Keeping healthy in Autumn

This week I wanted to talk about the things we can do to keep ourselves in good health as the seasons change. 

Autumn brings wetter weather, colder temperatures and longer nights with shorter days, this can often lead to more bugs floating around and us picking up coughs and colds.

Here are some tips for keeping healthy as we get into Autumn;

1. Sleep

I’ve talked about this on several occasions before and it really is a biggie, it’s especially important as thee nights draw in.

Start by going to bed 10 mins earlier each night and see if you can work that up to 30 minutes earlier over the next couple of weeks. Good sleep is really important at this time of year as we end up working or living under lots more artificial lighting.

Try making a bedtime ritual - this could be 10 mins of gentle movement before bed, or having a nice bath each day. Dim your lights for an hour before bed to let your brain adjust and begin to relax. If you spend a lot of time looking at screens you could try some blue light blocking glasses - blue light really stimulates the brain and keeps it awake, so not ideal if you are trying to go to sleep!

Aim for 7 hours good sleep each night.

2. Water

Staying hydrated is another one that is really important.

As it gets cooler we can often forget to keep hydrated, this leads to our skin drying out and our digestive system not working at it’s best. Our skin is actually the first line of our bodies defences, so keeping it in good shape is important.

Keep going with 8 glasses of water each day - when it’s chilly fruit or herbal teas can warm you up and all count towards your hydration goals. Avoid iced water at this time of year as it can drop your core temperature.

3. Omegas

These healthy fats are important all year round, but at this time of year especially so.

Omegas help stop our skin drying out and also help keep us insulated against the cold (as well as being great for brain and heart health!)

The source of Omegas is important- oily fish, chia seeds, sunflower seeds and nuts are good ways to get your Omegas. You can also use fish or linseed oils, but just make sure they are the cold-pressed variety as they will have a better ratio of Omega 3 to Omega 6

4. Vitamin D!

This is another one that is important all year round, but even more so at this time of year.

Usually we get enough vitamin D from being outside in the sunshine, but at this time of year the sun is not strong enough to give us all the Vitamin D we need.

Vitamin D is critical to keeping our immune system healthy and keeping colds and infections at bay as well as keeping our bones healthy!

 Use a good quality Vitamin D daily supplement, food sources for Vitamin D include Salmon & oily fish, egg yolks & mushrooms

5. Seasonal eating

Cooler days and longer nights can often lead to us craving more starchy foods, these can affect the balance of blood sugar levels.

Choosing foods that balance your blood sugar can help avoid sugar spikes and help maintain our weight better, it also keeps our energy levels more consistent through the day.

Healthy fats are important here - avocados, seeds and olive oil are good and also help to keep us feeling full for longer. Switching normal potatoes for sweet potatoes or squashes is another tip - things like butternut squash and sweet potatoes contain higher levels of nutrients and anti-oxidants than white potatoes. 

Keep your food as colourful as possible and go for things which are in season - vegetables in season are at their best and have the highest nutrient profiles.

6. Movement!

This is something we can overlook at this time of year - the urge to hibernate can start to kick in as the days get shorter.

As we’ve  said before, there is no downside to exercise and keeping active - as well as your usual exercise or classes, this is a great time of year to get outside for some extra walking as the trees begin to change and the weather feels fresh and crisp.

Resistance training keeps your muscles and bones strong, while keeping up with your cardio is great for heart and lung fitness.

If you want to try resistance training, then online Lift Lean is 30 minutes that strengthens the body and fires up your metabolism that you can do from your home. For Cardio (as well as balance, flexibility, muscle memory and great fun!) come and give Paracise a try!