How to beat the winter blues

Make sure that you’re fit and well for the season ahead, says GEORGE NICHOLS

WINTER’S here, big time. Any pretence that we’re at the end of an Indian summer has disappeared into the dark and cold. It’s not that it’s unexpected, yet we still don’t do anything about it. We may not be able to control the weather but we can have some control over what it does to our health.

The way it is at the moment, that dismal mix of chill and damp can cause us all sorts of problems unless we take action.

There are the obvious things that we do without thinking – putting on our winter woollens and reluctantly deciding to turn the heating up – but we need to be proactive to look after ourselves.

With the days getting dark so quickly, many of us don’t get enough light, which can cause vitamin D deficiency.

The damp can cause problems with our joints and the cold just gives us, well, colds.

Not all these problems need to have us running to the overstretched doctor’s surgery; it’s often possible to maintain (and improve) our health with a good diet, whether simply through good food or by taking nutritional supplements.

There are options that are available to help beat the winter blues. Christmas is coming and you don’t need to be worrying about whether you’ll feel well enough to enjoy it.

And then, of course, there are all those nice, fresh days when it’s a joy to be outside.

Now’s the time to help yourself, making light of the dark days of winter.

There are all those nice, fresh days when it’s a joy to be outside