Here are my favorite tips for staying physically, mentally, and emotionally healthy during the winter months. (Vacation not included!) These five simple suggestions are things anyone can do easily and inexpensively to stave off the winter blues and sniffles. Raise your vitamin D levels naturally (without pills or sunlight). We’ve all heard about the marvels of vitamin D: heart health, skin health, immune health, mental health….But, you don’t need to supplement or risk skin cancer to get high vitamin D levels. The big secret is making healthy lifestyle changes. For example, if you lose just 5% or more of your body weight, your vitamin D blood levels will shoot up. Other ways to increase vitamin D naturally are to lower your cholesterol, exercise, and eat more fatty fish, such as wild salmon (farmed salmon contains only a quarter of the D that wild salmon contains, 250 IU per 3.5 ounces versus 1,000 IU). Protect your skin! Sunscreen is more important in the winter. There are two types of ultraviolet (UV) light from the sun that damage your skin: ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) light. UVB light penetrates the superficial layers of the skin and causes skin to redden; it’s responsible for sunburn and can also lead to skin cancer over time. But UVB rays are at least blocked by window glass from the house and car and are less intense in the winter months. UVA light, on the other hand, penetrates top and deeper layers of skin, causing cell damage that can lead to cancer. UVA light is tough to avoid because it passes through window glass and stays the same strength all year—so keep up your sunscreen routine. More from Maria’s Farm Country Kitchen: 5 Secrets To A Joyous, No-Weight-Gain Holiday Get a flu shot—if only to be a good citizen. I think we doctors make a big mistake by telling people to get a flu shot because it can protect them from getting the flu. Most people are less freaked out about getting the flu than they are about the shot. But when 36,000 people in the U.S. die from complications from the flu and 200,000 are hospitalized, doctors should be telling people to get a flu shot because it’s a random act of kindness and a selfless act. I get the flu shot to promote the concept of “herd immunity,” which means I’m protecting my parents, my kids, their teachers, and librarians, too. Take a class—with a friend. Winter can be a tough time for many of us. All that darkness can take a toll on our mental health. Plus, humans are social animals that don’t do well in isolation, and the winter months can be very isolating for many people. My suggestion is that you and a close friend sign up for a yoga, cooking, sewing, or scrapbooking class. Not only do these kinds of classes improve your mental and physical fitness, but they help fill that social craving that we have as human beings, too. Eat more plants—the ones that are sources of omega-3 fatty acids. I have nothing against fish and fish oil, but plant sources of omega-3s have as much to offer, and my prediction is that in the future they may be found to be more beneficial than fish sources of omega-3. One of the primary omega-3 fatty acids, called alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), is found in many plants and plant-based cooking oils, but flaxseed (powder or oil), chia seed, and walnuts are especially good sources of ALA. Recent research is suggesting omega-3s have anti-inflammatory effects, protect the skin, and perhaps even have some impact on mental health. More from Maria’s Farm Country Kitchen: How To Transform Your Stress Response Dr. Moyad is the Jenkins/Pokempner Director of Complementary and Alternative Medicine at the University of Michigan Medical Center. He lives in Ann Arbor, MI, with his wife, Mia, and their dog, Chauncey.
