Special Health Tips for the Winters

Text by Bhumika Vikam,

After sharing her valuable inputs for Winter care for Mums and Babies – Skincare, here are some special tips for the winter by Kanchan Rohra Bachwani, Dietician and Personal Trainer. With diet plans being the need of the hour and something very common these days, winter also has many diet do’s and don’ts.

Do’s

1. Start your day by boosting your immune system by drinking two glasses of warm water and lemon. Vitamin C from the lime helps improve the skin which also helps to cleanse your digestive system and clear your system. Constipation may cause acne, hence clearing up the system is very important for clear skin.
2. Opt for green tea, which provides anti-oxidants which prevent free radical damage to the skin.
3. Drink 10-12 glasses water per day. For a soft supple, radiant glowing skin, fresh and healthy look on the outside, rehydrate your body with water from the inside.
4. Have water boiled with ajwain /saunf/zeera or tulsi leaves.
5. Include dry fruits like almonds and walnuts to help keep your body warm during winter.
6. Get your dose of Vitamin E which is excellent for skin and hair. Nuts are handy as can be carried easily and provide you with good quality fat (heart-healthy monounsaturated fat) that keeps you fuller for longer.
7. Consume fruits and vegetables as they are your skin’s BFF (Best Friends Forever). They provide you with Vitamins A and C which help improve skin.
8. Consume whole fruits or fresh fruit juices in between meals. Vegetables can be incorporated in steamed form, cooked form or soups.
9. Stack up on proteins which are the building blocks of the body. Proteins contain collagen which helps in firming the sagging skin. Increase your protein intake in the form of dal soups, egg whites, paneer etc help during winter
10. Exercise regularly to release the feel-good hormones ‘endorphin’ which give you a happy feeling, also increase the body temperature during winter.

Don’ts:

1. Don’t start your day with tea or coffee, as caffeine dehydrates skin.
2. Do not skip meals during, as skipping meals slows down the body’s metabolism.
3. Reduce/ avoid smoking and use of tobacco as they tend to dehydrate your winter dried skin.
4. Reduce/ avoid spiced, deep fried food or junk food as it contains saturated fat and trans fat.
5. Increased oil intake in food can flare up the acne in oily skin.
6. Never skip breakfast; it is the brain food and the most important meal of the day as it gives our body energy for the entire day.
7. You can opt for hot Indian breakfast options such as Poha/Upma/Parathas.
8. For an English breakfast opt for hot milk and cereal with a fruit.
9. Lunch and Dinner should be a complete meal, consisting of roti/rice with veggies combined with a source of protein like dal/non-veg, add a steamed salad and a bowl of curd.
10. Avoid high sugar foods or sweets as sugar affects the skin collagen, causing early aging the of skin, and also contributing to existing weight gain.

Kanchan signs off by sharing some simple yet useful skincare tips such as:

• Always wash their face the first thing when you come home from outside.
• Never sleep with makeup on, however, tired you are, always cleanse your face with a makeup remover or water.
• At night, the skin is in the repair mode, so always apply a good night cream based on your skin type.
• Never compromise on your sleep, always get at least 6-8 hours of sleep.
• 10 pm to 6 am is the ideal sleep time when sleep hormones are released into the body, so try to sleep in between these times.