Although winter comes as no surprise, many of us are not ready for its arrival. If you are prepared for the hazards of winter, you will be more likely to stay safe and healthy when temperatures start to fall.
Many people prefer to remain indoors in the winter, but staying inside is no guarantee of safety. Take these steps to keep your home safe and warm during the winter months.
Winterize your home.
Install weather stripping, insulation, and storm windows.
Insulate water lines that run along exterior walls.
Clean out gutters and repair roof leaks.
Check your heating systems.
Have your heating system serviced professionally to make sure that it is clean, working properly and ventilated to the outside.
Inspect and clean fireplaces and chimneys.
Install a smoke detector. Test batteries monthly.
Have a safe alternate heating source and alternate fuels available.
Prevent carbon monoxide (CO) emergencies.
Install a CO detector to alert you of the presence of the deadly, odorless, colorless gas. Check batteries regularly.
Learn symptoms of CO poisoning: headaches, nausea, and disorientation.
Get your car ready for cold weather use before winter arrives.
Service the radiator and maintain antifreeze level; check tire tread or, if necessary, replace tires with all-weather or snow tires
Keep gas tank full to avoid ice in the tank and fuel lines.
Use a wintertime formula in your windshield washer.
Prepare a winter emergency kit to keep in your car in case you become stranded. Include
blankets;
food and water;
booster cables, flares, tire pump, and a bag of sand or cat litter (for traction);
compass and maps;
flashlight, battery-powered radio, and extra batteries;
first-aid kit; and
plastic bags (for sanitation).
Be prepared for weather-related emergencies, including power outages.
Stock food that needs no cooking or refrigeration and water stored in clean containers.
Keep an up-to-date emergency kit, including:
Battery-operated devices, such as a flashlight, a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Weather Radio, and lamps;
extra batteries;
first-aid kit and extra medicine;
baby items; and
cat litter or sand for icy walkways.
Many people spend time outdoors in the winter working, traveling, or enjoying winter sports. Outdoor activities can expose you to several safety hazards, but you can take these steps to prepare for them:
Wear appropriate outdoor clothing: layers of light, warm clothing; mittens; hats; scarves; and waterproof boots.
Sprinkle cat litter or sand on icy patches.
Learn safety precautions to follow when outdoors.
Be aware of the wind chill factor.
Work slowly when doing outside chores.
Take a buddy and an emergency kit when you are participating in outdoor recreation.
Carry a cell phone.
Protect your family from carbon monoxide.
Keep grills, camp stoves, and generators out of the house, basement and garage.
Locate generators at least 20 feet from the house.
Leave your home immediately if the CO detector sounds, and call 911.
When planning travel, be aware of current and forecast weather conditions.
Avoid traveling when the weather service has issued advisories.
If you must travel, inform a friend or relative of your proposed route and expected time of arrival.
Follow these safety rules if you become stranded in your car.
Stay with your car unless safety is no more than 100 yards away, but continue to move arms and legs.
Stay visible by putting bright cloth on the antenna, turning on the inside overhead light (when engine is running), and raising the hood when snow stops falling.
Run the engine and heater only 10 minutes every hour.
Keep a downwind window open.
Make sure the tailpipe is not blocked.
Above all, be prepared to check on family and neighbors who are especially at risk from cold weather hazards: young children, older adults, and the chronically ill. If you have pets, bring them inside. If you cannot bring them inside, provide adequate, warm shelter and unfrozen water to drink.
No one can stop the onset of winter. However, if you follow these suggestions, you will be ready for it when it comes.
Also regarding health lets look at what most people do in the WINTER as opposed to the SUMMER (hot weather):
Winter weight gain isn’t just an urban myth. Research has shown that most of us could gain around a pound (half a kilo) during the winter months. That may not sound like much, but over the course of a decade, it can add up.
“There’s good evidence that people put on weight over the winter,” says dietitian Sian Porter. “The more overweight you are, the more you tend to put on. And the most worrying aspect of this seasonal weight gain is that the pounds tend to stay on. People don’t seem to lose the extra weight.”
The three main reasons that people put on weight in the winter are lack of physical activity, comfort eating and over-indulging at Christmas.
Cold weather and shorter days make it harder to exercise outdoors, so it’s easy not to do any exercise over winter. If you’re not outside as much, there’s more time and temptation to reach into the kitchen cupboard for high-calorie sweet snacks, such as biscuits and cakes.
Then of course there are the festivities that surround Christmas. “What used to be a couple of days of parties and over-eating now seems, for some, to be six weeks of over-doing it,” says Porter.
So what’s the solution? Here are four simple ways to avoid winter weight gain.
1. Stock up your kitchen cupboards. Keep your store cupboard stocked with staples such as cans of tomatoes, spices, beans and pulses, dried wholewheat pasta, wholewheat cereals, noodles, couscous and dried fruit. Keep some extra bread in the freezer if there’s space. That way, you’ll be able to create a quick and nutritious evening meal, such as a lentil or vegetable soup or stew, at short notice. You’ll save money and avoid the temptation to order a high-calorie takeaway.
2. Exercise more
When the outside temperature drops, it’s easy to give up on outdoor exercise. In winter, we stop doing calorie-burning outdoor activities like short walks and gardening. But reducing the amount of physical activity you do is one of the biggest contributors to winter weight gain.
Cold weather and shorter days don’t mean you have to abandon exercise completely. Instead, rearrange your schedule to fit in what you can. You don’t need formal exercise to burn calories.
A brisk walk can be revitalising after being indoors with the central heating on, and it’ll also help boost your circulation. Put on some warm clothes and jog around the neighbourhood or start a snowball fight with the kids. Most leisure centres have heated swimming pools and indoor tennis and badminton courts. If you’d rather stay at home, buy some dance or workout DVDs, and always walk up the stairs at work rather than using the lift. “These little things can make all the difference when it comes to avoiding that pound of weight gain over winter,” says Porter.
3. Drink smart
It’s important to consume hot drinks throughout winter as it will help you keep warm. However, some hot beverages are high in calories. Milky, syrupy coffee shop drinks and hot chocolate with whipped cream can add a lot of calories to your diet. A Starbucks medium caffe mocha, for instance, contains more than 360 calories. Stick to regular coffee or tea, or ask for your drink to be “skinny” (made with skimmed milk). Also, limit your alcohol intake as much as possible.
4. Get your winter greens
Eating a wide variety of foods ensures you get a range of nutrients, including vitamins and minerals. Don’t get stuck eating the same food every day.
Look out for root vegetables, such as swedes, parsnips and turnips, and winter veggies such as cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kale and artichokes. They’re filling as well as nutritious so will help you to resist a second helping of trifle.
Ways you can create a winter wellness plan that works for you:
1. Bring out the crock pot! Emphasis slow cooked, warm, moist meals this season. Soups are a perfect match for the cold, dry days.
2. We gravitate toward richer foods in the winter for good reason — we need to stay warm, lubricated and healthy. Allow yourself to indulge in high quality dairy, nuts and seeds, dried fruits, organic meats, and healthy fats — you can feel satisfied without jumping on the sugar train.
3. With the increase in heavier foods, be sure to increase spices and foods that help keep digestion lively. Many of these foods and spices have the added benefit of boosting your immune system because they are antibacterial. Try adding dark leafy greens, berries, garlic, onions, ginger, cumin, oregano, and cinnamon to your recipes whenever you can.
4. Pay attention if your skin feels tighter these days; you may need to switch to a hardier natural moisturizer like cocoa butter.
5. Use humidifiers to keep the air you are breathing moist.
6. If you use a neti pot to help keep your sinuses clear, swab your inner noise with a q-tip dabbed in coconut oil or olive oil when you are done to be sure you don’t over dry that area.
7. Be proactive about preventing ear infections. Warm up garlic oil (sold in natural health food stores) to body temperature and put a dropper full into each ear canal.
8. We breathe a lot more indoor air in the winter, so be especially careful to keep it clean and free of toxins. Rotate an air purifier into different rooms.
9. Let indoor green plants help keep your air clean and fresh.
10. Diffuse essential oils to increase the negative ion count in your air (shown to help mitigate the effects of seasonal affective disorder).
11. Prioritize sleep and follow the sun’s lead. As the days get shorter, shift your sleep routine toward going to bed earlier and to allow your body more hours to rest and repair.
12. Keep physically active during the winter to bolster mental health and physical immunity.
13. If you are a walker or runner, invest in a set of cold weather workout clothes so your can keep up your routine as the temperature dips.
14. Shift to indoor activities : yoga, stretching, dance, toning and aerobics can all be done via a DVD in your living room.
15. Join a gym or group workout class to keep connected and accountable to getting your workout in.
16. Get social! Stay connected to others, even as your activities shift more and more indoors. Join a moms’ group or book club that meets regularly.
17. Replace outdoor kid’s outings with indoor ones, like book time at the library or trips to the museum.
18. Strengthen your body’s defenses by keeping your gut healthy. Consume foods that have natural probiotics (like yogurt, kefir, miso soup, cultured vegetables, sauerkraut), or take a high quality supplement.
19. If you take fish oil supplements, shift to cod liver oil supplements for the winter. These have the added benefit of vitamin A and D (great for months when our access to vitamin D producing sunshine is limited).
20. Finally, make a Feel Good menu specifically for winter. Take a moment to brainstorm all the things you can do in winter that you enjoy, that feel indulgent, and that make you happy. Keep this list posted and draw from it to make your days more special and when you need a little extra pampering