As much as we hate to admit it, the summer is drawing to a close. The nights are drawing in, the mornings are that bit darker and there’s a slight nip in the air. The seasons are changing, so does that mean we have to change our approach to healthy living?
There’s definite value in adapting how you approach healthy living as the year progresses. As a base you should be switching your foods around if you want to maximise vitamin and mineral density, as well as taste. You can tweak your supplements as well in order to reflect the changing needs of your body.
Your exercise and sleep patterns can be switched up to maximise results and minimise risk.
As we head into the autumn, here’s some of the simple yet very effective lifestyle tweaks you can make to ensure great health…
Tip 1 - Start Supplementing Vitamin D Again
I’m assuming if you’re reading this you live in the UK. If that’s the case, as the sun fades away, our vitamin D levels go with them! This is a bit of an issue, because it’s such an important aspect of our overall health. Research suggests vitamin D has protective effects against cancer, heart disease, fractures and falls, autoimmune diseases, influenza, type-2 diabetes, and depression.
In the summer months (April-September), frequent sun exposure and natural light helps us to keep our vitamin D levels topped up naturally. In the colder, darker winter months however the sun isn’t strong enough to provide us with sufficient vitamin D.
To combat this, a daily vitamin D supplement is a good idea.
Tip 2 - Allow Yourself More Sleep
We are ‘photosensitive’ beings… in English this means we are affected by light. This is all kinds of light - natural light, artificial ‘blue’ light from screens, candle light etc. They can impact all kinds of things. Our mood is a good example - ‘yellow’ light from candles for example is relaxing, whereas ‘blue’ light from screens and ‘white’ light from fluorescent bulbs can impact our ability to sleep.
In general though, your body will require more sleep in the darker months than in the lighter summer months. This has been proven via research on seasonal changes in sleep cycles, so make allowances for the extra sleep. Turn off screens earlier, light candles and get to bed 30 minutes earlier than normal.
Tip 3 - Maximise Outdoor Time
This might sound counter intuitive given the world is getting colder and darker, but it’s still important to maximise time outside. Even if you live in a city, look for green spaces if possible. Even if it’s not, there are benefits to being outside and walking. You want to hit a minimum of 10k steps per day and that’s always best done outdoors - run an errand or two on the way and make your walk useful!
Being outdoors has been linked with calmer moods, reduced anxiety and improved general mental health. It’s also a great excuse to get away from a laptop and breathe in some fresh air. Don’t worry about the cold, just wrap up!
Tip 4 - Change Your Diet
Food is seasonal, and when you’re in tune with this there are all kinds of benefits you may not be aware of, ranging from health boosting to money saving. We’ve lost a lot of this knowledge though because we can import foods all year round, so we lose sight of the seasons.
We’re about to enter the root vegetable season. This means foods such as carrots, turnips, broccoli, onions, squashes, potatoes, parsnips etc are about to become much bigger, tastier and cheaper (who doesn’t love a bargain?!) . They’re also going to be more nutritious, so everyone wins!
Fruit wise, it’s time for apples, pears and berries.
Get rid of the salads and replace them with soups and stews.
Tip 5 - Boost Immunity
We all know how important great immune function is, so now is the time to build your immune system ahead of the winter colds and flu season. When it comes to immunity, we know that it’s just as important to stop reducing your immune capacity with late nights, excessive alcohol etc.
The basic immunity tips include all of the normal good advice… a healthy diet, plenty of sleep, take plenty of exercise and supplementing properly. Alongside the vitamin D, it’s a good idea to take a multivitamin and a cod liver oil every day.
Changing Seasons... Change Your Approach to Healthy Living? Concluded
There are without doubt differing requirements from summer to winter, but they don’t need to be dramatic or wholesale. A simple evolution in what you do will be sufficient, assuming you practice generally healthy behaviours generally!
Just take the advice here and make the necessary changes. You’ll maintain excellent health throughout the year, avoiding the winter cold and flu season and feeling great throughout the colder months.
Let AdMac Fitness help you with your fitness journey…
If you want your health and fitness journey to be guided by the best personal training team in East London, get in touch with us at AdMac Fitness. We operate from our private personal training studio in Bow, E3. Contact us on 07921465108 or email us at admacfitness@gmail.com. We look forward to hearing from you!