Struggling to maintain a healthy diet during the winter? In this blog post, we will discuss the benefits of eating a healthy diet packed with vitamins and nutrients from whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, grains, protein, and complex carbohydrates that can have you feeling your best and maintaining your health. We will also discuss helpful tricks and tips that you can incorporate into your routine that can help eating healthy more convenient and easier.
More Energy
The colder seasons can leave you feeling tired and low in energy, which is why maintaining a healthy diet enriched with whole foods, lean protein and complex carbohydrates can give a sustained, consistent level of energy throughout the day, compared to processed foods or those high in sugar, which can cause you to crash suddenly during the day and feel even more tired.
Better Physical Health
Maintaining a healthy, balanced diet reduces your risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke and diabetes. Of course, it is important to enjoy yourself in the winter months too, however this should be done in moderation and as a treat.
Strengthens Immune System
In the winter months, flu and cold viruses are more common. Ensuring that you eat a healthy diet packed with nutrients and vitamins can help strengthen your immune system and fight off these conditions. Vitamin C is a key component in aiding the immune system, and this can be found in citrus foods, bell peppers and broccoli. Vitamin D also works to support the immune system and due to lack of sun in the winter times, it is important to incorporate foods such as salmon, herring, and egg yolks to ensure the body has enough of this.
Improved Mental Health
The winter months can often give a dip in mental health, and so it is important to maintain good mental health throughout this time. Evidence suggests that eating a healthy, balanced diet is linked towards better, improved mental health. This in turn can lead to better cognition, better attention and reduce brain fog.
Weight Management
Eating a healthy, balanced diet full of whole foods, grains, protein and complex carbohydrates helps promote good weight management. These foods are more likely to keep you fuller for longer, reducing the cravings for sugary and salty snacks, helping you maintain your weight during the colder months.
Better Digestion
Fibre and probiotics found in fruits, vegetables and whole grains support gut health and aid in digestion, which is essential to maintain all year round.
Better Sleep
Eating a healthy, balanced diet is linked with better quality sleep. This can help you have better energy levels and focus on your tasks throughout the day. Sleep is linked closely with cognition, mood and attention so making sure you get enough is essential.
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How To Maintain A Healthy Diet This Winter
Meal Prep
This is a new method that has became very popular over the last few years, due to its ease and convenience. Meal prep involves making set meals in advance, all cooked and ready for the week ahead. This means that you can easily keep track of what you eat and how much you eat. Often unhealthy eating and cravings comes from being hungry and tired, causing you to reach for something that may be quick but processed. Meal prep eliminates the time it takes to cook food from scratch each day, meaning that you can satiate your body with foods that are healthy. This method can also be tailored to your individual health goals and food preferences, whether you want high protein meals or want to stick to a specific calorie amount.
Try New Recipes
Winter is the perfect time to try new recipes, especially as winter vegetables are in season. Incorporating a range of fruit and vegetables into your diet can make healthy eating feel more fun, rather than eating the same boring meals each day. It can help you expand your food palate, and you may even find a new food or recipe that you love.
Prepare For Events And Parties
There can be many holiday parties and events to attend in the winter months, and this can make it difficult to stick to healthy eating during this time. Events and parties can be full of processed food, or highly sugared or salted food, which can be easy to overindulge in. One way to manage this, is to eat a small healthy meal before attending the event or party. This helps satiate the body, leading to less cravings and overindulging. Although it is great to treat yourself on occasion, this should be done in moderation and balanced with a healthy diet a home.
Incorporate Exercise
Doing regular exercise has been found to be a good motivator in having healthy eating habits. Regular exercise should be an activity that works best for you and that you enjoy. This could be a home workout, going for walks with friends or family, weight training or an exercise class. Not only can this help drive healthy eating habits, exercise also has its own benefits in keeping you physically and mentally healthy.
Conclusion
Eating healthy in winter can be a challenge, as the cold weather can make us want to snack and eat processed, dense meals. However, maintaining a healthy diet even in the colder months has a range of health benefits such as improved immunity and better physical and mental health. Try incorporating some of the methods discussed above into your winter routine so that you can feel your best all year.