Man is an integral part of nature, and therefore obeys the same laws of development as any living beings. With the onset of the spring period, not only the environment is updated, but a complete restructuring of the body takes place. The rate of metabolic processes increases, which requires additional energy and nutrients for cell renewal. Micro-, macroelements and vitamins are mainly obtained from food, but even in spring it becomes not so generous: vegetables and fruits harvested in autumn lose significant reserves of nutrients by spring. This is due to long-term storage, often incorrect. Each fruit and vegetable loves its own temperature, and can be picky about light and humidity. In the case when the body does not receive enough vitamins for a long time, it develops hypovitaminosis. It is often confused with beriberi – a serious condition caused by the almost complete absence of one or more vitamins in the body. The lack of useful substances against the background of frequent pressure and temperature drops in the winter-spring period, a sedentary lifestyle, and acute respiratory viral infections, just become the cause of low immunity and fatigue.
Pregnant and lactating women, the elderly and people with chronic diseases, as well as children, are especially susceptible to becoming the owner of a “bouquet” of spring ailments. Athletes and knowledge workers are also at risk, since physical and intellectual activity require quite a bit of energy.
Hypovitaminosis will report brittle nails, fatigue, unreasonable nervousness, bleeding gums, dry skin, rashes. Dull hair, pale skin, anemia, forgetfulness are also faithful companions of vitamin deficiency. Do not rush to diagnose yourself if you are the “happy” owner of the above signs. Bleeding gums, for example, can indicate a lack of certain nutrients in the body, but can also indicate impending periodontal disease. Stratification of nails is also a consequence of a fungal infection of the nail plates, and not just hypovitaminosis.
It is erroneously believed that it is not worth fighting hypovitaminosis. In a difficult spring period for a person, it is necessary to support the body as much as possible and create all conditions for painless preparation for the summer season. The tips below will help you balance your diet, prioritize your health, and figure out which food groups to focus on this spring.
1. Don’t try to mask the problem and fight the symptoms.
The rough skin of the hands is a signal from the body about a problem inside or external factors (hard water, the use of household chemicals). Even the most nourishing cream will only temporarily change the situation, but will not remove the cause. Listen to the quiet voice of the body, decipher its requests for help and find a solution.
2. Try to enrich your diet products with minimal processing: brown rice, wholemeal bread, unrefined vegetable oil.
3. Fresh greens – a storehouse of useful substances. It is useful to add it daily to salads, vegetable casseroles, omelettes. By the way, growing herbs at home is very simple. So you can use an eco-product with maximum nutritional value. If there is no time to engage in an “apartment garden”, the greens can be frozen in the summer. This will save most of the vitamins.
4. You can freeze not only greens, but also vegetables and fruitsthat you have grown in the summer. In the spring, they will come in handy. So it is possible to preserve their natural benefits as much as possible, and cook such vegetables much faster.
5. Nuts, seeds, bran, honey and dried fruits, unlike fresh fruits, retain nutrients much longer. They are rich in vitamin A, B vitamins, carotene, proteins, fats, carbohydrates. Try to indulge yourself with such healthy snacks every day: it’s satisfying and tasty. They can also be added to cereals and desserts, making dishes healthier and more colorful.
6. germinated grains – live and healthy food. Vitamins E, C, group B, carbohydrates, vegetable proteins, fats, fiber, minerals – this is not a complete list of their riches. The chromium and lithium contained in the sprouts have a beneficial effect on the nervous system. Potassium will take care of the condition of the muscles, including the heart muscle. Fiber improves the functioning of the digestive tract and gives satiety. Sprouting wheat (more often than others), buckwheat, pumpkin, flax, barley, oats, corn, lentils, peas, soy, sesame. And then – all the will of fantasy. Sprouted grains can be mixed with honey, raisins, nuts (an option for a sweet tooth), added to salads, and also eaten as an independent product.
7. Food processing plays a huge role. The more sparing it is, the more vitamins can be preserved (raw food is unrivaled). Stewing, steaming, baking in the oven are much more priority than frying. Multicookers, double boilers and pressure cookers can turn out to be useful devices – as a result of a single press of a button, they will fulfill any culinary request, while saving time.
8. Beverages can be not only tasty, but also useful; and in the cold spring they will also add warmth. Rosehip and honey drink, ginger and green tea, chicory, echinacea tea and other herbs strengthen the immune system, relieve stress, fight fatigue, improve digestion and bowel function. They are especially useful during viral infections.
9. Often in the spring, women have a desire to “lose a couple of kilograms” by the summer with the help of diet or, even worse, pills. For the body, food restrictions at the end of winter are extremely harmful. At this time, more than ever, care must be taken good nutrition. The figure can be put in order in the gym, swimming pool and through the normalization of lifestyle.
10. Sedentary work is the scourge of modernity. Nature intended that a person be in constant motion, and not be chained to an office chair. If it is not possible to go outside the office during the day, then move as much as possible after the end of working days: instead of an elevator, take the stairs; if work is close to home, take a walk; in the evening it will also be useful to get some air.
11. No matter how the spring blues overcomes you, do not dwell on unpleasant symptoms. Pamper yourself with your favorite things, relax with loved ones, drive away bad thoughts, devote yourself to a hobby. Psychological attitude works wonders! You yourself will not notice how well-being improves.
You can solve the problem of hypovitaminosis by taking multivitamin complexes. This approach is controversial, causing heated debate in medical circles. Specialists and scientists are divided into several camps: supporters of taking “healthy” pills, ardent opponents, and those who have taken a neutral position: they see nothing wrong with vitamins, but they don’t particularly promote them either. The arguments of each side are quite solid and logical. No less heated debate is the prophylactic use of drugs in order to prevent hypovitaminosis.
Obviously, vitamins are different vitamins. They differ in origin (synthetic or natural), dosages, composition, price, dosage forms. Therefore, before approaching the issue of purchasing such complexes, you have to collect and analyze information. Yes, and they should be chosen based on the lifestyle, condition and individual characteristics of the body. The principle “everyone drinks, and I drink” or “my friend said that these are very good vitamins” should not apply here.
Remember that balanced diet should become a habit throughout the year, and not just in moments of illness. So you leave less chance for vitamin deficiency to take precedence over good health! Sunny days and strength to you!