Maintaining good health and wellness takes deliberate effort and making choices for your body and mind are influenced by the season and weather. Autumn is an excellent time to fall into healthy habits, especially when colder temps and shorter days can make you want to hibernate. Here are some of the wellness areas to focus on so you can feel good and do right by your body.
1. Focus on Nutrition
Allergies, health limitations, and budget can make it a challenge to edit nutritional choices. Identifying precise nutritional needs with the help of your doctor make it easier to establish and stick to a menu ideal for your unique body. This guidance can include streamlining the food you eat, but also including supplements and vitamins, tailored meal plans, working around sensitivities to lactose or gluten, and shifting your mindset about what qualifies as an energy boost or good nutritional choice.
2. Get Enough Vitamin D
Even though there is less sun to be had in the fall, you still need it – in moderation. The body produces Vitamin D naturally when exposed to direct sunlight and this vitamin is critical for bone health, brain health, and the immune system. Sun exposure must occur with protection of sunscreen and UV coverage clothing to avoid skin cancer.
3. Keep Moving
Moving every day is important. Whether you’re going for a stroll or power walk, lifting or bodyweight training, every bit is good for your body. Ten jumping jacks are more than zero jumping jacks. If you get bored easily by exercise or are not motivated to get moving, keep fitness interesting with varied workouts, destinations, or movement that doesn’t feel like exercise with the help of your medical team.
4. Support Immunity
Preventive care involves seeing your doctor regularly, getting immunizations, and undergoing essential screenings for things like colorectal cancer, breast cancer, prostate health, and more. By paying attention to your overall health and wellness, you support your immunity and better protect yourself from ailments and recover from seasonal ailments faster. If you struggle with an autoimmune disease or chronic condition, your experiences will be different and it’s important to have the support of a doctor who understands your limitations and health needs.
5. Get Enough Sleep
The sleep recommendation for healthy adults is seven or more hours of shut-eye a night. Some people struggle to make this happen because of caregiving, health conditions, insomnia, sleep apnea, job responsibilities, or being a night owl. Making it to bed earlier requires changes earlier in the night, from what you eat and drink to when you put down the screens. Your doctor is ready to help motivate you to be eager for bedtime rather than dread it.
6. Make Good Choices
It isn’t easy to make changes, even if it’s for the good of your health. Vow to shift one habit or preference at a time to contribute to overall wellness and, as the winter sets in, you’ll notice you have more energy, feel better, and can make it through the darkest months of the year feeling lighter and happier. Realistic goals are key.
Make an appointment with me, Dr. Jon Swetech, to discuss your schedule and habits and learn how even the smallest changes can deliver big results this fall and all year long.
Nothing in this blog is official medical advice. See your doctor for customized care.
