The weather is colder than the side of the bed Neil Prendeville used to sleep on. At this time of year, salads won’t cut it. Here’s our guide to winter nutrition.
Choose quality carbs
With temperatures dropping your body will be aching for a higher carb intake in order to keep itself ticking over. Reduced exposure to sunlight can also mean a drop off in your feel-good serotonin levels which makes carb-heavy comfort foods that bit more appealing.
However, you should choose your carbs carefully – some are far better for you than others. Whole grain breads and pastas have a higher nutritional value than their white counterparts and some of the more seasonal carb-heavy produce, such as sweet potatoes, pumpkins, and squashes, carry the added bonus of containing stacks of vitamins.
Picking your protein
Most people are well aware that hugely beneficial omega 3 fatty acids are found in oily fish such as salmon or mackerel, but seafood of this type has another plus point that is particularly relevant come winter time.
Seafood is also a rich source of selenium, an extremely potent antioxidant. A study carried out at the University of California showed men given a high-selenium diet had a better immune response in and improving white blood cells. This makes these food types a valuable ally as your body attempts to fend off the multitude of bugs that float around at this time of year.
Similarly, nuts are also associated primarily with their omega 3 fatty acid content. However, they also contain high levels of Vitamin E which has been found to reduce the occurrence of colds. Eating dry-roasted or other heavily salted nuts will, sadly, probably do more harm to your overall health as good.
Hot drink hot picks
Black tea, the type found in Barry’s Teabags, has been shown to contain low levels of immune modulating catechins. The bad news is that you’re looking at necking seven cups a day if you want to reap the full benefits. A handy short-cut, however, is green tea. It contains far more catechins and according to a 2007 study, consuming green tea or green tea extracts improves your immune response by triggering the secretion more virus-fighting interferon.
If you want to go the whole hog, get your hands on green tea infused with Echinacea – a daisey-like plant that has become a favourite of health food adherents. Echinacea has traditionally been used to treat or prevent colds, flu and other infections. It works by stimulating your immune system which in turn enables you to fend off all types of bugs, boosting your general health and well-being in the process.
Stock up on your vitamins
The body uses sunlight to generate Vitamin D which is vital for a range of reasons. Studies have shown that ramping up Vitamin D intake reduces risks of various types of cancer by up to 50 per cent. Although it can be found in fortified dairy products, eggs and oily fish, the lack of sunlight means you’re best bet is to boost your intake via a Vitamin D dietary supplement.
Vitamin C is another powerful anti-oxidant which boosts your immunity from the barrage of bugs raining down on us during the cold snap. Vitamin C increases your body’s ability to heal numerous different types of wounds and staves off bleeding from capillaries which will helps out your skin. It boosts your immune system and although it has not been shown to alleviate the symptoms of the common cold, one study has shown that taking it regularly does significantly reduce the frequency at which you catch it.
Increasing your intake of Vitamin C-rich foods such as berries, tomatoes and citrus fruits is your best bet, but you can always resort to the chewable Vitamin C tablet option.
Probiotics
There is a reason why Actimel and other probiotic products are flying off the shelves in supermarkets – they work. Strains such as Lactobacillus casei and Lactobacillus reuteri have been proven to reduce your chances of picking up a cold, boost immune responses, and reduce the duration of a host of illnesses.
A study carried out in German, showed that probiotics can shorten the duration of your cold by just under two days.
Robert Carry
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