Every time winter rolls around, the question of fitness hangs in the air menacingly. Since it's all out the holiday season, with tons of high-calorie meals, many people think they need to double up on their training. It makes the most sense, right? Well, according to experts, it's best to treat winter as a time to chillax rather than amping up the training. Now, this doesn't mean picking a permanent parking spot outside your favorite restaurant. Instead, here are a couple of tips for bulking up responsibly this winter.
1. Eat Different Foods
Whether you accept it or not, you're guilty of going back to the same foods over and over again, causing your body to miss out on other vital vitamins. Maybe try switching up that chicken with some fish. Or that rice for some cauliflower mash.
Energy levels tend to drop during the winter, and the brain also slows down. By switching around your meals, you could possibly avoid some food intolerances, too. Additionally, it goes without saying that you might not be getting much vitamin D during the winter, so be sure to get your daily requirement from food or supplements.
Pexels | Variety in meals means a broad range of acquired minerals and vitamins
2. Aid Healthy Brain Function
You're surely no stranger to winter blues that come kicking in due to a lack of sunshine and warmth. At this time especially, lowering your fat intake will do more harm than good, mentally speaking. We know that fats are usually considered bad, but during this time, everything goes. And that means your saturated, monosaturated, and polysaturated fats.
Pexels | Opt for foods that have proven benefits for boosting brain health
3. Restore Your Immune System
Around winter time, the chances of catching the flu are basically inevitable. Additionally, all that consumption of rich and far from healthy foods is definitely going to take a toll on your digestive system.
Since a healthy gut translates to a healthy immune system, it's recommended that you take care of it. For this, opt for probiotics or foods that include them, such as Greek yogurt. You'll also come to find that glutamine could be your best friend during this time. Bacteria take up to 5 days incubating in the gut before spreading throughout the body. With a gut restorative option like glutamine, you can end up killing bacteria before it starts causing flu symptoms.
Pexels | In case of a complex medical hospital, consult your doctor before taking glutamine
Bottom Line
Remember that after every winter comes spring and you can easily catch up on missed out gym time through the remaining seasons. Just be sure to take it easy during the winters. Both your mind and body will thank you for it.
