Winter wellness guide – helping your immune system through the winter months
As the arrival of Autumn brings cooler temperatures, shorter days and a gradual shift in light, it is a natural signal to start preparing for the winter season. It’s a great time to focus on adjusting routines, getting organised and making sure you are ready to maintain your health and well-being during the colder months. Winter poses unique challenges for our immune system as many of us stay indoors a great deal of the day relying on longer exposure to artificial blue light and heated environments. This combination can lead to dehydration which may interrupt our sleep patterns and weaken our immune system. To help us through the winter months, we need our SHADES which are the 6 lifestyle practices that we can implement as much as possible, helping us navigate the winter and bolster our immunity and overall wellbeing.
- SUNLIGHT.
- HYDRATION
- AIR
- DIET
- EXERCISE
- SLEEP
Sunlight
In the UK we have natural seasonal shifts in the amount of sunlight we receive, winter daylight hours are shorter and so too is the opportunity to synthesise Vitamin D. Our ‘light’ nourishment is as important as the care we take to eat a healthy diet. During the winter we are exposed to longer spells of unnatural light, we wake up in the dark therefore switching indoor lights on so much earlier and putting them on late afternoon. We also have technology emitting unnatural blue light (junk light), all of which can negatively affect our internal body clock that runs on a 24-hour cycle, commonly known as our circadian rhythm. Wintertime makes it challenging as we only have a few hours to get exposure to natural daylight.
Getting outdoors (even on cloudy days) as soon as the sun rises in the winter can help our body ‘wake’ up, as it sends signals via the eyes to the hypothalamus that coordinates the release of important hormones and chemicals such as cortisol and serotonin. Taking regular outdoor breaks during the day, even for a few minutes can be helpful. Natural light exposure is not only linked to our sleep-wake cycle but also to our eating patterns, energy, metabolism and more. It’s important to become more mindful of the amount of natural light vs. junk light we absorb to help us navigate the colder, darker days of winter.
Hydration
With the colder weather, we often skip drinking enough water or eating less of the high-water-containing fruits and vegetables, instead consuming more tea/coffee, and cooked foods which can lead to dehydration. Opting for herbal teas, veggies soups/broths can help keep us hydrated, sipping on water (warm if needed) during the day infused with lemons/limes will also deliver some electrolytes that support hydration. Dehydration can affect the immune system in many ways such as –
- Affecting healthy mucous production in epithelial tissues such as those in our airways which are critical for protecting us from pathogens. When we do not have this protective healthy mucous layer, we are more prone to a variety of infections, inflammation, leaky gut and more. [i]
- Affects cell-to-cell communication which can lead to immune cells such as cytokines being unable to ‘talk to each other as cell signalling requires water (and nutrients).
- Blood volume is dependent on enough water which carries nutrients, and oxygen, regulates our temperature, carries immune cells and more. When we are dehydrated our blood can become thicker, which not only affects our blood pressure but also our immunity.[ii]
- Affects energy production.
- Slows down our waste clearance such as our lymphatic system which is made up of 90% water and immune cells.
Aloe Vera juice is water-dense and contains many minerals that support optimal hydration. It is abundant in compounds that can help support immunity and bolster our defences, especially during the winter months. [iii]
Air
Getting outdoors and being exposed to nature has been shown to have positive effects on our immune system, as well as our endocrine system, mood, cardiovascular, metabolism, faster healing from surgery and more. These benefits are attributed to indirect effects of nature exposures such as physical activity, sunlight and social interactions. Air-borne compounds emitted by natural environments have the potential to modulate immunological responses when inhaled such as essential oils, charged ions and more.[iv] Our nervous system tunes into the positive calming sounds of nature, we need to allow our ears to listen and absorb these supporting sounds without ear pods or other electrics!
Diet
‘Let food be thy medicine’, especially in the winter when we are more vulnerable to winter bugs. Eating natural whole foods in abundance during the winter will deliver immune-supporting nutrients such as Zinc, Vitamins C & D, Selenium, Magnesium, and B vitamins.
- Vitamin C is commonly taken as a supplement during the winter months as it possesses powerful antiviral action and plays a major role in the normal functioning of the immune system. Boosting our diet with Vitamin C-rich lemons, broccoli, sprouts, leafy greens, and sweet potato, can help strengthen the immune system and reduce susceptibility to infections due to its immune-boosting properties.[v]
- Add herbs and spices during the winter such as ginger which has been used medically for thousands of years due to its antiviral, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties. [vi]
- Pre and Probiotic-rich foods (whole foods, kefir, kombucha, kimchi, miso, sauerkraut) support our internal ecosystem (our microbiome) that play a crucial role in immunity. It’s well known that 70-80% of immune cells are present in the gut, we need to ensure we provide the correct environment for them to flourish.
Exercise
Regular exercise during the winter months has many known benefits such as elevating mood, supporting sleep, improving energy levels as well as giving a boost to our immune system as it helps improve circulation and promotes the movement of immune cells throughout the body. Movement is vital for energy and heat throughout the body.
Sleep
Even a few nights of poor sleep can contribute to a weakening of our immune responses which can lead to increased inflammation, infections and susceptibility to viruses. With the longer nights, it is important to limit our screen time during the evening and dim the lights where we can. If you use technology, turn the screens to night mode if you must be on them, additionally, you can wear blue-light-blocking glasses that can shield your eyes. To promote the production of melatonin, we need to be in the dark, if you cannot be totally in the dark then wear an eye mask in bed. Melatonin is not only a hormone but also a powerful antioxidant and immune-supporting agent. Sleep quality is essential for overall health and resilience during the winter months, aim for 7-9 hours per night!
Your winter immune system
Incorporating these six practices and staying consistent with them will help to bolster immunity, enhance physical and emotional well-being and support us through the winter – shades are our winter season toolkit for helping us thrive, no matter the weather!!
References
[i] https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/immunology-and-microbiology/mucin
[ii] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279392/
[iii] Surjushe A, Vasani R, Saple DG. Aloe vera: a short review. Indian J Dermatol. 2008;53(4):163-6. doi: 10.4103/0019-5154.44785. PMID: 19882025; PMCID: PMC2763764.
[iv] Andersen L, Corazon SSS, Stigsdotter UKK. Nature Exposure and Its Effects on Immune System Functioning: A Systematic Review. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Feb 3;18(4):1416. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18041416. PMID: 33546397; PMCID: PMC7913501.
[v] https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2020.574029/full[vi] https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/ginger-for-colds
