10 Winter Self-Care Tips to get you through the Colder Months

The winter months can be a challenging time both physically and mentally with your health. Self-Care strategies are needed to get through the colder months to boost immunity and support your mental health. Here are 10 Winter Self-Care Tips to get you through the colder months:

1. Get some Sunlight Everyday. The lack of sunlight can negatively affect our health and mood. Try to get some time outside during the daylight hours everyday. It will help to boost your mood and sunlight directly on the skin is important for vitamin D production.

2. Stick to Regular Eating Patterns. It is common for people to gain weight over the winter as they eat heavier food. Irregular or unhealthy eating can contribute to negative moods and poor immunity. Aim to keep to a regular eating pattern with meals with the focus on eating lots of vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, kale, and silverbeet.

3. Enjoy a Hot Bath. Great way to warm up and relax tense muscles. A warm bath make the blood flow easier and allow you to destress . Taking a hot bath or spa can improve immunity and relieve the symptoms of cold and flu.

4. Exercise. Going to the gym, a walk, or a yoga class can help boost circulation and lymphatic flow to remove toxins from the body. Exercise can be challenging in the winter as we can be tempted to isolate and hibernate. Set a goal to move your body daily.

5. Meditate. Winter is a good time to establish a daily mindfulness or meditation practice. Create a daily habit by starting a meditation practice at home for 5-10 minutes.

6. Breathe. Long deep breathing is so simple and so good to oxygenate the body. The lungs clear waste from the body. When we slow the breath down and breath from the diaphragm it calms the Nervous System to relax the body and mind.

7. Make a Cup of Tea. Herbal tea is a great way to therapeutically heal the body and create warmth within. My favourite is Yogi Tea with ginger, cardamon, peppercorns, cloves, and cinnamon: https://goldenyogi.co.nz/blog/yogi-tea-recipe. This tea creates a lot of internal warmth and supports cleansing the body.

8. Listen to Your Body. If you feel like you are getting sick stay at home and take care of yourself. Make a big pot of vegetable or chicken soup and get some good quality rest. When you feel like you are getting sick start taking some more vitamin C to help clear the infection and boost immunity. Vitamin C in megadoses (1000mg / 3 x per day) relieves and helps with reducing the duration of cold and flu symptoms.

9. Read. Curl up with a good book in bed or on the couch. Quite often we get tempted to be on the phone or watching TV but reading books can be great way to relax. Simply opening a book and reading can change your mind and stress levels for the better.

10. Take a cold shower. While it may seem counterintuitive to hop in a cold shower when you are feeling cold but hydrotherapy has been used for hundreds of years to rejuvenate and boost circulation. Having a cold shower every day can improve skin problems, boost circulation, strengthen immunity, and allow you to feel more energised.

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Detox Tips for Radiant Skin

Imagine for a moment that your liver is an island beneath the sea. Stay with me here… On the island live workers (your liver cells) whose job it is to recycle everything in the sea (your bloodstream).

That’s a big job.

If one of the workers gets overtired, the island will create another worker to keep things running optimally. However the island can produce only so many workers. When the number of workers starts to decrease or the workload starts to increase, the island prioritises to cope with the load. The most important items are recycled first, and the remainder gets sent back out to sea (the blood stream), where it floats around until the island can process it. Or it gets sent to the water’s surface (your skin) where it sits on top. The surface of the water, just like your skin, will reflect what is going on underneath.

Increasing liver function is key when treating skin conditions and for maintaining healthy, glowing skin. Giving your liver the help it needs to maintain clear skin can start with some very simple changes.

Dani Rameakers is a yoga teacher and Naturopath at Golden Yogi

1. Avoid the foods that pack the heaviest load. Alcohol, caffeine, trans-fats, refined sugar, synthetic substances (medications, pesticides, topical skin creams, lotions, washes etc.).

Tip: Try having a break from alcohol and notice the effects on both your energy levels and your skin.

2. Keep things clean and green. Amp up whole foods, green smoothies and juices. Include plenty of wholegrains, dark green leafy vegetables – think broccoli, kale, brussel sprouts and even cabbage and cauliflower.

3. If you’ve suffered an infections or viruses (e.g. glandular fever), a few too many big nights out, or a caffeine habit your liver will be working overtime. Milk thistle, globe artichoke and schisandra are all fantastic herbs which support liver function. The quality of these herbs is important, so be sure to consult a naturopath or herbalist, especially if on existing medication.

Tip: Switch up that second cup of coffee with herbal tea containing the above herbs or green tea for its antioxidant properties. Rooibos is a great caffeine-free option.

4. It goes without saying that the fundamentals of health are ample sleep, hydration, nutritious food, exercise, correct breathing (yoga is an excellent way to learn diaphragmatic breathing) and a peaceful mind. Over time the choices you make day-to-day have a large impact on the health of your liver and skin.

Tip: When you wake up in the morning, rehydrate by drinking a glass of warm water with lemon or diluted with a capful of apple cider vinegar with ‘the mother’. Brush your teeth afterwards to help protect tooth enamel.

Detoxification happens daily, making choices each day that support this process (or hinder it) will affect the health of your skin. By following some of the tips above, you can help your liver do its job properly, leaving you fresh faced and radiant.

Written by Danielle Ramaekers, Naturopath and Yoga Teacher

LOVE THE ZING OF WARMING GINGER

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One of my favourite ingredients to add to teas, fresh juices, and soups is ginger. There are many reasons to like ginger, other than just the fact it adds wonderful zinginess to food and drinks. Ginger is known botanically as Zingiber officinale, which derives from its Sanskrit name singabera meaning "horn shaped".  Ginger has many health benefits to boost your general health and wellbeing.

HEALING BENEFITS OF GINGER

~ Digestive Function: The carminative and spasmolytic actions of ginger help to relax and soothe the muscles of the gastrointestinal tract to prevent gas and bloating.

~ Anti-Nausea: Scientific studies show ginger may temporarily alleviate nausea and vomiting from pregnancy, after surgery, during chemotherapy, and motion sickness.

~ Anti-inflammatory. A folk remedy for the treatment of arthritis. The gingerol compounds have very potent anti-inflammatory actions that explain why studies show ginger relieves pain in people with osteo and rheumatoid arthritis.

~ Reducing Pain: The gingerol compounds have a similar action to NSAID but without the negative effects.  These compounds inhibit the formation of inflammatory cytokines chemical messengers of the immune system.

~ Anti-cancer: Research shows that ginger reduces certain cancers such as colorectal, ovarian, pancreatic, kidney and lung, by inhibiting the growth and production of cancer cells.

~ Immune Boosting: During flu season, stock up on your ginger because it boosts your immune system by inducing sweating, warming you from the inside, and allowing the body to fight infection. German researchers have recently found that sweat contains a potent germ-fighting agent that may help fight off infections.

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ADD GINGER ZING TO YOUR FOOD

~ Ginger tea: Great to drink when you feel a cold coming on. Crush 1 inch slice of ginger and add to ½ lemon juice squeezed and 1 cup boiling water.  Let ginger steep into hot water for several minutes before drinking.

~ Juice: Add to freshly squeezed juices.  Especially good with carrot, apple, celery, and beetroot. YUM!

~ Yogi tea: click here to enjoy our delicious yogi tea recipe.

~ Soups: Add 1 tsp grated fresh ginger to vegetable soups and stir-fry’s while cooking to give a zing of flavour and warmth. 

References: available on request

NUTRIENTS IN GINGER

- High in potassium to lower blood pressure and balance kidney function.

- Manganese to help to balance blood sugar levels, thyroid function, and synthesize fatty acids and cholesterol for healthy heart function.

- Also a source of vitamin C, vitamin B6, magnesium, and phosphorus.

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