It’s that time of year when all the coughs and colds start to come about so you may want to think about boosting your immunity now before the festive season arrives. There’s nothing worse than waking up on Christmas Morning feeling like you’ve just been dug up.
I swear by Vitamin C, I take it all year round and increase my dosage from the beginning of October. You may want to consider Vitamin D for this too, especially if you’re feeling tired or low on energy.
The list below indicates recommend supplements for the winter months so you can identify if you’re lacking anywhere and need a little boost.
Vitamin C
Probably best known as an antioxidant. This is a word that we use frequently but don’t always stop to think about in terms of its meaning. Antioxidants are forms of molecules that help keep chemical reactions in our body in check. (Free radicals are forms of molecules that tend to be very reactive, and too many free radicals in the wrong place at the wrong time can do damage to our cells and tissue.)
Vitamin C is also required to produce collagen, (a protein that plays a critical role in the structure of our bodies), necessary to make certain neurotransmitters (signals that carry thoughts, feelings, and commands around our brains and throughout our nervous system) and to produce serotonin, a hormone that plays a critical role in wide variety of body systems, including the nervous system, endocrine system (hormones), immune system, and digestive system.
Why should we consider supplementing it?
We do consume Vitamin C in our food, but on the whole it isn’t enough in comparrison of what we need each day. Your body does not retain Vitamin C so it’s really important we get a good dose daily.
What food contains Vitamin C?
The most obvious one we think of is oranges, but don’t rule out papaya, strawberries, pineapple, kiwifruit, raspberries, cranberries, blueberries, watermelon and definitely leafy greens. Kale, spinach and broccoli contain a good amount of Vitamin C too.
Another very good reason to think about taking a supplement is the effect on stress hormone, cortisol, post workout. Cortisol is one of the demon hormones that promotes fat storage when secreted (along with insulin.). A recent study shows that taking a Vitamin C supplement immediately after a workout helped lower cortisol release and speed recovery by minimising the catabolic stress response. (Ideally during and post workout you want to be in anabolic state (burning fat) not catabolic)
Zinc
Is also needed for immune function and the proper growth and maintenance of the human body. It is used in biological reactions like wound healing, blood clotting and thyroid function. Since the human body does not store excess zinc, it must be consumed regularly as part of the diet.
Foods containings zinc include meat, seafood, dairy products, nuts, legumes and whole grains. You can also supplement zinc alongside Vitamin C with capsules containing both vitamins and minerals.
Vitamin D
During the winter months, you’ll need to get vitamin D from your diet because the sun isn’t strong enough for the body to produce it.
As it’s difficult to get enough vitamin D from food alone, supplementing it daily helps ward of low mood, anxiety and depression.
The symptoms of a vitamin D deficiency in adults include, tiredness, aches and pains and a general feeling of not being well, so if you recongise bouts of the above, it may be worth upping your intake.
Probiotics
Essential for gut health, especially for females and estrogen (and some men too.) The human body treats estrogen like a toxin, sending it to the liver to be detoxified. The liver then prepares it for excretion. Sometimes estrogen becomes uncoupled from it receptors and sends it back into circulation, starting the process again and increasing estrogen exposure.
By taking a probiotic containing Lactobacillus you can decrease the recycling process and allow estrogen to be excreted correctly. Once estrogen levels are regulated, better results on the training side are gained.
Fish Oils
These are your essential fatty acids (EFA’s) and guess why they’re essential? Because your body can’t produce it on its own, they must be eaten. (This is why I’m a big lover of consuming fat!)
Not only will you start to lose body fat, you will also begin to protect the all the cells in your body and increase metabolism. Some weightloss programmes insist on low fat or fat free to lose weight, but in my opinion it’s probably the worst thing you could do for long term health.
Fish oil is anabolic, as mentioned above, so increases protein synthesis and muscle hypertrophy (becoming leaner.) Plus it’s anti-inflammatory which brings us back to losing fat. Inflammation within the body is detrimental to our health therefore removing it is really important.
B Vitamins
They’re responsible for metabolic functions, support mental and physical performance and a very beneficial for females suffering with the menopause.
They help your body produce energy and make important molecules in your cells. Aside from B12 your body cannot store these vitamins for long periods of time so it’s important you replenish them regularly with foods like salmon, leafy greens, eggs, beef, chicken, turkey, yogurt and sunflower seeds.
B vitamins also contribute to red cell production which can increase oxygen transport and overall endurance.
