Posted on 29 Oct, 2008 -
5 Cs of Winter Survival
The 5 Cs of Winter Survival
I know I’m jumping the gun a bit here because it’s actually still autumn but I HAVE had a cold already, the days ARE getting shorter, and I’ve already had an email from a reader saying “What can you recommend for my chilblains?”
As far as I’m concerned, winter isn’t such a bad thing and there are parts of it that I look forward to such as wrapping up warm, drinking mulled wine and thinking of the bare winter branches outside while sat before a roasting fire. Colds, however, I find most perplexing and even terrifying.
If man has the ability to fly planes through the sky and understand quantum physics, how come they can’t do anything to stamp out these pesky viruses that use us as a host to survive and reproduce with absolute impunity? More to the point, where do these viruses come from? Are they a strange life form? What do they want from us? And why do they look like tiny eerie planets with star shapes on them under the microscope?
Given my obsession with colds, therefore, I will start my offerings on the 5 Cs of Winter Survival with C for Colds…
Preventing and shortening COLDS - the biggest scourge of the winter months
The first thing you need to know about colds is that the virus is passed from hand to hand. The second thing is that you are more susceptible to them if you’re run down or have been doing something that suppresses your immune system such as drinking large amounts of mulled wine.
If you want to try and avoid getting colds, therefore, it may be a good idea to wash your hands frequently or use one of those disinfecting hand liquids to kill of viruses before they get to your nose. Also make sure you get plenty of vitamin C, keep yourself well, and don’t wear yourself out with excessive work during these months of supposed rest and recuperation. The recommended dose for Vitamin C is 100-200 mg for kids, 500 mg for adults.
If you do develop a cold then there are several things you can do to lessen its effects and shorten its visit:
* Eat chicken soup. This has actually and scientifically been proven to be a good cure for the symptoms of a cold in numerous studies! Homemade is best.
* Rest. Never to be estimated. So often ignored.
* Big doses of vitamin C.
* Try a bit of acupressure. Simply push on these two pressure points for 20 seconds or so using a finger or thumb and repeat throughout the day. The pressure should not be so hard that it hurts but does need to be quite deep. The first point is what is known as the Large Intestine 4 and is good for relieving head congestion and sinus symptoms. You will find it between the webbing of the thumb and index finger on both hands. To reduce sneezing and discomfort in the nose, press the point known as Large Intestine 20 found on the lower, outer corner of each nostril.
COD LIVER OIL, catfish or canned sardines to prevent the longterm damage of Vitamin D starvation
When I sat down yesterday to investigate the side effects of missing out on vitamin D from the lower levels of sunshine in the winter I was SHOCKED and HORRIFIED.
Research suggests that in the UK around 2 in 10 adults may be vitamin D deficient. Potential longterm effects of a deficiency include brittle bones, colon cancer in men, breast cancer in women before menopause, and prostate cancer. Getting enough vitamin D, on the other hand, is said to reduce your risk of developing insulin-dependent diabetes, multiple sclerosis, or rheumatoid arthritis.
Living in a country with low levels of sunshine puts us at particular risk. Applying sunscreen with an SPF factor of 8 reduces production of vitamin D by 95%. Applying sunscreen with higher SPF reduces vitamin D production even more.
So what can you do? Make sure you get out in the sun whenever you can and eat more of these vitamin D-rich foods: Cod liver oil, herring, shiitake mushrooms (dried), Catfish (raw), button mushrooms (raw), canned pink salmon, and canned sardines. If you don’t get enough of those then consider a supplement.
CHAPPED HANDS to beautiful hands in minutes with this natural soothing rub!
While most teenage girls worry about the size of their nose or the spots around it, my own personal obsession was over my enormous hands. I seriously used to wonder whether there was an operation that could reduce the size of them.
Today I am used to people staring at them in meetings or commenting on how hard their skin is when they shake or hold my hands. I am still, however, always interested in any possible ways for at least making the skin a bit softer.
The regime I have found for chapped hands on a website today involves making a paste from honey, lemon juice and oil and rubbing it all over them for five minutes. Another idea that I plan to try it is to use wheat germ oil in place of moisturiser.
CHILLBLAINS and how to deal with them
Chilblains, apparently, “are a painful abnormal reaction of the small blood vessels in the skin when exposed to cold temperatures.” To me they are a very vivid memory from childhood connected to hot water bottles, nylon nighties and freezing cold bedrooms.
If you are prone to them then the best way to prevent them is to keep your hands and feet warm when out in cold weather. When you come in from the cold be sure to warm yourself - and toes and fingers especially - slowly rather than suddenly. As poor circulation is linked to chilblains, try to keep your blood flowing with regular bouts of exercise through the day. It is also worth bearing in mind that some drugs such as beta-blockers could cause chilblains because they constrict tiny blood vessels.
If you do develop some of the itchy little blighters, be sure to keep them warm and try massaging with a mixture of warm vegetable oil and lemon juice. Another natural remedy is to run the edge of a raw onion over them!
CHARGE up your batteries to keep your energy and enthusiasm up all winter
My final tip for this week actually comes from a reader called Jenny in response to my missive about time the other week.
Jenny made the great point that we so often actually waste time trying to push ourselves onwards when this is actually counterproductive.
“The problem”, says Jenny, “is that you can quite simply be stale, that you have let your personal battery run right down and no longer think clearly… It’s pointless to slog on when the battery is low - recharged you do twice as much twice as well with twice the enjoyment in half the time!”
Jenny herself had just been on a long bus ride out to the countryside where she had taken a walk. “I found beauty, peace and quiet and I made a point of standing still for a while and just looking.” After that she felt far more energised, productive and ready to get back on with life.
Winter in particular is a time for resting and recharging so be sure you don’t push yourself too hard and get plenty of pleasure time and rest.
Indeed, if Gordon Brown had allowed our economy to take a rest between periods of activity and growth, we may not be in this financial meltdown we are today…
