Simply Healthy: Cold weather health tips

With a chill in the air, it’s time to take some precautions on keeping you and your family healthy. Cooler temps outside and warmer temps inside may add insult to injury when it comes fighting off colds, the flu and the crud.

Diets can get thrown out the door with the want to curl up in the warmth of the indoors, and activities with the family may hit a slump.

What are some ways I can keep healthy?

• One great way to keep your health in a good place is to take advantage of cooler temps and get outside. Apple picking, trips to a pumpkin patch or hiking in the fall foliage are great ways to keep in shape and involve family or friends in fun outings.

 

• When the weather gets chilly, the tendency to lean towards heartier meals — stews, soups and chilies — can arise. You can still keep to a good-for-you menu without falling into a carb and fat-heavy habit. Use more seasonal veggies, brown rice and olive oil and less butter, cream and potatoes to create lighter, healthier meals for everyone.

Click here for Twinkle's recipe for a delicious and healthy Tomato-Basil Soup.

 

 

• Get your flu shot. The flu virus is just as dangerous as ever. To ensure you’re protected, getting a seasonal flu shot can be the catalyst for keeping healthy all year. 

 

• Get some good rest. Since days become shorter in the fall, make sure to get enough sleep. Being healthy enough to fight off colds means getting enough rest to rejuvenate yourself if you’ve been burning the candle at both ends.

 

• Make sure you dress in layers. Before your body warms up, you may feel a little chilly. Once you get your blood pumping, you don’t want to overheat. Having the option to remove a layer or two can help you maintain a balanced body temperature.

 

 

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Simply Healthy features simple ways to improve your day-to-day overall health. You can find more like this at twinklevanwinkle.com.

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Twinkle VanWinkle ponders, creates and discovers cool stuff about music, movies, food, fashion and so forth. Her thoughtful writings and interactives give great advice about healthy food, cooking tips, DIY projects, fashion and more. She’ll teach you a thing or two about music as well. Along with producing dynamic entertainment content for LIN Media, she is a mother, musician and social media fanatic.