Our bodies need more rest during the winter months but our fast paced culture often prevents us from achieving time for extra relaxation. This can lead to common winter ailments such as colds and coughs. Try our tips for staying well in the cold weather.
Winter can often leave us feeling run down and tired out but it needn’t be this way. To protect your health during the colder months try these natural remedies and preventatives from indulging in extra rest to homeopathic remedies to treat colds and other respiratory illnesses.
Make space for yourself – rregular rest and relaxation during the week will help boost your immune system. If you find ‘me-time’ impossible to organise, then try a session with a good hypnotherapist, who can help you reorder your priorities in more beneficial ways.
Get more sleep – go to bed earlier, or make time for lie-ins at the weekend. As animals, our natural response to winter is hibernation. Small wonder that our desire to work hard and play hard all year round can take its toll on our energy levels.
Keep hydrated – remember, your body is not used to central heating, so when those radiators come on in the winter make sure your body doesn’t dry out. The recommended two litres of water a day still holds true for the colder months.
Take a supplement – consider taking a supplement such as Zinc, Vitamin C, high quality Bee Pollen and definitely add lots of garlic, cayenne pepper and ginger to your diet. Ginger tea is a warming, tasty drink and a fantastic immune booster. Simply peel the roots and boil up for 10 minutes. Add some lemon or honey to taste.
Listen to your body – if you get hit with a cold or the flu, listen to the message that your body is giving you. Look out for a white coating on the tongue which often means a cold is coming. On first sight, start taking immune boosting action to combat the effects: take homeopathic remedies, Echinacea supplements, eat Shiitake mushrooms, drink elderflower tea and REST.
Consider homeopathy – keep these remedies handy for emergencies: pulsatilla for runny noses, catarrh and loose coughs; gelsemium for flu-like symptoms (heavy limbs, aching head); aconite napellus at the first sign of chills or a runny nose. Take two 30c tablets three to four times a day, and if the symptoms worsen, seek professional advice.
Boost your mood – if winter gets you down, 
St John’s Wort can be a powerful mood stabiliiser. It is frequently used by sufferers of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), as are Vitamin B12 and Vitamin D supplements.
Have a massage – book a lymphatic drainage massage to get the lymph system moving after a cold/flu, helping your body to process and release toxins.
Relieve pain – the pressure of blocked sinuses can be alleviated by a visit to a good cranial osteopath.
Repopulate good bacteria – if you have taken antibiotics then top up your body’s natural bacterial levels with a course of Acidophillus.
Steam up – hot baths and steam inhalations are an excellent way to warm up and detox over the winter months. Add Himalayan bath to a bath or foot soak. For steam inhalation, add two drops each of eucalyptus, thyme, pine and lavender to a bowl of hot water. Throw a towl over your head and breathe in deeply. A wonderful way of clearing the sinuses and helping you to breathe more easily.
Do you have any natural remedies that keep you going through the winter months? Do share them with us – we look forward to reading your ideas.
Melissa Corkhill is the editor of The Green Parent magazine, mother of two and author of the book Green Parenting
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1 comment in response to this article
Running through that list makes me realise why I’ve been plauged by ill health this year :(
House renevating has left us playing musical bedrooms (and sofas :( ) and left us with no space to breath, fingers crossed for a little rest next winter :D
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