PREPARING INTERNALLY FOR WINTER

“The arrival of winter invites us to internalize, collect, and at an organic level it is a time to repair and regenerate”

By MARTA MARCÈ

We are ending summer, its long days, life outside and also the quintessential time of excess of the year. Because whoever hasn't had a few too many beers has left the gym dying of laughter and has stayed up too late. The arrival of winter invites us to internalize, collect, and at an organic level it is a time to repair and regenerate. Today I would like to recommend 4 simple habits to prepare for winter and take advantage of this time of year with everything it invites us to do in terms of health.

CHARGE YOUR VITAMIN D DEPOSITS

These days, where we still have good sunshine, it is the ideal time to take a good conscious sunbath. In winter the sunshine is much lower and with the cold it is more difficult for us to undress and go outside. So now is the time to fill up on vitamin D for the winter season. Vitamin D is essential for the immune system, the regulation of inflammation, osteoarticular health, our mood, among many others. Knowing the importance of its functions and that a large part of the population has a deficiency of this vitamin, it is super important that we have sunbathing as a health practice. 25-30 minutes a day is enough in autumn if we take it on the legs, arms and neckline. You can protect your face with a good organic sunscreen if you want to avoid spots or wrinkles. During the winter, take advantage of every moment you have to expose yourself and maintain good levels of this vitamin.

LET'S DO REAL DETOX

Let's avoid fast-food detox that we do for a few days and then forget about it. The best way to purify is to allow the body to do the cleaning work itself. The first step is for the body to have enough idle hours without digesting so that it can dedicate itself to other functions such as purifying. If we reduce our hours of intake to 12 a day (even reaching 8) the body will only do the work. It is also super important to avoid what poisons you: processed foods, conventional cosmetics, alcohol, tobacco. We can accompany our natural detox with infusions of milk thistle, boldo and, above all, a lot of water.

PREPARE YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM

With lower temperatures it is easier for viruses, bacteria and other microorganisms to proliferate. Therefore, it is interesting that we begin to prepare our defense army for winter. Some simple tricks are to increase the amount of vitamin C (citrus fruits, red pepper), antioxidants (red fruits, Brazil nuts) and beta-glucans (mushrooms and oats). We can also increase the consumption of fermented foods to populate our intestinal microbiota, which is responsible for keeping the intestinal immune system in shape, which is no more and no less than 80% of the body's total immune system. If you have to choose 2 supplements for defenses, I would choose a good probiotic and a Japanese mushroom rich in beta-glucans such as Reishi or Shiitake.

ADJUST TO NATURAL TIMES

In summer it is easy for us to lengthen the days and occupy the night with activities. The entrance to autumn invites us to recover hours of sleep and prepare the night hours for rest. It is a very good time to go to bed earlier and wake up rested and repaired. Night rest is the key space where our body regenerates, repairs and cleans among many other functions. If we take advantage of the necessary hours to sleep (7 hours minimum) on a natural schedule (as close to solar as possible), the body will do the rest on its own.

I hope these 4 simple, yet powerful, habits help you make a good entry into winter. Share it with us if you are putting them into practice.