healthy foods to your diet for the upcoming new season to ensure you're always at peak performance and optimum immunity all the time.
Focus On Healthier Carbs
When you are always craving sugary foods like cakes and cookies and refined carbs like pasta and bread, it means you're looking for the dopamine you need. Due to the shorter day and reduction in daylight during autumn and winter, associated with the winter blue, our bodies experience a drop in serotonin levels, which cause low mood and lethargy.
However, unhealthy food will not satisfy you as you expect. In fact, they will likely cause your energy levels to crash and ultimately, leave you feeling a whole lot worse. In while, complex carbs like brown rice, oatmeal, quinoa and whole-wheat bread can boost serotonin levels and give you a more sustainable form of slow-release energy throughout the day. You can also try to include plenty of nuts, seeds and wholegrains in your diet, and add vegetables like sweet potatoes, yams and butternut squash in place of refined breads and pastas – you’ll get an added fibre hit to improve your digestion by doing so, too.
In fact, replacing your favourite pizza or some cookies with healthier choices is not that hard. You can take it step by step, beginning with trying some tasty healthy recipes such as avocado toast with whole-wheat bread or banana oatmeal pancake, brownie made from sweet potato. The first step always seems not easy but then you will realize consuming healthy foods is a lifestyle that brings you energy and happiness, not a restricted diet.
Consider Adding Zinc Supplements And Vitamins C, D To Your Diet
In today’s fast-paced, busy way of life, getting all of the nutrients you need into your diet daily can be challenging.However, you just need to have a bit of knowledge about nutrients in foods to balance yours as well as your family meals with some essential vitamins. In particular,likes of zinc and vitamin supplements like vitamin C, D can help meet the challenges of staying healthy in the winter.
Vitamin C is found in many fruits and vegetables. Since Vitamin C is water soluble and is utilized so often in your body, it is ideal to consume a food with Vitamin C with each meal to ensure your body has the defense it needs throughout the day. For example, an orange with breakfast, some sweet red pepper in a salad or on your sandwich at lunch, and some tomato sauce with dinner and/or mango for dessert.
Vitamin D, which our bodies are usually able to synthesise from exposure to the sun’s rays during warmer months, is essential to keep energy levels high, and can be found in dairy products like milk, cheese and yogurt. Zinc, naturally found in eggs, dairy, cereals, and fish, is another mineral essential for a healthy immune system. If you are deficient in zinc, you are at higher risk for infection.
Reduce Processed Foods And Eat Mostly Whole Foods
Because they are not manufactured, whole foods are not manipulated to be addictive like many foods containing added sugar. Choosing mostly whole foods will result in a nutritious diet that is naturally higher in fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
You can take a good start by cooking foods at a lower temperature with less water. If your top choices of fruits, vegetables and other whole foods are out of season, replace canned fruits with frozen versions. Frozen greens and fruits are usually less processed and often include less sugar. However, fresh seasonal foods are always better. In this season, you can enjoy oranges, tangerines, pomegranates, broccoli and brussels while consuming optimal nutrient intake.
Stay Hydrated
During the winter months, it’s particularly important to stay hydrated – so make sure you add more water into your diet to avoid dehydration. Don’t wait till you’re thirsty to drink. By the time you feel thirsty, you’re already slightly dehydrated. Sip water steadily throughout the day and drink more fluids than usual if you’re active. However, there are some ways of keeping yourself hydrated rather than just drinking water like eating water-rich fruits and vegetables, reducing caffeine consumption and trying to keep your food juicy, it will also give tasty flavour.
