Eat healthy to stay well this winter – part 2
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EmailTips for eating healthy food to keep you well this winter.
If you want to prevent getting sick during the winter, focus on eating healthy food, maintaining a healthy weight and engaging in physical activity to help preventing illness. Follow these tips to boost your immune system to help ward off the flu and other contagious illnesses.
- Consume more omega-3 fatty acid, which can be found naturally in tuna and salmon. This nutrient has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease and low grade inflammation in the body.
- Drinking water is important to maintain hydration and heath. The Institute of Medicine recommends 125 ounces for men and 91 ounces of water for women daily. Experts say, as a rule of thumb, in order to get enough water, a child or teen should drink at least six to eight cups of water per day.
- Physical activity is also another component which can help build a healthy immune system. If you can’t get to the gym, you can take a walk, rake leaves, shovel snow, play a sport, park further away at your work place or take the stairs instead of the elevator to get your heart rate going and body moving. Michigan State University Extension recommends the United States Department of Agriculture’s guidance that adult’s ages 18-64 engage in at least two hours and 30 minutes of moderate physical activity each week, or one hour and 15 minutes of vigorous exercise per week. Before starting a physical activity regime it is recommended that you first consult your doctor.
- Instead of depending on multivitamin or mineral supplements for your major nutrients, choose to eat well-balanced meals with a variety of foods that can help fight off illness. Remember it is recommended that more than half of your plate should be fruits and vegetables, which are packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
For more tips to stay healthy this winter read Eat healthy to stay well this winter – part 1.
