It’s not your imagination: The change of the seasons from summer to fall really does lead to colds, flu, and other viruses for a lot of people. But a Northern Virginia expert has advice on ways to escape the trend.
“I do believe that it is a thing that people tend to get sick this time of year,” says Allison Farrow, a registered dietitian and certified diabetes education care and specialist for Sentara Health. “And I do feel that your diet and even lifestyle can impact your immune system as the seasons change.”
A combination of diet and exercise can do a lot, she says.
The first instinct many people have is to stay inside when the weather gets cooler, at least until they’ve acclimated a bit. But that can lead to the spread of germs, Farrow says, and it also can undo some of the healthier habits we may have started during warmer weather.
“I do feel like some of these changes can weaken the immune system and make you more susceptible to colds and flu,” she says.
For one thing, she says, you can get more nutritional value from foods that are in season. Root vegetables such as zucchini, cabbage, mushrooms, carrots, and squash are coming into their own, so it’s a good time of year to make a lot of soups, casseroles, and chilis that utilize the freshest stuff.
“I’m a big fan of bulk cooking and batch cooking, and taking advantage of warming, comforting foods and making them healthier,” Farrow says, “And by cooking in that style, it can be really easy to set it and forget it with less labor.”
A lot of people load up on vitamin C, particularly through supplements, and while Farrow calls it “not the wrong thing to do,” getting your vitamin C from fruits and vegetables (and amino acids from lean proteins to help it absorb) will work a lot better.
And while it will eventually get cold enough to make going outside less than comfortable, Farrow advises getting out there as long as the weather is nice enough. “I have a lot of people who love to walk outdoors in the summer months, in the spring months, and then they feel like they hibernate all winter long,” she says.
Her advice is to bundle up and get out there anyway — Northern Virginia is especially beautiful in the fall, and she emphasizes that the notion that you catch a cold by going outside is an old wives’ tale — it might make you feel worse if you already have a cold coming on, but a virus is a virus. And when it does get too cold for comfort, investigate indoor activities such as yoga, swimming, water aerobics, and more.
“If you take care of your nutrition and your physical activity, and manage your stress and your sleep, all of those things are going to help boost your immune system going into this season,” Farrow says.
Feature image by LimeSky/stock.adobe.com
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