The temptation in winter is to draw the curtains, cuddle up and do as little as possible, but inactivity and a lack of fresh air, along with a fat-laden diet will all take their toll on your health. Here are 10 ways to perk yourself up and keep healthy in winter.
By Hilary Pereira
Eat well, but eat light
Cutting the fat content in your diet will not only help you to shed weight, it’ll also help with your overall health.
Keep exercising
Often the first New Year resolution to fall by the wayside, exercise can seem like too much of a chore, especially in cold or bad weather.
Choose healthy snacks
If you have a snacking habit, swap any fatty, salty or sugary foods for the odd small handful of dried fruits, unsalted nuts and mixed seeds.
Stay off the tobacco
If you’ve recently managed to kick your smoking habit or are trying to give up now, give yourself a fighting chance of keeping off the tobacco: i
Cut down caffeine
Although caffeine doesn’t have a proven negative impact on the health long term, it temporarily raises blood pressure and can keep you awake if drun
Pump up the adrenaline
If you feel you’re flagging during the daytime and can’t include a 20-minute power nap, try a brief spurt of exercise to get the adrenali
Tone up at your desk
You can perform stretches and tone up leg and tummy muscles whilst sitting down: consciously sit up straight with your shoulders square and your arms s
Read the food label
Be discerning when you shop.
Take power naps
If you suffer from daytime tiredness and you can find a quiet spot for 20 minutes, try having a power nap to re-charge your batteries.
Take advantage of sunshine
We all need exposure to sunlight to help us to manufacture vitamin D and to encourage the production of melatonin, which is an important factor i