Here in central Victoria, the mornings are frosty, the days are brilliant blue and warm, but the trees are losing their colourful leaves and winter is coming!!
Winter is coming! Sorry, after Game of Thrones, that phrase always cracks me up!
As ominous as it sounds, winter doesn’t have to mean the waking of the dead and dragons!
In fact, winter can be an incredibly nourishing, enriching time.
We are seasonal creatures. I know a lot of us don’t live like that, or find it hard with schedules and lives that are so busy that we have to always be on. But the reality is, we NEED down time. We need to slow down, reset, nourish and restore ourselves so we can have periods of high energy and intensity.
And winter is a natural time to do this important work. Look at the natural world. Trees are losing their leaves and their energy is being drawn down to their roots. A lot of animals are preparing for hibernation. This is the season for root veggies.
The energy of this time is one of release. It’s downward and inward.
And we can benefit from this. I’m not asking you to hide under the doona for the next 3 months. I’m inviting you to slow down, listen to your body and your soul, to rest and replenish.
You’ll find it easier to sleep more in winter. I invite you to allow your body to do this. Rest is essential.
Winter is the perfect time for brisk lunch time walks. You can make the most of the warmest part of the day and any sunshine that’s around. Sunshine is such powerful medicine!!
Pull out the slow cooker and make mealtimes easy. Bulk cook stews and soups and casseroles that can be bubbling away all day, ready to be dished out for dinner. And leftovers make great lunches, and even breakfasts!!
And yes, this is cold and flu season. But getting a cold can be an incredible opportunity to prime the immune system, give the lungs and sinuses are good clear out and be stronger than ever if managed properly.
My top tips for winter health:
- Sleep – use the longer nights and opportunity to make more melatonin to deeply repair and renew our body, decrease insulin resistance, support mitochondrial health and promote longevity.
- Food – lots of protein, fat and veggies and think warming foods, both temperature wise and in the herbs and spices we use. Think rosemary, thyme, ginger, garlic, cinnamon, chilli.
- Move Your Body – don’t let the inclement weather be an excuse to let your body stagnate. I love bush walking in winter as I don’t have to worry about snakes!!
- Manage Your Stress – nothing strains your immune system as excessive, mismanaged stress! Do your best to eliminate what stress you can, and learn how to manage the stress you have.
- Embrace the Season – find the joy in the things that only make sense in winter. Hot chocolate with homemade marshmallows by the fire, wool socks, snuggly movie nights.
- Have a Winter First Aid Kit – this is a collection of remedies that you can take at the first sign of any cold or flu. It’s perfect for when you come down with something but it’s the weekend or night time and nothing’s open or you are not wanting to leave the house. First aid remedies will reduce the severity and length of illness and will get you through until you can see your naturopath.
If you would like some help with a personalised Winter First Aid Kit, book in for an online acute consult and we can put one together for you. You’ll have remedies suited to you and instructions on when and how much to take and that won’t interact with any medications or supplements you are taking.
And if you’d like to learn more about how to use these colder, darker days to deeply repair and renew your cells, improve your metabolism, strengthen your immunity and balance your hormones, check out the Wonderful Winter Workshop.
Winter won’t last forever, so make the most of it while it’s here!
Warmth and woolies,
Lisa xx