Whether you’re welcoming the winter months with open, bundled arms or watching the temperature drop with worries of sniffles yet to come, listen up: You can take a simple, proactive approach to support your health this winter season. Here are five tried and true measures to stay well during the cold months ahead:
- Practice Good Hygiene: Regularly wash your hands and clean frequently touched and shared surfaces to significantly reduce the spread of germs. If you do have a little sniffle or cough, cover your nose and mouth to protect those around you.
- Prioritize Quality Sleep and Stress Management: Sleep is your body’s time to heal and repair itself, so aim for somewhere between 7–9 hours of quality sleep each night. A good night’s sleep is essential for recovery and helps bolster your immune system. Speaking of: Do you know what can weaken your immune system aside from poor sleep? Stress. To help manage your stress levels, try meditation, deep breathing exercises, and/or spending quality time with loved ones.
- Consume Less Sugar, Eat the Rainbow: Though it may be tempting to indulge in holiday treats for months on end or high-calorie comfort foods when it’s cold outside, too much sugar can trigger inflammation and dampen your immune system, making it more difficult for your body to respond to and fight infections. By making meals that prioritize quality sources of protein, plenty of fruits and vegetables, and whole grains and legumes, you can use food as preventative medicine. For example, foods that contain vitamin C, such as citrus fruits, broccoli, and bell peppers, are great for supporting the immune system.
- Get Up and Move: Though slowing down with the change of season is a good way to stay in touch with the ebb and flow of nature, we’re not bears. Regular movement not only keeps us warm and happy, but it also stimulates our lymphatic system (part of the immune system and complementary to the circulatory system). Aim for at least 15–30 minutes of moderate physical activity daily and consider planning your workouts to hold yourself accountable. Even just easy movement like walking on a treadmill or yoga can do wonders. And for you winter sports lovers—get out there and enjoy the ice and snow.
- Stay Hydrated: Contrary to popular belief, the cold is just as (if not more) dehydrating than the heat. Between our exposure to warm, dry air inside and cold, dry air outside, hydration in the winter season is actually more difficult. What’s the science behind hydration in the colder months and how can we up our fluid intake to make sure we’re hydrating properly? Read on.
Why Hydration in the Winter Is Essential
According to an article from Oklahoma State University (OSU) on winter hydration, “A person’s thirst response diminishes up to 40% in cold weather.” Why? To stay warm, our body directs its blood flow to our core instead of our extremities to keep our vital organs up and running, which can trick our body into believing it’s properly hydrated. On top of this physiological reality, our indoor environments are often heated with dry air from indoor heating systems, which can lead to significant fluid loss; plus, the external cold air holds less humidity too. Less humidity also means we sweat less too—and when we do sweat, it evaporates almost immediately (one less physical sign that says, I’m thirsty).
Though we can take measures to adjust the moisture in our environments (i.e., investing in a humidifier) and temporarily hydrate the parts of our body that need it (think nasal saline mist for dry sinuses, hand lotion for cracked and chapped skin, etc.), hydrating from within is our best bet for all-around health. Even mild dehydration can impair cognitive function, mood, and physical performance. According to the same OSU article, symptoms such as fatigue, weakness, and loss of appetite can emerge with just a 1–2% loss of body water; as that percentage jumps up to 3–4%, one can experience impaired physical performance, dry mouth, urine reduction, and flushed skin. Proper hydration in the winter not only aids in maintaining our body temperature and overall physiological functions, but it keeps our first line of immune defense (our skin and the mucus membranes in our respiratory system) supple and strong.
How to Optimally Hydrate When It’s Cold
Water isn’t the sole answer to hydration; electrolytes are the key—and we can get the necessary electrolytes (sodium, potassium, and magnesium) from food and the proper beverages. Outside of keeping a water bottle with you throughout the day and setting daily reminders to drink water and keep your fluid levels up, consider eating, or slurping, your electrolytes. It’s soup season, so make a soup with a salty, nutrient-dense bone broth, a good protein, a healthy complex carb, and lots of veggies to stay hydrated and have a complete meal too.
To entice yourself to keep sipping throughout the day, rotate your array of beverages—try herbal teas, hot water with lemon, and/or different broths. Also, limit alcohol and be mindful of your consumption of caffeinated beverages, as they are diuretics and can contribute to fluid loss. During the cold months, we all love a warm and festive winter beverage too: hot chocolate after some time in the snow, a chai latte for a late-afternoon pick-me-up. Instead of reaching for a drink that will deliver a sugar dump to your system, try LMNT’s Chocolate Medley. You can enjoy classic winter flavors with zero sugar (thanks to the use of stevia) and get an optimal dose of electrolytes.
LMNT’s trio of limited-time flavors features Chocolate Mint, Chocolate Chai, and Chocolate Raspberry, and they’re all designed to be enjoyed hot. Here at AGEIST, we love LMNT’s classic hydration packs, and these winter flavors are a surefire way to make a tasty and healthy winter beverage that will warm your insides and keep you hydrated.
Stay Hot in the Cold: Hydrate With LMNT’s Chocolate Medley
LMNT formulated each of the Chocolate Medley flavors to be enjoyed as is—simply mix any flavor pack of your choosing with hot water and let the magic happen. Stir and enjoy to start your morning with a warm beverage or add a little something extra, like cream or a little plant-based creamer of your choice, to make a silky beverage that will send you off into sleep well-hydrated.
Whether you enjoy any of the three cacao powder-based flavors as they are or level them up to create a festive drink, you can ensure you’re getting the electrolytes you need to combat the dehydrating effects of the cold. Get ‘em while they’re hot to stay warm this winter season. Receive a free 8-serving sample pack with any purchase.
Note: If you are hypertensive or pre-hypertensive, consult your physician before using LMNT.