As we move into autumn, we expect change. The leaves are changing. The weather is changing. What we eat is bound to change. It’s a good time to stop and assess and prepare ourselves and our bodies for all these changes.
Here are some tips for help maintain health as season change:
Keep Moving
It can be tempting to slow down as the temperatures outside drop. Finding ways to stay active will help keep you fit both physically and mentally.
Nourish Your Body and Boost Immunity
While the season of fresh fruits and veggies is behind us, there are still wonderfully nutritious superfoods like apples, pumpkins, root veggies, and dark leafy greens that are packed with all the goodness to nourish your body.
It’s also a good time to think about supplementation to boost immunity and mood.
We’ve talked about vitamin D recently, but it can’t be mentioned enough. Our days are getting shorter and that means less exposure to sun that helps us produce the all-important nutrient. While vitamin D does many good things for our system, it does help our immune cells function to help maintain our defenses.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is found in citrus fruits as well as bell peppers, broccoli and more. It’s a potent antioxidant that can help protect our bodies against bacteria and viruses. While it can’t prevent you from catching a cold, it may help reduce the severity of the cold.
Keeping a good elderberry supplement on hand is helpful as cold and flu season roll around. Elderberry contains antioxidant properties that have shown promise in studies in reducing the severity and duration of colds and flu.
As the temperatures get cooler and the days get shorter, it’s a good time to think about mood.
Taking omega 3 fatty acids regularly can help support the nervous system and in turn mood.
Practice Mindfulness
There is beauty in the seasonal change and we can give ourselves time to take it in and reflect. Take a moment to enjoy the changing leaves and the crisp air. It's also a time to reflect on gratitude. Keeping a gratitude journal is another way to practice mindfulness.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
References
Martineau, A. R. et al. (2017). Vitamin D. supplementation to prevent acute respiratory tract infections: systematic review and meta-analysis of individual participant. BMJ. datahttps://www.bmj.com/content/356/bmj.i6583
Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid). (n.d.) Mount Sinai.https://www.mountsinai.org/health-library/supplement/vitamin-c-ascorbic-acid#:~:text=Population%2Dbased%20studies%20(which%20involve,which%20are%20loaded%20with%20antioxidants.
Weiland, S. L. et. al. (2021). Elderberry for prevention and treatment of viral respiratory illnesses: a systematic review. BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8026097/#:~:text=Elderberry%20contains%20anthocyanins%2C%20a%20subset,death%20%5B16%2C%2017%5D.
Wells, D. (reviewed by T. J. Legg). (2018). Omega-3 and Depression. https://www.healthline.com/health/omega-3-depression#researchression. Healthline.