Do you feel lazy or less enthusiastic during winters? Does your skin always seem dry during winters? Do you often feel joint pain during winters? Is your body more prone to infections during winters? Sure, winter is all of this and they are finally here. It’s that time of the year when the laziness takes over your energy. It is a really strange season. Some days, you feel like going out and enjoy with your friends and family, but other days, the foggy mornings and chilly nights make you feel lazy. Laziness is the bad influence of winter weather. You just want to lie in your bed and curl up in your blanket and have a hot cup of coffee or tea.
From energy levels to metabolism to food habits, everything changes during winters. What really make this season less enjoyable are flu and infections that come along with cold air and dry weather. Especially, this year’s winter is going to be very tough due to Covid-19 disease, which is spreading at a rapid pace. Winter is the perfect environment to survive and reproduce Coronavirus and other microbes. You are more likely to catch Coronavirus during winter, so it’s important to change your lifestyle and food habits. By eating some superfood, you can reduce your chances of catching Coronavirus and falling ill. So, what are those superfoods? Well, you are going to find the answer in this blog. Here, we are going to share a list of the best foods that you should eat during winters to stay healthy.
Superfoods for healthy winters
1. Ginger
Ginger has been used to treat diseases for many years. Ginger is not just delicious food, but also a very beneficial treatment for our body. It’s spicy and unique flavour can bring additional taste to a dish. Ginger has the highest level of antioxidants that prevent cell damage and oxidative stress. With regular consumption of ginger in different ways, you can prevent severe diseases like cancer, diabetes, and stroke. Its anti-inflammatory properties can help your body get rid of excessive free-radicals that can cause damage to your healthy cells, tissues and organs. With the regular consumption of ginger in your food during winters, you can stay safe and keep infections at bay. A compound called gingerol can help your stomach settle and get rid of nausea and vomiting. Women during pregnancy can consume ginger to get rid of early morning sickness. From treating your indigestion to keep you away from severe infections during winters, ginger can do a lot for your health.
2. Citrus fruits
Citrus fruits like orange, Limetta, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, amla and limes are full of vitamin C that is extremely good to step up your immunity. Winter season is also synonymous with cold and flu season. As the season hits, there are high chances of falling ill. With the consumption of citrus fruits in winters, you can improve your immune function. Add citrus fruits to your diet. You can take lemon tea, orange smoothies, grapefruit salad, etc. to increase your vitamin C intake. Vitamin C is also good for your skin and hair during winters. You can get rid of skin infections occurred due to dry weather. Dry skin and dandruff are the most common skin and hair conditions faced during winters. You can prevent your skin and hair from these problems during winters with the consumption of Vitamin C rich citrus fruits.
3. Garlic
Apart from adding flavour to your food, garlic is very benefits to your health. Eating two to three garlic cloves early in the morning can keep the doctor away. This is an amazing herb that it has immune-boosting, antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-fungal effects. Referred to as “Wonder Drug,” garlic has amazing medicinal and healing properties. This winter, add Garlic to your daily routine to prevent winter ailments like cold, cough, sore throat, etc. Not just that, it will also help in maintaining your heart in good shape. It keeps your cholesterol levels and blood pressure in control. It’s antiseptic and anti-fungal properties helps strengthen your body’s defence against allergies. During winters, there is a high chance of experiencing heart stroke. Garlic can reduce blood coagulation and the likelihood of blood clots. It is also a great metabolic booster. It’s a rich source of vitamin C, vitamin B6 and manganese and all of these support healthy weight loss and improve metabolism. It is also a powerful detoxifier for your body. The consumption of fried food increases during winter which is not good for your body. So, it’s important to consume fruits, herbs or vegetables that help in detoxification of your body.
4. Honey
Rich with ascorbic and pantothenic acid, niacin and riboflavin; along with minerals like calcium, copper, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, potassium and zinc, Honey is a great food to be added in your diet. Its antioxidants, antibacterial and anti-fungal properties make it an ideal food for the winter season. Simply take a tablespoonful of honey or add it to your herbal tea like lemon tea, ginger tea, chamomile tea or green tea. It acts like a very powerful remedy to cure mild to a severe cough. Before going to bed, take a teaspoonful of honey and see the miracle it does to your throat throughout the night. You can replace honey with sugar in winters and a healthy sweet flavour to your food. The best thing is that anyone can consume it. From diabetic individuals to pregnant women to infants, it is safe for everyone. Winter often tend to dry up your skin and scalp. You can also use a honey mask to moisturize and hydrate your skin and scalp. Honey has great hydrating and anti-inflammatory properties. You can create a skin exfoliating scrub with honey to provide great benefits to your skin.
5. Dried fruits or nuts
While talking about foods for winter, we can never ignore dried fruits. Almonds, Cashews, pistachios, Anjeer (figs) and walnut are some of the healthiest snacks to satiate your cravings during winters. Dried fruits provide needed nutrients, vitamins and heat in the winters. They keep your body warm and are packed with some essential fatty acids, fibre and protein. They are also a good source of Vitamin E, iron and calcium. There are a lot of benefits of the consumption of dried fruits like treatment and prevention of indigestion, cough, bronchitis and asthma. They also improve blood circulation, haemoglobin levels and reduce cholesterol. They also prevent severe diseases like cancer, diabetes, etc. They also have anti-ageing properties that will keep your skin glowing during winters.
Final Words
While you take these foods, don’t forget to exercise daily and avoid fried food. Increase your intake of eggs, meat, fish, milk, apple, pomegranate, green leafy vegetables, etc. & improve your immune system. At this time of the year, it’s important to boost your immunity. Not just coronavirus, you’ll also be able to get rid of other virus and bacteria. This season, adapt a healthy diet. You’ll surely see a difference in your health. Change your lifestyle and stay fit throughout the year.