The third and final part of our series on winter fatigue: exercise and diet. Swimming and aqua aerobics for gentle exertion, garlic, cinnamon, lemon, cumin, ginger, honey and thyme to strengthen your natural defenses and soothe colds and sore throats. All that to help you get through winter with more energy.
Water Sports
Swimming
Swimming is a complete workout, recommended by doctors and prized for shaping the body harmoniously. It builds breath control, strengthens the back muscles, and offers both relaxation and toning. It banishes nervous and physical fatigue, improves blood circulation, regulates the cardiovascular system, reduces anxiety, helps with slimming, and builds endurance — it also boosts self-esteem and increases motivation.
To reap its benefits, short sessions of fifteen minutes to half an hour, two to three times a week, are recommended. Swimming comes in four main strokes: breaststroke, front crawl, backstroke, and butterfly.
Aqua Aerobics
It has many health benefits and knows no age limit — it's for everyone. This form of gymnastics is practiced in a shallow pool, working every muscle in the body gently and fluidly while building stamina.
Eat Well
Several everyday ingredients naturally strengthen the body's defenses against winter's minor ailments.
Garlic
Its smell has its detractors, but rubbing a congested child's chest and the back of the neck with olive oil warmed with garlic cloves, then cooled, remains an effective remedy for clearing a stuffy nose.
Cinnamon
True cinnamon, native to Sri Lanka, has antibacterial and antiviral properties, especially as an essential oil. Drink it as soon as your throat starts to tingle: a glass of warm milk with 15 g of cinnamon mixed with a twist of lemon zest.
Lemon
It naturally protects against germs and restores energy. This vitamin-C-rich "super cleanser" is drunk on an empty stomach every morning: the juice of half a lemon to one cup of hot water.
Cumin
For bloating or stomach ache, our grandmothers used to swallow a spoonful of freshly ground cumin with a glass of water. As a tea, it works just as well and goes down more easily: take the same amount of cumin seeds and steep for ten minutes in a cup of hot water, then strain and drink.
Ginger
The Chinese, the Greeks, and the Romans had already discovered its benefits for digestive troubles (nausea, vomiting) and low energy — not to mention its spicy, lemony flavor when brewed as a tea.
Honey
A natural "food-medicine" particularly effective against sore throats (irritation, coughing). Choose thyme, eucalyptus, lavender, or fir honey, which are richer in antiseptic compounds, in a gentle infusion.
Thyme
As a steam inhalation, breathe in the vapor of boiling water poured over thyme, under a towel. As a tea, use 1 teaspoon of thyme leaves per large cup of hot water, steep for 5 to 10 minutes, and add 1 teaspoon of honey to soften the taste. Don't hesitate to eat more raw foods (fruits and vegetables) and load up on superfoods.
Written by: B. Zine El Zine
