Let's Face It: Unless you're a ski bum, winter's frigid temps and
shorter days can really bring on the blues. "The cold and gray present significant
challenges to all of us," says Carol Ewing Garber, PhD, an exercise physiologist and professor of
movement sciences at Columbia University in New York City. But the
weather outside isn't the only reason you may feel down in the dumps. Here are
some common bad habits that have a tendency to creep up every time the
temperature starts to drop. Being proactive before the season hits its stride,
says Garber,
can set you up for a happier and healthier winter.
Avoiding Exercise: Exercise is a potent stress-reducer, and research
suggests that it may even help ease symptoms of depression and anxiety. But even the most devoted runner or
gym-goer can lose motivation when the days get short, cold, and gray, and lose the mental health boost along with
it. "It's
so easy to talk yourself out of it," says Garber. So how to keep up with
the recommended 30 minutes of activity, five days per week? Garber suggests scheduling exercise, as you would for a
salon or doctor appointment, and sticking to it with the help of a group
fitness agreement with friends or family. Yoga can
also ease your mind and get your body moving in a low-key group setting. "We know it
improves depression and anxiety," says Michelle Dossett, MD, physician
and researcher at the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine at
Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.
Cooping Yourself Up
Inside: Not much beats Netflix and a warm blanket on a chilly day, but holing up
indoors can have consequences. "In the winter, a lot of people do start to feel
depressed," says Garber. "Getting outside in the cold weather helps
people feel better." Daylight is ideal, as sunshine boosts mood
and levels of depression-fighting vitamin D, but some studies suggest that even
going outside in the dark can shift your negative outlook, Garber
says. Your best bet: Don't get out of the habit of spending time outside
as summer fades into fall and winter. "If you start before it gets too cold, you sort of adjust
gradually to that temperature," Garber
says.
Not Applying
Sunscreen: If you do get outside
regularly in the colder months, that's great—just don't forget that the sun is
always there, lest you wind up with a painfully sunburned face. "Even on a cloudy
day, you can still get a significant degree of sun exposure,"
says Rajani
Katta, MD, professor of dermatology at Baylor College of Medicine. Skiers should be particularly vigilant about
applying sunscreen. "Whenever there's snow, there's an opportunity for the
sunlight to reflect back onto your skin," Dr. Katta says. For the rest of us who may forget to slather on sunblock on gray, wintry days, Katta
suggests keeping a bottle next to the toothpaste or, if you're a parent,
beside your child's backpack. "Put it somewhere where you're just not going to be able
to avoid seeing it," says Dr. Katta. While sunblock does cut back on the
skin's ability to create vitamin D, you only need about three weekly
10- to 15-minute bursts of sunlight exposure to generate enough.
Being Antisocial:
It's one thing to cancel dinner plans when the roads are slick; it's another to
coop up alone by default. "People are usually isolated because they're feeling down
in the dumps anyway, and they don't want to be the low light in the group,"
says Dr.
Dossett. But research shows that socializing makes you happier—group
memberships ward off depression, and social interactions are part of what makes
exercise so uplifting. If solo jogging is your thing, try running with a group
once a week. Or, as Dr. Dossett suggests,
find an activity that both you and a friend enjoy, whether it's woodworking
class or indie movies, and make time for it together at least once per month.
Not Trying New Things: When the weather's warm, you may be more apt to
venture outside your comfort zone with a trip to a vegan restaurant or a rock
climbing class. The tendency to become isolated makes it easy to fall into a
rut. Suddenly, it's February, and you've convinced yourself that it's not worth
trying anything new until spring. To spark a change of perspective, take up meditation,
suggests Rebecca
Erwin Wells, MD, assistant professor in the Department of Neurology at Wake
Forest Baptist Health. "People learn how to pay attention to their sensory
experiences and then respond," says Dr. Wells. In other words,
you'll begin to recognize limiting thoughts, and stop them in their tracks.
Oversleeping: A healthy routine hinges on sleep no matter the time
of year; experts recommend 7 to 8 hours a night. On the other hand, curling up
in your cozy bed for marathon sleep sessions can do you more harm than good.
Excessive sleep raises risk for depression, according to a 2014 study
published in the journal Sleep.
What's more, additional research has linked sleeping more than 8 hours a night
to a higher risk of stroke, weight gain, and type 2 diabetes.
Overindulging in
Comfort Foods: "Sometimes food is to comfort us, to make us
feel warm," says Lisa Sasson, RD, a clinical associate professor of
nutrition at New York University. While tucking into starchy
casseroles can make winter feel a little less bleak, too much can leave you
feeling sluggish, says Sasson. Your body treats refined carbohydrates—like highly processed
grains—as if they're sugars, quickly digesting and absorbing them.
Your blood
sugar will spike, followed by an
energy crash when your body secretes insulin to
process that excess glucose. Try replacing fatigue-causing carbs
with healthier alternatives, such as whole wheat pasta, which has far more protein and
fiber than its refined, white
counterpart. And you can still have those warming dishes, like soups and stews filled with low-calorie, highly nutritious veggies,
says Sasson.
Drinking Too Much: What would a holiday party be without a mug of spiked
cider? Or a cup of eggnog? Or a glass of wine? Or a flute of champagne? Control
yourself: Binge drinking can weaken your immune system, according to a 2015
study from the University
of Maryland (not to mention all the other negative health effects of drinking
too much. A runny nose, sore throat, and body aches (or worse) are sure to leave you feeling
miserable, so add alcohol moderation to your cold-and-flu prevention checklist,
right along with washing
your hands and getting enough
sleep. {However, my personal disclaimer, skip alcohol altogether.}
Taking Long, Hot
Showers: On chilly mornings and sub-zero
nights, there's a temptation to indulge in long, steamy showers—warming up can
feel next to impossible otherwise. Despite the immediate satisfaction, however,
super-hot
water can dry out and damage your skin, leaving you itchy, scaly, and
uncomfortable, Dr. Katta says. Stick with
lukewarm water instead, and when you get out of the shower, pat gently with a
towel before applying moisturizer while your skin is still damp. This ensures
that water won't evaporate from your skin—and take moisture with it, Dr. Katta
says.
Not Moisturizing
Enough: Even if you avoid hot showers,
you'll almost certainly wind up with dry, itchy skin if you don't moisturize.
Between the icy conditions outside, desert-like air inside, and requisite hand-washing
to ward off cold and flu germs, your skin is under attack from damaging, drying
elements throughout the winter. Rather than hydrating your skin with lotions,
which tend to be high in water and fail to really lock moisture into skin, try
a cream or ointment,
suggests Dr.
Katta. Find a product with a consistency that you like, and apply
often to damp skin, including after showering, washing your hands, and using hand
sanitizer, she advises.
Cranking Up the Heat:
At some point this winter, you'll likely be exposed to an overheated space,
whether it's your drafty house, older apartment, or office. Cranked-up heat can
feel really good, but this artificial source of warmth comes with
repercussions. "Anytime you put the heat on, it dries out the air, and that
helps to suck moisture out of your skin," Dr. Katta says. Your nasal passages and throat can also become parched,
she says. While there's no one-size-fits-all temperature, Katta
suggests paying attention to your skin; if it gets dry and cracked, try
lowering the heat. Putting a humidifier or
pans of water in a room also helps add some moisture back into the air, she says.
Not Drinking Enough Water:
'Tis the season for eggnog and cider, but don't forget the water. Yes, hydration matters just as much in the wintertime—and you
probably won't realize it when your body is crying out for sip. A 2004 study
from the University
of New Hampshire found that
exposure to the cold made people feel 40% less thirsty than they would
otherwise, both at rest and during a moderate workout. The reason? Your body is
more concerned with staying warm than conserving water. In addition to sipping water all day, try
snacking on water-rich winter fruits, like grapefruits and oranges.
Not Wearing Sunglasses: Beautiful as it looks, the freshly fallen snow hides a
serious health threat—it reflects up to 80% of ultraviolet radiation, reports
The World Health Organization. The harmful rays can cause photokeratitis,
a temporary inflammation that feels like sunburn of the eye (yeeouch!).
Remembering to wear sunglasses throughout the year is a good start, as UV rays are present with
or without snow. But to really protect your eyes, the Skin Cancer
Foundation advises wearing sunglasses that block 99 to 100% of
UVA and UVB rays.
Wearing the Wrong Shoes: Hidden patches of ice, slippery steps, deep puddles
covered in slush—there are all too many ways in which winter weather can mess
with our coordination. According to National Safety Council statistics, slips
and falls cause 300,000 injuries per year.
No one wants to be on crutches all winter, and while you can't eliminate
the risk of falling, your footwear can strongly affect your chances of hitting
the pavement. Rubber
soles are considered best for
preventing accidents in wet, icy conditions.
Wearing the Wrong Fabrics: Winter outerwear is
often worth a splurge, but what you wear underneath can be just as important to
cold weather comfort. The layers closest to your skin, like thermal
underwear and leggings, can leave you feeling itchy and constricted
all day long if they're made with the wrong fabrics, says Dr. Katta. She advises wearing silk underwear,
which provides warmth while also being soft against the skin, and leggings with
smooth,
microfiber linings. Wool, however, "tends to be really irritating to the skin,"
Dr. Katta says, so try wearing a soft, flexible layer
underneath it.
Not Protecting Your Hands: You may be buying a cup of coffee, rifling around in
your bag, or texting on your phone, but you've decided for whatever reason to
take off your gloves. If you keep them off, you run the risk of damage. Sudden
temperature changes, whether hot or cold, can trigger eczema
flare-ups in those who are predisposed to the (often genetic, according to new research in Nature Genetics) condition or who already
suffer from it. "A lot of people will develop hand eczema in the
wintertime," Dr. Katta says.
But all of us can benefit from less exposure to dry winter air, which causes
water to evaporate more quickly from the outer layer of skin—and has been
linked to depletion of protective fats, leaving hands more vulnerable
to dryness and cracking. So, it's worth being vigilant about wearing gloves or
mittens.
Skimping on Fruits and
Vegetables: Yes, winter produce is a
little lackluster compared to summer, but that's no excuse to spend the colder
months loading up on simple carbs and fat. A fruit and veggie-heavy
diet helps control your weight, keeps you feeling energized, and
protects against wintertime ailments like the common cold and flu. When you get bored with seasonal picks like Brussels sprouts
and butternut squash, mix things up with frozen or canned options,
which can be just as nutritious, according to 2007 University of California, Davis research. Sasson suggests
adding frozen
berries to cereal
and salads,
and mixing cooked
seasonal fruits and vegetables—like sweet potatoes with apples—to keep things interesting as winter
wears on.
Eating Too Much Sugar: You're assaulted by sugar
from Halloween
through Valentine's Day, and
the temptation to snack on leftover pie can be tough to resist—sugar
woos your brain’s pleasure center, according to 2013 research in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, setting you up for compulsive
eating,
and the same blood sugar surge and energy dive that
come with starchy comfort foods. Holiday treats also tend
to be high in hard-to-digest fat, a perfect recipe for fatigue
and weight gain,
says Miriam
Pappo, RD, director of clinical nutrition at Montefiore Medical Center in TK
CITY.
Knowing yourself and being
prepared with a bag of tricks—a piece of fruit, a mini
chocolate bar—can
help. "Give yourself permission to
have one a day, at the time you crave it most," says Pappo. If you love sweets, then
you might also misinterpret hunger cues as sugar cravings, Pappo says, so the next time
you're dying for candy, check your watch; it could be time for your next meal.
Skipping Meals: You could survive on
holiday party rations alone, what with the office shindigs, happy hours, and
fancy dinners filling your calendar over the coming months. But you probably
shouldn't try. Skipping meals in advance of the festivities only sets you up
for low
blood sugar,
followed by
fatigue and overindulging.
"Don't
succumb to the all-or-nothing mentality,"
says Pappo. "Eat
breakfast and lunch, and then at dinner, and you're going to have more control." Staying on track
could require some extra planning. "Look at what days or weeks are
going to be problematic, and eat as close to normal as you can during those
times,"
Pappo suggests. That means aiming
for the same healthy mix of vegetables, fruits, complex
carbohydrates,
and lots of water that would get you through the
day, party or not.
Getting Stressed Out by Gift Shopping: Black
Friday
is only the beginning,
prompting that wave of pressure to find perfect gifts for everyone on your
list. Combine trips to your favorite boutiques and department stores with the
double-edged-sword-convenience of online shopping and you've got a recipe for consumerist
burnout. Research from Cornell University found that buying material
goods causes you to dwell on whatever you didn't buy, undermining your
satisfaction. You're better off spending money on experiences, the researchers
discovered. So, instead of stressing over which pricey perfume to gift your
best friend with, consider planning a home-cooked dinner or daytrip with her
instead.
By: Sarah Amandolare, Health
Much Love, Dr.Shermaine #InformativeRead #PleaseShare #HealthyBodySoulAndSpirit
"It's Not Selfish to Love Yourself, Take Care of Yourself and to Make Your Happiness a Priority. It's a Necessity." (Mandy Hale)
"Self-Care is Not Selfish. You Cannot Serve From an Empty Vessel." (Eleanor Brown)
