Fighting off the "end of winter" fatigue

Towards the end of winter and with the approach of spring, we often feel as though our body were functioning ever more sluggishly. In this transitional period, depression and gloomy thoughts tend to take hold of us more frequently – but in fact, there are various means at our disposal to help prevent these moods.

The first and most important advice is to get outdoors, to go hiking. Work out regularly and try to do that also outdoors, in the nature. Many people complain that they have no energy to do any sport after work, to set off to the gym after dark, saying that all they long for is the warmth of their home.

My experience is that if we schedule a particular day of the week for workout, whether with a partner or a personal coach or in a class (instead of simply making it when we happen to have some time), we have a far better chance of successfully carrying out our daily training task. It is often a successful strategy is to schedule these workout time for the early parts of the day and then to be done with it.

Whichever way you prefer, the main thing is that you do start working out. You may give up at a point when you feel it is too much but even that is better than not to start it at all. Many people claim that it is only the beginning that is difficult, and once they have started, they feel much better.

Whatever your regular sport activity, sufficient liquid intake before training is of high importance. Do take care to have something to eat at least 3 hours before training, and try to take your meals every 3 hours to ensure that you have the energy to get you started.

Foods with a high vitamin C content are also a good ally in fighting winter fatigue.

Sour cabbage is well known to be an easily accessible vegetable all the year round but few people have heard of, let alone consume, sea buckthorn (a thorny, deciduous shrub), which has an exceptionally high content of vitamin C. In addition to that, it contains valuable antioxidants and flavonoids that work as excellent support for the exhausted body and the weakened immune system. Products made from the orange colored berries of the sea buckthorn (drinks or jams) have a characteristically pungent taste, which appeals to some people right away but in most cases, it takes considerable persuasion to get them to drink it for the sake of their own health. One variety of the drink is made with sweet potato, which has a slightly sour, refreshing taste Since its carbohydrate content is only 2,7 g/100 g drink, those suffering from carbohydrate metabolic disorders can also consume it on a regular basis.

It can be equally energizing to consume a handful of natural oily seeds every day, whether sprinkled on salads or as an accompaniment to the afternoon fruit snack or as a delicious addition to the morning cereal. You can gain energy also from high quality, cold pressed oils, which you can simply dash on a slice of bread or use for making various vegetable spreads.

Deep frozen vegetables are widely available in the freezers of every supermarket now. Do not be afraid to use them: due to the modern preservation methods and technologies, their nutritional values are not lost.