Hot stuff to help you beat the cold


Hot stuff to help you beat the cold

BY ANGELA KELLY
24/11/2006

With winter round the corner, Angela Kelly reports on the best ways to stay fit and healthy

MANY people dread the winter months and worry about the best way to beat the seasonal curse of colds, flu and chest problems that can lay us low. But the truth is that we can greatly improve our chances of keeping well and content when the temperature plummets by following simple rules.

DIET

Food experts agree that we need a balance of protein, carbohydrate, fruit, vegetables and fibre, plus a balanced intake of vitamins and minerals. So, for a healthy diet we should:

Eat five portions of fruit and vegetables a day

Cut down on junk and processed foods

Have fresh foods and wholegrains every day

Limit our intake of tea, caffeine and alcohol

Drink plenty of water

Don't have too much saturated fats (red meat, cheese, cream etc) but enough essential fatty acids (oily fish, nuts and seeds)

Have only a moderate amount of sugar and use unrefined or fruit sugar or honey in place of refined sugar

Limit your salt intake and use herbal or low-sodium salts

Avoid preservatives and colourings when you can

Ray Green, Manchester Primary Care Trust community dietician, says: "Try to include regular meals, even if they are only small snacks. It's good to get into the habit of eating regularly to make sure you are getting enough energy.

"Missing meals can leave you feeling lethargic and escalate the problem."

Cooked meals are not essential, he adds, "but sometimes a hot meal through the winter months can be a good warmer for the evening (both for the stomach and the kitchen!). A sandwich, toast or toasted sandwiches can be healthy.

"Puddings can also be nutritious and filling, using stewed fruit and custard, yoghurt and milk puddings. Milky drinks are also useful for providing extra calories."

Nutriton writer Natalie Savona, author of the book Wonderfoods, says that when it's cold outside, we naturally want to eat more for warmth. "But, instead of stodgy foods we crave, in fact we need tasty foods packed with vitamins and minerals that will lift our mood and support our body without containing a lot of unhealthy sugar and fat."

For breakfast, she recommends Vitamin C-rich autumn berries eaten with yoghurt or porridge.

For lunch, try energy-sustaining thick soups such as lentil and ham, or curried vegetable. And at supper time, go for meals like sweet potatoes topped with ratatouille, or butternut squash and chickpea curry. If you're going on festive nights out, don't ruin a good diet. Restaurant portions are often huge and options frequently unhealthy. Remember, you don't have to eat everything - only eat until you're full - and you could always opt for a starter and share a main course or order two small starters. Be careful with takeaways and only have them as a rare treat, advises nutritionist Dr Chris Fenn. "They contribute to health conditions such as bloating and indigestion in the short term and can lead to obesity."

Don't go on a night out feeling hungry; have a snack so you're not starving. And keep a selection of healthy snacks like fruit, nuts or oat cakes, on your desk at work or handy at home rather than pick at Christmas treats.

EXERCISE

Getting outdoors is really important at this time of year as being exposed to natural light can lift your mood, and is essential so we can absorb vitamin D. Aim for five 30-minute walks a week if you can. Avoid "al desko" lunches and walk to a café or park. Walk rather than taking the lift, and instead of emailing office colleagues walk to see them. Andrew Jeffries, a personal trainer at the Pro Balance gym in Jacksons Row, Manchester city centre, says it's easier than you think to make time to get fit - "everyone has five minutes some time in their day. Get off a bus one stop earlier, for example. When you're on a night out, get on the dance floor," he adds. "And swimming is great as well."

Andrew reckons that many people take up running after the Christmas season is over but it's easy to start now and can be immediately effective. It is, however, important to check with your doctor first if you have any medical condition. "Be sensible - don't run in the cold or in heavy rain as you could injure yourself," says Andrew.

"Wear layers. Clothing in cold weather should be a synthetic-type fabric that draws the moisture away from the skin so you stay dry and warm. Avoid fabrics like cotton or wool."

You need good footwear for outdoor exercise in winter, all-weather trainers, well-cushioned and with good treads. Cold air may irritate breathing, especially for asthmatics, so if you start to be affected by it when you're running, stop immediately.

"Stay hydrated," advises Andrew. "You don't sweat as much in cold weather but you still perspire. Warm up for roughly 10 minutes to reduce the chance of pulling muscles."

If you're just starting running, run at intervals - run to a lamppost then walk to the next. At the end, stretch for 15-25 seconds and cool down in a warm place. To train at home, Andrew suggests turning your staircase into a "step machine". Without stopping, use it 20 times to tone legs and bottom, but adapt this depending on your fitness. Use a chair for dips and squats. For other home-based exercise try sit-ups, press-ups, running on the spot, jumping jacks (star jumps), squat thrusts, and bicep curls with tins from the kitchen.

CLOTHES

Wearing thin layers of clothes rather than one thick layer is best, advises Age Concern - "Choose clothes made with wool, cotton or fleecy synthetic materials."

HOME

Ensure your home, including your bedroom is warm enough. Investing in a room thermometer is a good idea. Seal gaps around windows and doors and insulate the loft to reduce heat loss. Check your heating system is working and get it serviced once a year. If you're using an electric blanket, make sure to have it checked by an expert at least every three years.

FLU JABS

Flu - or influenza, to give its proper name - is a highly contagious virus infection affecting the respiratory system.

Symptoms begin after an incubation period of one to four days and include a high temperature up to 39 deg C (103 deg F), headache, loss of appetite, muscular aches and pains, weakness and prostration. It's transmitted by coughing and sneezing.

Flu can also be passed on by skin contact, like shaking hands, so washing of hands is an important preventive measure.

Flu can be serious for around 13 million people in the UK at increased risk of complications like bronchitis and pneumonia. And the peaks of winter mortality are closely linked to the pattern of flu activity, resulting in an estimated 12,000 deaths each year. Most at risk are the elderly, those with chronic respiratory diseases, like asthma and chronic bronchitis, chronic heart disease, chronic renal disease and diabetes mellitus. Also people with immuno-suppression due to disease or treatment and people in long-stay residential and nursing homes. Everyone aged 65 and over is being offered free vaccination this year, as will everyone in the at-risk categories.

For flu symptoms, the sufferer should rest in bed in a warm, well-ventilated room. Painkillers like paracetamol or aspirin can relieve aches and pains and reduce fever.

Take plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration, and steam inhalations can have a soothing effect on the lungs.



SADS

Seasonal Affective Disorder is a type of winter depression which affects around half a million people each year.

It hits between September and April - particularly during December, January and February - and is caused by a biochemical imbalance in the hypothalamus duct due to the shortening of daylight hours and the lack of sunlight.

For some people, SADS can be a seriously disabling illness which stops them functioning without continuous medical treatment. For others, it is a mild but debilitating condition. Medics call this subsyndromal SAD or Winter Blues.

A general diagnosis is usually made after three or more consecutive winters of symptoms, which may include:

Sleep problems - usually wanting to oversleep and difficulty in staying awake. But, in some cases, there is disturbed sleep and early morning wakening.

Lethargy - a feeling of fatigue and inability to carry out normal routine.

Overeating - a craving for carbohydrates and sweet foods, usually resulting in weight gain.

Depression - feelings of misery, guilt and loss of self-esteem, sometimes hopelessness and despair, sometimes apathy and loss of feelings.

Social problems - irritability and desire to avoid social contact.

Anxiety - tension and inability to tolerate stress.

Loss of libido - decreased interest in sex and physical contact.

Mood changes - in some sufferers, extremes of mood and short periods of overactivity in spring and autumn.

Light therapy has proved effective in up to 85 per cent of diagnosed cases. This involves exposure for up to four hours a day (average one to two hours) to very bright light which is at least 10 times the intensity of ordinary domestic lighting.

Light treatment should be used daily in winter (and dull periods in summer) starting when the first symptoms appear.

It consists of sitting 2ft to 3ft away from a specially designed light box, usually on a table, and allowing the light to shine directly through the eyes. Light boxes are not available on the NHS and start at less than £100.

Psychotherapy, counselling or any complementary therapy which helps the sufferer to relax, accept their illness and cope with its limitations are extremely useful.

For more details, contact the Seasonal Affective Disorder Association, PO Box 989, Steyning BN44 3HG.

DURING winter in Britain in 2006 eight older people will die every hour.

More than 150,000 over-65s have died during the winters of the past six years, which is more than any other age group.

Older people are particularly at risk of dying in winter because they are often less resilient to cold-related illnesses, especially people with existing health problems.

Age Concern experts suggest dressing warmly and staying active. "Don't stay sitting for long periods, and spread chores through the day to alternate between rest and activity."

Exercise without taking risks in wet or icy weather. Climbing stairs, dancing or hoovering can all be done in the comfort of your own home.

Eat well - at least one hot meal a day. Sip hot drinks regularly throughout the day and before bedtime and keep a flask of hot drink by your bed in case you wake up feeling cold.

The charity has plenty of useful information available via their website www.ageconcern.org.uk and an information line on 0800 009 966 which is free from 8am to 7pm.

ANYONE caring for someone else needs to take particular care of themselves in the winter.

And, with this in mind, Manchesters Carers' Forum and Manchester Primary Care Trust are running free health checks beginning this month.

These include blood pressure checks and flu jabs and take place at the Wythenshawe Walk-In Centre (Peel Hall Health Centre) on Saturdays and Withington Community Hospital on Sundays (both 10am to 4pm).

Appointments in half-hour slots can be booked by contacting the Carers Forum on 0161 629 9859 or email rick@manchestercarersforum.org.uk


Have your say
 
Have your say Got an opinion you want to share?
Register now and have your comments heard.

Register now


 
Personal Finance
 

Customers with a 'good' credit profile
Company Typical APR
Platinum Exclusive Loan 7.8%
Halifax (Semi-exclusive) 8.6%
Bank of Scotland (Semi-exclusive) 8.6%
Alliance & Leicester 8.7%
Lloyds TSB 8.9%
HASH(0x2abefe488500)
Provider AER*
ICICI BANK
HiSAVE Savings Account 		5.50%
PRINCIPALITY BS
e-SAVER 		5.35%
ANGLO IRISH BANK
Easy Access Account Issue 2 		5.25%
FIRST DIRECT
Everyday e-Saver 		2.75%
ALLIANCE & LEICESTER
Online Tracker 		4.75%
BRADFORD & BINGLEY
eSavings 6 		4.60%
SAINSBURYS FINANCE
Internet Saver 		3.50%
ALLIANCE & LEICESTER
eSaver - Issue 2 		5.00%
POST OFFICE
Instant Saver 		3.75%
Fees may apply