Boosting your mood
Go to sleep and wake up at about the same time everyday, and don’t eat heavy food or drink alcohol within a few hours of bedtime. Maintaining a consistent sleeping pattern and avoiding lots of food or alcohol before bed can help prevent insomnia.
As always, remember to drink plenty of water all day, especially before and during workouts. Most sources recommend drinking at least eight glasses of water a day, especially in dry, heated indoor air.
Eating for cold weather
We always reach for comfort food when the weather gets cold. But “comfort” doesn’t always mean “healthy.”
When you want something hot and comforting, start off with a bowl of chicken vegetable soup. Chicken soup contains proven illness-fighting chemicals, and if eaten as an appetizer, fewer calories will be consumed during dinner.
Grab a handful of mixed nuts and eat them slowly. Nuts are loaded with protein and healthy fats and will keep you fuller and less likely to consume more later on. Also, eat plenty of vegetables with carotene, including carrots, squash, and even pumpkin. A diet high in carotene can raise the immune-cell count, help ward off illness, and keep the fitness level intact.
When you get a craving for something you know you shouldn’t have, go for a hot beverage. A cup of coffee, green tea, or low sugar cocoa will help you keep warm on a cold day, and it will also keep you from darting toward the snacks.
If you are going to drink alcohol, make it a “real” drink (like red wine or dark beer) and not a dessert in a glass. Sipping a glass of water between each drink will help you stay hydrated. You’ll consume significantly fewer calories and have a reduced hangover risk.
When eating out, order a low fat appetizer or two, or offer to split a salad and entrée with someone else. You’ll eat less, pay less, and won’t end up with leftovers that may sit in the fridge for days.
Keeping germs at bay
Winter is cold and flu season, so you have to be extra careful to keep yourself from catching something you don’t want. Keeping your hands clean may be the single most important thing you can do to avoid getting sick. Wash your hands well with hot water and soap, especially before touching your own eyes, nose, or mouth. Use a moisturizer to keep hands from drying.
Get plenty of moderate cardio exercise. According to a 2006 study published in The American Journal of Medicine, adults who get regular moderate exercise will have significantly fewer colds. Get a high quality air filter, vacuum often, make sure the air ducts are clean, and open windows to air out the house when weather permits. Winter cold symptoms can often be allergic reactions to dust and fungus in stale, heated indoor air.
If you do get sick, take only what you need to function until the virus leaves your system rather than taking a multisymptom medicine. With some experimentation you can find a remedy that helps blunt symptoms without adding to them.