Tips to stay healthy this winter

Jenny Logan is a trained Nutritional Therapist

Autumn is here and that means the winter bugs are starting to spread.

Jenny Logan, a trained Nutritional Therapist who runs a health food store on Pedder Street in Morecambe, offers her advice on staying healthy this winter.

Jenny has tips on natural remedies to help you keep your immune system, circulation, and mood in top condition this winter.

She says it's important to pre-empt any possible problems that might arise.

Jenny tells us more...

Well it is really and truly autumn and as the weather gets colder and we prepare for the clocks to go back, there are three main areas of health which need to be considered in order to stay on top form over autumn and heading into the winter. It is important to start considering the following areas now.

IMMUNE SYSTEM

I have to say that since the schools have gone back there have been a number of horrible bugs flying around, including a nasty cough accompanied by a headache and fevers, add to this the ever present fear about swine flu and keeping the immune system in tip top form has never been so important.

There are a number of things which can be helpful for improving and boosting the immune system.

Two things which I love at this time of year as well as the ever popular Echinacea, are Elder and Beta Glucan.

Firstly Elderberry (not to be confused with elderflower cordial, which is simply a lovely refreshing drink) is a brilliant and effective anti-viral. It has been found to have the ability to actually wrap a virus up and carry it out of the system to stop problems like flu and chest infections in their tracks.

Elderberry has been found to be an effective anti-viral

One of the best things about elder has been the fact that it actually tastes nice (unlike a lot of herbal medicines) when taken as a stand alone product. It is also suitable for children, who thanks to its great sweet taste never mind taking it.

We have seen adults and children clear chest infections and flu really quickly with Elder and we are currently using it for children with this horrible infection with chesty coughs and headaches which is flying around at the moment. In the shop we will always have a bottle of elder open in the back to take should anyone come in with a nasty infection that we are worried about catching, and touch wood it has always appeared to do the trick and helped to keep us healthy.

Secondly Beta Glucan. Something which most people will not have heard of, Beta Glucan helps to strengthen the immune system. It is what is known as a macrophage activator. Macrophages are an important part of your bodies immune response, congregating at the site of any infection and removing bacteria or viruses from the blood and tissues. This means that Beta Glucan helps to activate your immune system and get it to the infection better.

CIRCULATION

For people with circulation problems the colder weather can bring a lot of misery - cold empty white fingers which you cannot feel and which do not work properly, bad circulation and dry skin in the feet and legs, and my number one problem in winters of old - chilblains.

Chilblains are a result of poor circulation in the feet and hands and leave the sufferer with red itchy lumps, which can literally drive you crackers in bed at night. The best way of dealing with chilblains is genuinely to try and prevent them occurring in the first place, which is why this is the perfect time of year to start considering what you can do to help improve your circulation.

Luckily there is a herb which is absolutely fantastic at dealing with circulatory conditions and that is Ginkgo Biloba. Ginkgo Biloba is quite well known for its actions these days as it has been around for years.

It was actually my GP that suggested I start taking Ginkgo Biloba when I was 16 when she diagnosed me as suffering from Reynaud's Syndrome - a circulatory problem which results in empty white fingers, poor circulation to the legs when stationary and chilblains, I have to say I have never looked back. My winters used to be a misery of chilblains and purple legs, but since I started on Ginkgo Biloba, my circulation has been much better and as long as I start taking it every year before the weather gets really cold, I no longer get chilblains (touch wood!)

The body makes vitamin D when exposed to sunlight

Recent research carried out on Ginkgo has also had some very exciting results. Researchers have been looking to see how exactly Ginkgo works on the circulation and they have found that it works by opening more of the small capillaries. The way that they found this out was by taking photographs of the arteries and capillaries before Ginkgo supplementation and taking a photo of the same area a month later.

The later photos showed that capillaries which had previously carried no blood were now a healthy and functioning part of the circulatory system. This tells us that Ginkgo will be helpful for any problem which can be associated with poor circulation to the extremities, which is why it was so very helpful for my Reynaud's Syndrome, why it helps a lot of people with poor circulation to their hands and feet and why it may also help to improve brain function.

So don't suffer with the effects of bad circulation this winter, get started on a good strength Ginkgo now - look for a standardised extract providing the equivalent of 6000mg for the best effects - and reap the benefits.

MOOD

Finally mood - what can be done to keep us all feeling more chipper through the dark days of winter? The answer is a number of things.

Firstly, one of the reasons why people feel low through the winter is due to the lack of sunlight exposure they get, and although there is nothing that can be done about that, this lack of sunlight leads to low levels of vitamin D.

Vitamin D is the vitamin which your body makes when you expose your skin to sunlight and it used to be thought that therefore no-one in this country would really be deficient. However, new research over the last couple of years had indicated that because we all now wear sunscreen through the summer and see barely any daylight through the winter, many of us could be low in vitamin D and that this could be one of the reasons why people get sad in the winter.

It has been found that taking vitamin D through the winter can help to stave off the winter blues. A number of studies have been done on people who are suffering with seasonal affected disorder (SAD), and found that thing vitamin D does generally help to lift mood, in some cases it has been found to be better than light boxes.

Chilblains are a result of poor circulation in the feet and hands

The other thing which can be low in the winter is your happy chemical - serotonin.

There are two things which can be really useful in bucking up serotonin levels. The first thing which we would use to boost the amount of serotonin you are making is 5-HTP. 5-HTP, stands for 5-hydroxytryptophan, which is almost impossible to pronounce and does sounds rather chemical! Be reassured however, that 5-HTP is completely natural.

5-HTP is the amino acid which is used by the brain to make serotonin and so it makes you feel happier. I would be hard pushed to pick just one story to write here about the successes we have had with this supplement. We have seen people walk into the shop in tears and come back two weeks later with a smile on their face and my husband finds it in the kitchen every January as this is the time when he starts to get low as he cannot get out on his bike as often as he would like!

It is one of those supplements that we love because we give it to people feeling a real confidence that it will work to lift their mood and it will help them quickly.

The second thing which can improve serotonin levels is the herb Rhodiola. This herb is often taken in combination with 5-HTP as whilst the 5-HTP increases the amount of serotonin that you make, Rhodiola is claimed to have the ability to help you use serotonin better - so will boost the effectiveness of the 5-HTP for people who are feeling really low.

Rhodiola is also great for people who are feeling frazzled. Rhodiola helps to improve endurance, work performance and energy as it supports the adrenal gland during periods of stress and increased demand. Therefore it is useful in its own right as well, for people who are feeling overwhelmed with the demands that are being made on them.

So don't come down with the winter blues this year, if you suffer in the lack of sunshine, consider vitamin D and 5-HTP. If you start to feel under pressure, overworked and / or under appreciated then consider some Rhodiola and 5-HTP and you should be feeling back on top form quite quickly!

Article sent in by Jenny Logan

Remember to always read the information supplied with any medication or natural remedies - and if you're feeling unwell, see the doctor!