Healthy diet helps minimise bad effects of cold weather

Rawalpindi : After a sharp fall in mercury here in this region of the country, certain winter-related health threats including upper and lower respiratory tract infections have started hitting the population hard and according to health experts, it is time for individuals to take extra care in diet to minimize losses, the cold weather conditions can cause. The cold and chilly weather conditions may cause mild to moderate and at times severe health threats including cough, flu, cold, congestion, sore throat, joint and body pains and complications for chronic patients particularly those who are immune- compromised, heart patients or patients suffering from hypertension, asthma or diabetes. In extreme cold weather conditions, most people do not opt for walking or exercise in the morning or evening and in this situation, a healthy diet is a must not only to stay healthy but also to avoid risk factors including weight gain. Experts say that a healthy and a well-balanced diet can play a great role in keeping ailments away when physical activity gets limited. Studies reveal that certain foods give the body the nutrients that actually help to promote wellness, and this is very important during the winter months. According to experts, the most important thing is to take sufficient quantity of water in winter.

Most of the people do not drink sufficient quantities of water during winter though it is necessary to take plenty of water all year around for good health. It is mandatory to drink at least eight to 11 glasses of water daily and those who use heating systems should keep water intake up as it can be very dehydrating and this dehydration can cause kidney problems.

During the colder months of the year, at least half of the diet should be made up of fresh fruit and vegetables which are an excellent source of important vitamins and minerals including vitamin A, C, folate, iron and calcium. Experts say that individuals should use oranges and guava as these are rich sources of vitamin C. It is important that several vegetables are known to actually prevent cancer, heart disease and other diseases as well. Experts recommend the use of green tea in winter as cough, flu, sore throat and cold are common in the season and green tea gives relief against these ailments. Low-fat protein diets such as nuts, seeds, legumes, eggs, fish, lean meat, chicken and low fat dairy products should be made part of thediet in winter while physically active people and children should eat an egg daily. Experts say that the better choice by the individuals is to avoid white carbohydrate foods such as cakes, cookies, white pasta, rice and breads as these refined foods promote weight gain and increase blood sugar. It is better to switch to wholesome wholegrain varieties. Dry fruits give energy to the body and are beneficial in winter but these should be taken in moderate quantities.