Winter Health

A Healthy Home

With more time spent indoors, the dial on the central heating turned up, and the windows and doors firmly shut, I find that I am increasingly conscious of the internal environment in which we spend the vast majority of our time. I want it to be warm, comfortable and inviting, certainly, but I also want it to be supportive of my family’s health, energy and sleep too.

1. Ventilate more:

This is the single best thing to do to improve indoor air quality, even if you live in a city. Try to open your windows twice a day, especially in humid areas (bathrooms and kitchens), bedrooms and your main living space. Just 5-10 minutes can reportedly help improve air quality, without resulting in an enormous loss of heat.

2. Bring a bit of nature inside:

Although evidence is mixed, it is thought that houseplants may be able to help to purify the air inside our homes. Whether they make a measurable difference or not, there is certainly a lovely atmosphere that greets us in a room brightened with some natural life. It’s also a more ecologically-friendly option than regularly buying fresh cut flowers (that have often been air-freighted). They are best positioned in places where we spend most of our time, such as the office, sitting room and bedroom.

3. Consider room layouts to maximise daylight:

Daylight is essential for regulating our circadian rhythm and the release of the hormone melatonin at appropriate times (helping us to feel awake during the day, and sleepy at night). This can be particularly important during the shorter daylight hours of winter. So if you are working from home, or spend a lot of time indoors, it’s a good idea (if possible) to move the furniture you spend lots of time on or at during daytime hours (your desk, kitchen table, favourite chair etc.) closest to the windows, and push the furniture you spend more time on in the evenings to the back of the room. But getting outside everyday, even if just for a few minutes, is equally as important – even just 5 minutes in the morning can help regulate your body clock and potentially improve sleep.

4. Embrace non-toxic cleaners:

While there is rather little research on the impact of using non-toxic home and personal care products on human health, this is one area where I tend to base my decisions on the precautionary principle. In other words, I choose to err on the side of caution, and therefore buy and use ecologically friendly and natural products as much as possible (with a wary eye to the idea of ‘green-washing’ – the use of ‘natural’ on labelling is not a regulated term, for example). I am also increasingly aware of the impact small day-to-day decisions I make have on our carbon footprint and use of plastics.

As regular readers of mine will know, I am a huge fan of the Bower Collective and regularly use their range of cleaning and laundry products. They use all non-toxic ingredients and all the pouches can be returned for recycling.

I don’t use air fresheners and only use scented candles now and again (although when I do, these are my favourites and they are made from 100% natural vegetable wax), and if we do light a real fire, I am sure to air that room the next day.

Eating Well in Winter

It’s easy enough to slip into a familiar pattern of grazing and over-indulgence as a way to pass the time in winter (perhaps also in an effort to boost flagging energy or mood). I have certainly found myself heading back towards the kitchen cupboards many times in those long, dark evenings. Plus, with Christmas in the middle of our darkest months, bringing its merry round of festivities and parties that usually encourage decadence (which I am all for, at least in moderation), it is easy to see why our healthy eating habits and intentions may be harder to stick to over winter.

But a little indulgence is good for us sometimes (remember that eating can be just as important for our social and emotional health as it is for our physical health). I have a few strategies I’ve learnt over the years that may help us maintain nutritional balance, even when the weather and the light is against us.

1. Keep eating plenty of vegetables:

It’s just as important to eat a variety of colourful vegetables every day in winter as it is in summer. If you don’t fancy salads (and I definitely prefer warmer foods in the cooler months), then soups are a brilliant warming way to boost our vegetable intake. Or roast a tray of seasonal vegetables once a week to enjoy as an instant side, make a few slow-cooked vegetable stews (I usually throw in some chickpeas for added protein), or try sneaking an extra portion or two of vegetables into your main dishes (frozen spinach is a great hack for this one). I generally suggest we aim to work towards 6 portions of vegetables per day – although one more than you’re having currently is the best place to start.

2. Try to have a 12 hour overnight fast:

Aim to finish eating 12 hours before you have breakfast in the morning. So if you finish your evening meal by 8pm, avoid snacking again before bed and have breakfast some time after 8am the following day. It’s a simple way to give our bodies and digestion a break. Of course, it’s fine to stay hydrated while fasting – clear fluids like water or herbal teas are probably best for this. Don’t worry if you can’t achieve it every day, it’s a good rule-of-thumb for most people to aim for when possible.

3. Watch out for alcohol ‘creep’:

As we head through the festive season in particular, there can be a gradual (or massive!) increase in alcohol intake. There’s nothing wrong with a glass or two for most people, but it’s worth keeping a compassionate eye on our overall consumption. If nothing else, it will help make getting out of bed on these cold, dark mornings a little easier. I usually recommend to my clients to have at least 3 days completely alcohol-free per week and to stick below the recommended maximum of 14 units (which is roughly 7 medium – 175ml – glasses of wine). If the ritual of an evening drink is what you enjoy most, rather than the alcohol itself, try to switch to a grown-up soft drink instead. I like Seedlip & tonic, or a spicy tomato juice.

To learn more about this, please do take a look at my article on Alcohol: How much is too much?

4. Embrace the opportunity to be creative:

Long evenings in may also mean you’ve got a little more time on your hands to get creative in the kitchen. Bookmark healthy new recipes you’d like to try, as and when you see them, so you’ve got a bank of inspiration at your fingertips for those moments when you fancy whipping up something novel for supper. Check out my Pinterest page as it’s chock full of ideas.