If you’re finding your New Year’s resolutions to hit the gym, shed a couple of stone or write that novel have hit the buffers before January is quite over, you’re not alone. But while these pledges can be useful in giving a feeling of a fresh start, and reflect personal goals, it may be that you’re choosing the wrong resolutions, or your aims are too broad.
How about, for example, rather than having the vague notion of ‘getting fit’ or ‘losing weight’, pledging instead to boost your immune system through the right choice of supplements this winter?
The immune system is a complex mix of proteins, cells and organs which defend the body against disease and infection, keeping ‘invaders’ from bacteria and viruses to cancer cells at bay.
The NHS recommends a healthy lifestyle, including a good diet plus plenty of sleep and exercise, as the best way to boost the immune system. However, when it comes to what we put into our bodies, in the UK no foods or drinks are allowed to claim that they offer protection from infection.
BUPA adds that recognising and avoiding or managing stress, and reducing alcohol and caffeine intake, will also prove helpful. Equally, take up any invitations to have the flu and Covid vaccinations.
Why your immune system may need some help in winter
Being close to others means that germs spread more easily, and in winter we tend to stay indoors more; which you’ll probably have done during the recent (very) cold snap.
At the same time, because we’re in the daylight less, it can be harder to get enough Vitamin D, which in turn can weaken the immune system. Yet this vitamin is vital in regulating calcium and phosphate in the body, which in turn keep bones, teeth and muscles healthy and strong. Sunlight is a great source, but obviously we absorb it less during the shorter winter days, so it can be a good idea to top up with a supplement. Maintaining sufficient levels through diet alone can be a challenge. So the UK government recommends considering a daily Vitamin D supplement during autumn and winter. In this country, oily fish is the only significant dietary source of vitamin D – not much good if you’re vegan or vegetarian.
Then there’s the problem of cold air at this time of year, which can make it harder for your body to fight off viruses. Even a minor dip in temperature can reduce your immune system’s ability to defend itself against illness.
What else can I do?
You may also want to think about a Vitamin C supplement, as well as getting plenty of it through your diet, to help minimise the severity of the symptoms of a cold and its duration. (Unfortunately, it won’t lessen the risk of catching one in the first place.) This vitamin supports and maintains the proper functioning of your immune system, so it’s important.
Zinc can also reduce a cold’s severity and duration. Meanwhile, Vitamin B12 can help if you ‘re feeling anxious or depressed, and these feelings are often more common during the colder months. (And if you’re vegan you’re unlikely to get all of this vitamin that you need through diet alone.)
Finally, a daily multivitamin can help as sort of insurance policy, keeping nutritional deficiencies at bay and supplementing your diet by providing a wide range of key vitamins and minerals.
Winter-time supplements from Ganesha Wholefoods
At family-run Ganesha Wholefoods, we supply a great line-up of high-quality health supplements to keep your immune system resilient, alongside essential, heath-boosting vitamins and natural remedies if a winter cold has left you feeling congested.
Check out, for example, our one-a-day High Five Multivitamin Formula from Viridian Nutrition. Meanwhile, the same company’s Magnesium High Potency can help reduce the tiredness and fatigue many of us experience at this time of year, among other benefits.
We also offer products such as the Lamberts 15mg Zinc supplement, safe and effective to take over long periods and which helps the regular functioning of the immune system and the condition of hair and nails.
Finally, the same company also makes easy-to-take Vitamin D capsules, at the recommended strength to rectify deficiencies.
We’ve been going for 45 years, and offer prompt delivery, with deliveries typically taking four working days tops. And if your order is worth £40 or more, we won’t charge for shipping.
Browse our online shop or visit our physical stores in Axminster, Honiton and Sidmouth. Just ask if you have any queries about our supplements – and remember to sign up for our newsletter and get 10% off your next order.