A simple guide to stay healthy this Winter

A simple guide to stay healthy this Winter

The festive period is full of celebration and unity with family and friends. There is so much to be joyful about, but there is also the increased risk of bad health. Whether it be colds, flu, Covid or something else, the cool temperatures, gloomy days and increased contact with others increases our risk. Hospitalisations with flu or Covid are very high at this time of year so it could creep up on you and really ruin your Christmas. It’s important to do what you can to stay healthy through this period.

Here’s a simple guide to help you stay ahead of nasty illnesses and keep your health in check.

What are the main health concerns during the festive period?

The things that may make it difficult to stay healthy this Christmas primarily revolve around the time of year and the types of behaviours we regularly engage in relating to Christmas. For example, spending a lot of time in close contact with others increases our risk of catching one of the nasty viruses floating around.

Colds and other contagious illnesses are a major concern, with reports of a rise in cases of influenza and COVID-19 that could really ruin your Christmas. Overeating is something we are all guilty of indulging in sometimes, and it could cause us to pile on a few unwanted pounds, while mental health concerns like depression and seasonal affective disorder are very real over Christmas and the New Year.

Steps you can take to stay healthy this Winter

Statistically, all these things are a greater risk over the festive period than they are at other times of year. We should take them seriously and try not to let ourselves overindulge in bad Christmas behaviours – after all, we can resist anything but temptation, right? Let’s look at some things you can do that will keep you healthy without ruining your fun, so you can enjoy the festive period to the fullest.

Don’t give up your exercise regime

Christmas, filled with fun and celebration, can feel like a time to take a break from being active. But all those extra chocolates and mince pies put sugar and fat into your body and there’s only one way to counter those extra calories. If you want to treat yourself with some tasty snacks, you also need to keep active as the Yin to that Yang.

What’s more, if you are someone who really cares about fitness and physique then taking a month-long (or even longer) break from the workouts will really set you back. Even if you aren’t, it’s important to remember that being active in some way, like walking or tending to the garden, is important for your overall physical and mental health. Whatever your approach to exercise, don’t stop doing it just because you hear the sleigh bells ringing!

Incidentally, collagen supplements can help with exercise. They are known to help with balancing certain hormone levels, leading to improved sleep and a boost to your energy levels. What’s more, collagen is a protein, so your daily collagen dose could help feed those muscles to recover faster and gain more lean muscle mass after you exercise.

Be mindful of how much you’re eating

Many of us take Christmas as an opportunity to ‘let loose’ when it comes to food and drink. We eat more chocolate and biscuits, we increase the size of our meals and we consume more alcohol at every opportunity. We tell ourselves it’s harmless as we only do it once a year, but the festive period stretches over many weeks and this can be a problem.

Risks include cardiovascular events, strokes, food and alcohol poisoning. None of these things are worth it for the sake of a bit of extra food or drink, so the key is MODERATION. Use your better judgement to know when you’ve had enough and don’t overindulge simply because it’s the festive season. This is one area where staying healthy this Christmas is entirely in your hands – we’re not saying you can’t have a little fun; you just need to know when to stop!

Collagen supplements may be helpful on this issue because they can strengthen your gut, boost your metabolism and help develop more lean muscle mass. However, these things happen over time so it would be unlikely to help over the festive period if you only start now. Moreover, these benefits would not protect against the risks listed above, so moderation is still the order of the day.

Try to avoid those infectious viruses

After going through the COVID-19 restrictions, we are all pretty well up on how to avoid contagions. Colds, flu and coronavirus are all very prominent at this time of year and the first thing you can do is get your flu jab to reduce your risk on one front. You can also follow the advice we all got during lockdown: keep your distance from other people where possible, wash your hands more frequently and wear a face mask in crowded places.

All these things can play a role in avoiding contracting a contagious illness from someone else.

You can also take steps to strengthen your immune system. Get lots of vitamins into you by drinking delicious smoothies, eating those comforting soups, drinking fruit teas and adding lemon or ginger to your water. Garlic is known to be good for your immune system and multivitamins that are high in vitamin D and zinc are also a good shout.

One lesser-known solution for strengthening immunity is to take collagen supplements. The abundance of the amino acids glutamine is helpful because this nutrient helps with cellular repair and stimulating immune cells. Thus, collagen supplements could actually strengthen your protection against illness and speed recovery if you do become unwell. The collagen could also strengthen the lining of your gastrointestinal tract to keep out bad bacteria.

Avoid being isolated

Seasonal affective disorder, also known as SAD, can cause feelings of depression relating to the changing season. Less natural light, cold weather, increased prevalence of illnesses – all these things can get a person down. What’s more, for people who already suffer with depression, the festive period can make it worse. Things like being single, grieving or distance from family can make people lonely, and those feelings may be amplified during the festive season. If any of these things relate to you, the most important thing is to talk about what you are feeling. Practising mindfulness can be very helpful for some people – try looking into meditation if you would like to give this a go.

If you have a friend or family member you can talk to in person, take that option. If you only have someone you can speak to over the phone, then do it. If you really are completely isolated, there are helplines available like the Samaritans. In any case, it’s important to inform your doctor about what you are experiencing. Professional advice can be extremely helpful for mental health concerns, as can sharing your experience with a trusted family member or friend.

Again, collagen supplements have been shown to display benefits for mood. The amino acids can improve cognitive function, and also promote good quality sleep. There is also evidence that they can help with our hormone balance and, with growing awareness of the link between gut health and mental health, the benefits of collagen for our gut could play a role. Of course, remember that supplements are not medicine, so you should still follow the advice above even if you start taking collagen.

Kollo could help you stay healthy this Christmas

 As you may have noticed, collagen supplements can be helpful for all the health concerns listed in this post. It also delivers benefits for your skin, hair and nails, the health of your bones and joints and your general energy levels. If you would like to try taking collagen to experience the benefits this festive season, or perhaps get a head start on your New Year’s resolutions, then Kollo is a great option to consider.

The advantages of choosing Kollo include:

• Premium grade marine collagen peptides
• A daily dosage of 10 grams of high-quality collagen
• A liquid suspension for rapid digestion of nutrients
• Additional nutrients like B vitamins, vitamin C and l-lysine
• Easy to consume – simply add to water and drink
• Great taste from natural flavourings

Kollo is a multi-award winning collagen supplement that has over 2,000 5-star reviews from verified buyers. We have earned Informed Sport certification to demonstrate the quality and reliability of our product, and we have Amazon’s Choice status on Amazon. Kollo has been featured on ITV This Morning and in Women’s Running magazine and we generally go all out to ensure our customers get the best possible experience when they choose us for their collagen needs.

Learn more about Kollo

Whether you want to take collagen to help stay healthy this Christmas or you have broader collagen-boosting goals, we invite you to explore our website to learn more about us. You will see detailed information about our product, links to scientific research, thousands of uncensored, unedited customer reviews and an entire blog section dedicated to information about collagen.

If you still have questions, please contact us and our team will endeavour to answer them. We can be reached via email or social media so don’t hesitate to reach out.