During this busy time of year, it can be challenging to find the time to take care of ourselves. Between work, social commitments and long to-do lists it can be easy to let our health fall by the wayside.
However, despite the chaos and hectic pace of our lives during this season, we can use several simple strategies to stay healthy. Take a proactive approach with some things you can do to ensure you get the nutrients your body needs and stay healthy despite a hectic schedule.
Make sure you are eating enough fruits and vegetables
To keep our immune systems strong, we must prioritize our diets and ensure that we get all the essential nutrients we need. Plenty of seasonal fruits and vegetables are available during the winter months, so ensure you are taking full advantage of these nutrient-rich options. Some examples include apples, pomegranates, Brussels sprouts, leafy greens such as kale and chard, citrus fruits like lemons and limes, and cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and cabbage.
Maintaining a healthy diet filled with in-season produce throughout the winter months ensures you have a strong immune system all year round.
Get enough protein
The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for protein is a modest 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. The RDA is the amount of a nutrient you need to meet your basic nutritional requirements. It's essentially the minimum amount you need to keep from getting sick — not the specific amount when you are striving for optimal health.
To determine your minimum daily protein intake, you can multiply your weight in pounds by 0.36 or use this neat online calculator.
Getting the right amount of protein is key to maintaining a strong immune system. Whether you're eating meat, tofu, legumes, nuts, or another source of protein, your body needs a certain level of this essential nutrient to function well.
Protein helps to build and maintain strong muscles and fuel vital organ functions. Additionally, it helps to strengthen your immune system by providing specific amino acids that are directly responsible for fighting infection and illness.
Drink plenty of water
Our bodies are made up of about 60% water. So, it's not surprising that we need to stay hydrated for our bodies to function correctly. Water acts as a natural cleanser, flushing toxins and waste products out of our bodies and keeping our internal systems functioning optimally. Staying well-hydrated offers protection against various infections and illnesses. So whether you need to power through the cold season or want to keep yourself healthy all year round, staying hydrated with plenty of water is an easy way to stay strong from the inside out.
Of course, everyone has different needs based upon things like their age, weight and activity levels…but in general drinking half of our body weight in ounces of water each day is a good target. This will ensure our bodies won’t experience dehydration, buuuuut most of us don't even come close to this. I’m guilty of it some days too!
Exercise regularly
When we exercise regularly, our bodies produce more white blood cells, which are critical drivers of immune function. In addition, exercises like running and cycling strengthen various parts of the body – from our lungs to our heart – allowing us to better fight off any illnesses that come our way.
Get enough sleep
Not only does sleep give us the energy we need to function during the day, but it also helps to maintain our mental clarity and focus. While we sleep, our bodies release cytokines, small proteins that help to fight off infections. So getting enough sleep every night is essential to protect yourself from illnesses like colds and flu!
But don't only focus on the hours you're sleeping, focus on the quality! I know people who sleep 10 hours each night and wake up exhausted. If you snore, toss and turn or find yourself waking up in the middle of the night you likely have some level of sleep disordered breathing.
GET EVEN HEALTHIER!
There are many things you can do to get (and stay!) healthy, even if you have a busy schedule. By eating right, exercising, drinking plenty of water, and getting enough sleep, you can ensure your body has what it needs to function properly despite a hectic season.
But I know there is a difference between information and transformation. You might be reading this blog and thinking "I know what to do...I just don't do it". That's where I come in. Let's chat! Apply for a Breakthrough Session with me today—or pass this offer on to someone you care about!
ABOUT ME
I received my training from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, where I learned about more than 100 dietary theories and studied a variety of practical lifestyle strategies. I’ve made it my personal mission to help busy mamas take the overwhelm out of making healthy choices and fall in love with their bodies again. It's time to make health simple!
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