WINTERPROOF WELLNESS
Feeling a bit rubbish? It could be that you’re suffering from an anti-sunshine slump*
‘Seek out light in the morning to help you wake up’
We all know that feeling when the nights get darker and you start to feel just a little bit, well, meh. If you think your mojo has taken a serious nosedive, you could be suffering from a vitamin D deficiency, like Gwyneth Paltrow and Kylie Minogue. Your body needs vitamin D to help keep your bones and muscles healthy, and low levels have been linked to depression. In fact, the NHS recommends that we all start topping up our vitamin D levels – which we usually get from sunshine – from October.
So, if you want to swerve the seasonal slump, here’s our celeb tried-and-tested hacks to keep you smiling all the way through to spring.
Exercise
We get it. When it’s cold and raining outside, it’s harder than ever to put on your trainers and get sweaty. But research has found that vigorous exercise, where your heart rate is raised and you feel pretty out of breath, can help give your vit D levels a boost. And resistance exercises (using weights or bodyweight) are proven for developing bone strength.
Plus, the endorphin boost you get from working out will help to keep you in a positive mindset. Charlie Watts, founder and CEO of Manor, a London-based gym that aims to develop mental as well as physical strength, says, “I believe that training and building physical strength and resilience directly transfers into your mental capacity. Training is not the antidote to mental ill health, but contributes toward your overall health and wellbeing, and is proven to lift your mood. It’s important to keep up your training regime through the winter months, to help add to your happiness and mindset when the days are shorter, darker and colder.” And if running or HIIT workouts don’t float your boat, yoga can be just as restorative for your body as it is for your mind. It has been found to improve your immune cell function – great for fighting off germs when it turns cold.
sleep
You might feel like spending 24/7 curled up under your duvet, but the winter months can cause havoc with our sleeping habits,
too. Rob Hobson, author of The Art Of Sleeping (HQ, out 14 November), explains, “Darkness impacts on our circadian rhythm, making it difficult to wake up and leaving us sluggish and lacking energy.” However, if we don’t clock enough zzzs, our immune system is likely to lower. Luckily, Rob has some tips to help you hibernate without interruption. “Stick to your regular sleep pattern – don’t hit the snooze button – as this is the bedrock of good sleep,” he recommends. “Seek out light in the morning to help wake you up and boost energy, and supplement with vitamin D, as low levels may affect sleep time and quality. Also, don’t rely on pick-me-ups, like caffeine or sugar. Find other ways of energising yourself, like taking a brisk walk.”
Diet
If your vitamin-d levels are low, it’s worth packing your body with loads of extra-good stuff to ensure you’re fighting fit during the winter months. In particular, taking care of your gut health, where many of your immune cells interact with each other, will have a big role in drop-kicking those winter germs. Dr Aujla explains, “Bright orange and yellow-coloured foods, including winter squash and sweet potato, as well as dark foods such as kale, contain vitamin A precursors. These are essential to our immune system and maintaining our gut barrier. Ginger, turmeric, fennel and some botanicals such as peppermint may have a role in immune support, too, as they have been shown to reduce gut inflammation.”