Your Diet May Need Winterizing

It may sound strange, but yes, your diet may also need winterizing. Winterizing or winterization is the process of preparing your property for cold climate. Normally, it would include removing water from pipes, gutters, irrigation and water systems, covering pools and checking vehicle engines to ensure that they would last through winter and after that.

It is not just our properties that need to be prepared for the winter season. Our bodies and our health may also need some winterizing. Since, we almost spend all our time indoors, it is not impossible for illnesses like colds to spread quickly. We need to preserve our health and well-being during winter.

• Fresh produce like fruits can be a little more costly during winter. You could start by storing some fruits during fall. Root vegetables are in season like turnips and potatoes, so you cook sumptuous meals around vegetables that are in season.

• Soups are the best during low temperatures. Aside from taking away the cold, broths are also rich in minerals which could help improve your digestion. Besides, having something hot could help you keep warm.

• Another great dish during winter is the sauerkraut or fermented vegetables. Fermented vegetables could also improve your digestion.

• Vitamin D is important for your bone development and help your body against flu and depression. Sunshine is the best source of vitamin D. However, during winter most of the time is spent indoors which deprives us the major source of this vitamin and nutrient. There are different sources of vitamin D like cod liver oil, fatty fish, shell fish and pasture-raised animal fats. Milk, cereal and orange juice is also another source of vitamin D. You could take vitamin D supplements.

• Intake of vitamin C is also important during winter. Since there is limited fresh fruits, lack of vitamin C that will boost a person’s immune system is also a common problem. You could start taking vitamin C tablets and drinking fruit juices rich with vitamin C like orange juice or pineapple juice.

We would notice that we are suffering from vitamin deficiencies if we start feeling tired every time. Aside from that we could see from our skin, hair and nails that we are not getting enough vitamins and nutrients. Lack of sufficient vitamins and minerals would make us susceptible to sicknesses.

Insufficient vitamin C in the body could also cause iron deficiency. Iron is absorbed by the body through the help of vitamin C. With insufficient vitamin C in the body, you could suffer from Iron Deficiency Anemia and may frequently feel sluggish and tired. When taking iron supplements, make sure that you will be keeping it out of reach of children, since it could lead to poisoning. In that light, always keep medications and drugs safe from children’s reach.

You could do some meal planning to make sure your children are getting enough nutrients and vitamins that they should be getting. Adults could also take multivitamins everyday to boost their health. Winterizing your diet does not mean you would have to stick with common and usual winter food. With a little bit of imagination and creativity, you could make the best out of seasonal produce and maintain everybody’s health.