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It's been a long cold winter this year but the days are starting to get longer, the sun feels closer and were all beginning to feel that we have just a little more energy. But before you put on your running shoes and embark on a new exercise regime, it's important to make sure your body is fully prepared. If we take on too much too soon our body will soon remind us that we have spent the last few months snuggled up under a blanket eating too much comfort food, not to mention the havoc the stress of Christmas can cause!
Here's a few tips to avoid getting a spring cold and make sure you are in top condition ready for the spring.
1) Top up on sunlight. Start by getting outside more when you can. Rather than going straight in with a full on run go for some long walks in nature, if you live near a park, forest or beach then head there at the weekends for some fresh air. It's always best to start with lighter exercise to allow your body to adjust to the change. Yoga is also an excellent choice and great for stretching out stiff muscles and bringing you back into balance.
2) Embrace the seasonal produce. Top up your fruit and veg intake with fresh produce that is in season now. Chicory and watercress are great additions to a lovely spring salad with some fish or chicken. Potatoes are a comfort food for many of us during the winter, try replacing them with celeriac, leeks, purple sprouting broccoli and spring greens which are all in season now.
3) Boost your breakfast. Now the mornings are lighter its much easier to avoid going for
heavy breakfast foods like porridge or cooked breakfasts. Try a delicious smoothie with coconut milk, banana, avocado and a vegan protein powder blend such as Iswari super vegan protein.
4) Take care of your gut. Stress and poor eating habits over the winter can negatively effect the good bacteria in your gut. We need these beneficial bacteria as part of our immune function, to help us digest food and to produce some nutrients for us such as vitamin K. It's a great time to do a colon hydrotherapy session to remove any hard or impacted matter from your colon followed by a course of probiotics to give our good guys a boost! You could also try fermented foods such as sauerkraut and kefir.
5) Re-hydrate. It's easy in the cold weather to forget to drink enough water and end up replacing it with tea and coffee to try to stay warm and awake. Now it's warmer our bodies will naturally want to try to start to detoxify so give them help by drinking plenty of water. You can also add lemon juice to your water to stimulate the liver and aid digestion.
