Getting your Health, Mind and Body Winter Ready

*Advertisement Feature

 Getting your Health and Body Winter Ready

Getting your Health, Mind and Body Winter Ready

The first day of winter and of course Christmas is approaching rather quickly. Anyone else started their Christmas shopping? Mine is well under way now, I’m definitely a planner and don’t like to leave things  until the last minute.

The summer for me was all about getting well again, particularly after giving birth and  after my stomach ulcer rupture. I am thankfully so much better than I was, I’m hoping I might even be able to have a glass of wine over the Christmas period depending on how my stomach is doing, but we shall see.

Winter is of course the time for bugs and illnesses and having worked so hard to improve my health and wellbeing after being ill, I really do not want to go backwards. I’m still breastfeeding and have three children to look after now, so I am going to be focussing on eating well and building up my immune system. So here are  my tips and some things I am going to do this winter to keep myself well.

Plan Warm, Cosy, Wholesome Meals

Winter is rarely a time for salads, maybe the odd warm salad, but I like wholesome, warm food to keep me going when it’s cold outside. It’s a great time to batch cook, especially if you have a slow cooker. I find if you batch cook food and keep it in your freezer, if you have a busy day or a day when you’re feeling under the weather, you can grab something nutritious and heat it up rather than reaching for the take away menu.

My favourites for the winter include soups, casseroles, stews and of course a good old traditional family roast.

Take a Multi-Vitamin

Getting-your-Health-and-Body-Winter-Ready-D3-vitamins

Did you know that the Public Health England recommends that everyone should take a vitamin D supplement throughout the winter months? Infants and children under 5 should actually be on a supplement all year round.  I was quite surprised when the health visitor told me to put Bo on a supplement when he was just weeks old, as this is new advice since my daughter was a baby, but vitamin D is so important, even more so for growing bones.

Most people get enough in the summer months, but this is not so in the winter. Vitamin D helps to regulate calcium and phosphate in your body and essential for healthy teeth, bones and muscles. A lack of vitamin D can lead to bone deformities such as rickets in children, and bone pain caused by a condition called osteomalacia in adults.Vitamin D is also essential for immunity which is why at this time of year, making sure you’re getting enough is really important.

I’ve written about Alive! vitamins a few times on this blog. When I work with brands on the blog, there are a few brands that I like so much that I actually go on to buy them myself. Alive! is one of these brands that I now regularly buy for myself and my children. They have a Vitamin D3 supplement which is perfect for the winter months containing Vitamin D, Calcium and Phosphorus – making sure you and your family are covered.

Here are some other reasons you should consider adding an Alive! supplement to your daily routine:

  • Alive! comes complete with a unique dried blend of 26 Fruits and Vegetables
  • They are deliciously fruity, and are made with only natural fruit flavours
  • Alive! Vitamin D3 Soft Jells come in a delicious natural cherry fruit flavour
  • They are suitable for vegetarians and for adults and children aged 3 years+
  • Alive! Vitamin D3 Soft Jells RRP is £14.99. Available from Boots, Holland and Barrett, Superdrug and they are currently on offer direct from Nature’s Way for just £9.99:And especially for you, you can also get FREE shipping (worth £3.50) on the Nature’s Way website. Use the code VITAMINDFREE at check out until midnight on 31st December 2018.

Have Your Flu Jab

This can be a bit of a controversial one, but I am a very strong believer in immunisations. Having had the real flu before I know how awful it can be so if having one small injection can prevent me getting this, especially when I suffer from asthma then I’m all for it. I’ve already had mine and my children will be having theirs at school in the next couple of weeks. If you don’t qualify for a free one, a lot of pharmacies offer them for as little as £10.

Don’t Fall into the Diet Trap

Whether it’s getting into the little black dress in time for Christmas, or the period after January when everyone in the whole world seems to be de-toxing, don’t fall into that trap.

After years of yo-yo dieting, I no longer believe in them or think they are good for your long term health. Do I want to be slimmer? Of course I do, but I think body positivity and focussing on your overall health is much better for your body and mental health. Make small consistent changes to your life, don’t go on that diet.

Getting your Health and Body Winter Ready - Vitamins in hand

Enjoy the Outdoors

A friend of mine who runs gardening and forest school classes for young children always says there is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing. I might disagree with her when it comes to days when there’s torrential rain outside, but I don’t disagree with her when it’s cold. I rather enjoy a cold walk, wrapped up on a crisp winter’s day. You’ve still got time to ask Santa for a fabulous new coat, hat or scarf if you don’t have one. So get out walk, feed the ducks with your children, look up adventure trails such as the Gruffalo or Highway Rat trail near you and have fun outside.

16 thoughts on “Getting your Health, Mind and Body Winter Ready”

  1. I think I need to start taking these as I am feeling so run down already as we have had a house full of coughs and colds. I need to try and get myself in tip top condition ready for my wedding next summer xx

    Reply
  2. I’ve just started taking multivitamins after my daughters kept giving me nursery bugs, but I struggle to get the pills down. These soft ones would be perfect for me, so I must hunt them down 🙂

    Reply
  3. I must admit, I have recently started taking a multi vitamin every day and I have really noticed a difference in my energy and even my skin. I must have been lacking something!

    Reply
  4. It is really important here is Sweden to get outdoors and you see everyone titled with their faces to the sun as soon as it does come out. There is so much darkness here for so many months

    Reply
  5. I really need to start taking vitamins and looking after myself more – I always make sure the kids are getting what they need but neglect to think about myself x

    Reply
  6. We’ve not tried these Vit D3 ones but I absolutely swear by the Alive Immune Defence ones, in the orange tub. They’re quite expensive, but worth every penny because they do work!! I didn’t have a cold for a whole year; and with 5 year old twins in the mix, that’s pretty amazing!!! I love them!!!!

    Reply
  7. Its such a good idea to look after yourself first, i honestly put everyone else first for a long time and my health suffered 🙁 Now i take vitamins and try to get some me time!

    Reply
  8. I find Vitamin D3 VERY important to me, however I don’t like the normal tablets much. I love the sound of these so I’m going for a look now!

    Reply
  9. I always feel so slow and sluggish in the winter and I’ve never actually thought to do anything to combat that. I’ll look for these in the shop – thanks Laura x

    Reply

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.