How routines can optimise your winter wellbeing
By Sasha Parkin, Nutritional Therapist at Wild Nutrition.
So often, we’re impervious to seasonal cues. Artificial lighting and heating mean we keep on doing—ticking one more thing off the to-do list, answering one more message - leaving us feeling frayed when the darker and colder months land. But there are ways to winter well, and the small and simple routine steps have a big and lasting impact.
These can involve anything from a lemon or ginger water on waking, squeezing in some sun with a lunchtime stroll to mitigate reduced daylight hours (AKA dark work commutes), to banning the laptop in the bedroom in the evening. Here we share our top tips to help you from the moment you hit the stop (not the snooze!) button in the morning to when you hit the pillow last thing at night.
Master your morning
Avoid snoozing & your screen
We can all be guilty of hitting the snooze button. And while it feels good at the time, relying on it can disrupt your body's internal clock making you feel more tired once you finally rise. Popping an alarm clock on the other side of your room can often be an easy fix and prevent you from depending on your phone alarm.
And once you’re up, a no-phone boundary for at least the first hour never goes amiss. Researchers have also revealed that using your phone as soon as you wake prompts the brain to bounce from delta state (deep sleep) to beta (waking) state which can cause irritation, difficulty concentrating and anxiety.
Lemon before latte
Adding lemon or ginger to water when you wake can provide a wide range of benefits and if you can drink it before you morning coffee, you’ll reap the rewards:
- Both ginger and lemon are brilliant immunity supporters
- Ginger can be a great digestive aid and support your metabolism, while lemon can help prevent bloating and heartburn
- Lemon is bursting with antioxidants making it perfect for skin health.
It is however, worth noting that if you have any digestive issues, drinking lemon water on an empty stomach can exacerbate these. We always advise speaking with your GP in the first instance.
Breakfast is best
It can be all too tempting to sleep in a little longer then skip breakfast to make up for lost time. However, breakfast is the most important meal of the day for a reason. It does exactly as it says on the tin - breaking the fast of the night before to set you up strong for the day.
Cortisol levels are naturally highest in the morning, and breakfast can help reduce their impact. Studies show that:
- When the body detects a meal has been skipped, it places the body in an alert state, increasing cortisol levels
- People who eat breakfast every day have lower cortisol than those who don’t
A solid breakfast delivers a combination of protein, fat, and carbohydrates. Great breakfast staples include eggs, avocado, oats, chia seeds, plain yoghurt and whole grains.
Ace your afternoon
Lunch and stretch
When it comes to lunchtime, giving yourself a well-deserved break from your screen or usual environment allows for mindful eating without distractions and aids digestion. Better still, if time allows - head outside.
Not only has research shown a 30-minute brisk walk 30 minutes after a meal can lower blood sugar 50 times more than being sedentary and ease digestive problems, but the exposure to daylight and cardio exercise help regulate your body’s circadian cycles and support sounder sleep at the end of the day.
Water yourself
Staying hydrated is a simple way to feel energised and avoid the dreaded afternoon slump:
- Our bodies are, on average, 60% water, and our brains are around 75% water, making it easy to understand why we soon notice the effects when we purely rely on caffeinated drinks.
- Aim for 6-8 glasses of fluid daily
- If you struggle to drink water alone, you can also lean on herbal teas or flavour-infused water with cucumber, mint, and rosemary.
Protein pick-me-ups
Rather than reaching for that third coffee or sweet treat to skip the afternoon crash, try opting for a protein-rich snack instead. Great go-tos include:
- Protein balls made with protein powder, oats, flaxseed and cinnamon
- Pumpkin seeds
- or Greek yoghurt.
You can even go the extra mile by partnering with a quality energy-supporting supplement that's rich in B vitamins.
Ease into your evenings
Avoid blue light
Light of any kind stimulates the rise of melatonin - the hormone that plays a key role in the sleep-wake cycle. However, research shows blue light from device screens (laptops, smartphones) and televisions has the most negative impact. You can protect yourself by either:
- Avoiding devices a few hours before bedtime
- Wearing special blue-light-blocking indoor glasses from around 6 or 7 pm
- Use a red or orange lamp for bedtime reading.
Calming content
Settling down to sleep can often be a challenge, but scratching that true crime itch or indulging in your favourite thriller read can induce adrenaline, making winding down feel more like ascending a mountain. Switching up for content that makes you feel calm and cosy can be the perfect antidote. A handful of great apps to help you on your way include Headspace, Calm and Insight Timer.
Your bedside partners
If you find it impossible to ‘switch off’ and unwind from the day, weaving supplement support into your daily routine can play a key role in slowing the speeding thought train. Magnesium and Ashwagandha have been found to provide mental clarity, inner balance and improve your quality of sleep.
Conclusion
Steering through seasonal change shouldn't be a struggle. A lot of power lies in the small routine adjustments. There’s an abundance of ways to weather the winter well, including:
