Seasonal changes can have a direct impact on your health. Give your body the support it needs through the winter with healthy habits and smart supplementing.
The Michigan winter is in full effect and now is a more important time than ever to be proactive about your seasonal health. As the weather changes around you, your body and mind do as well. There is less warmth, less sun, and less daytime. These seasonal changes can have a direct impact on not only your physical health but your emotional and mental health as well.
This is especially true in terms of your heart and immune health. In biological terms, the cold causes blood vessels to contract which helps your bodies regulate in the cold, but in turn, raises your blood pressure.
The heart of the body is much like the hearth of a home:
a burning fire and source of life that must be tended to, especially during the winter.
The wintertime is a time to nourish and care for the heart, keeping its 'fire' strong throughout the cold of the winter. Caring for your heart health means staying active, eating healthy, and supplementing as your body needs best.
Don't fight biology
The winter lends itself naturally to changes in activity level, diet, and health. The cold makes it comfortable to stay sedentary and indoors, while also drawing you to eat rich, warming foods to help sustain your body through the season (hello comfort foods!).
This is your body's natural reaction to the cold meant to help you better survive the winter, but in modern times, these instincts can cause more harm than good.
Instead of with-staining from these natural cravings, positively redirect the energy. Opt for roasted vegetables and warming vegetable soups rich in cinnamon, turmeric, and healthy fats, such as coconut cream, to help warm and nourish the body.
Snow joke, take your supplements!
The winter can have a direct effect on your natural vitamin absorption and production.
The winter brings on a rise in vitamin deficiencies across the spectrum. Less sun means less vitamin D and more comfort food means fewer vitamins consumed through food in general. These changes and vitamin deficiencies can have a serious effect on your seasonal health.
Declining vitamin D levels can manifest as fatigue, mental health issues, bone and joint pain, and muscle cramps or weakness.
Taking vitamin D can help restore balance in the body and lessen seasonal health effects.
Beyond vitamin D
The wintertime brings on changes in activity level, weather, diet, social behavior, and more, all of which have an effect on your vitamin intake and absorption. When it comes to supplementing during the wintertime, it is about so much more than just vitamin D.
3 Vitamins to Supplement During Winter
1) Vitamin C
The winter air blows in cold and flu season with it. Prepare and support your immune system with vitamin C. Need extra immune support? Come in to learn about our immune-specific supplements.
2) Iron
Supporting your iron levels can help combat fatigue, headaches, and chilled hands and feet that often come with the winter. You can also eat your iron by increasing your intake of lentils, beans, and leafy greens.
3) Vitamin E
Flaky, dry, and brittle skin is a common struggle associated with the wintertime. Vitamin E is an essential vitamin for the body and a super-vitamin for the skin. Supplementing vitamin E can help alleviate skin dryness and improve overall skin health.
Give Your Body The Support It Needs
The winter brings on many changes, not only in the world around you, but within you as well. Be mindful of seasonal changes and support your body through the winter with the nutrition, exercise, and vitamins it so vitally needs. Learn more about how you can support your body and mind through the winter at the Authentic Living Center.
Are you ready for winter?
Our staff and practitioners are here to help you find the perfect seasonal health support for you and your health needs. The Authentic Living Center carries a full stock of Standard Process supplements including all the mentioned vitamins and much more. Come in today to discuss your seasonal health and get the supplements your body needs.