4 great benefits of winter for your health

There is no shadow without light, nor day without night. In the same way that the last thing a fish would discover at the bottom of the sea is water, during the cold months It is comforting to know that precisely this most severe period helps us to become aware ofto of the most pleasant months, of the call good time.

Cycles happen in our life; the solstices and equinoxes mark the passing of the seasons and know how to adapt to the cold in winterMaking the best of the dark months can bring us a beneficial sense of place and balance in our lives. The sense of good cold. In this article by journalist Iban Yarza we talk about the cold benefits.

The good cold, the necessary cold

Life, especially in urban centers, contrary to what happens in rural areas, is less and less related to the cycles of nature. Air conditioning and heating keep us in controlled conditions and the fast pace of contemporary life often makes us unaware of what is happening on the other side of the glass.

On the contrary, our neighbors, Plants and animals are very sensitive to signals from nature.to its ancient indications that the seasons change, to changes in light and temperature.

Some trees shed the leaves that have fed them for months and prepare to concentrate your strength on the roots; some animals shed their fur and others change their livery, some even prefer to hibernate, enter a state of torpor until the rigors of the cold pass.

However, it is worth stopping think and feel the changes around us to bring out the best in them both inside and out; it is an expression of the fact of being alive.

The cold, despite being frequently reviled, is extremely useful (sometimes it becomes vital) for agriculture, for what nourishes us. The bitter cold of winter in some cases it eliminates many insects and pathogenic factors for crops. An example is corn wilt, caused by a bacterium that overwinters as a host for a beetle that feeds on the plant. If temperatures are low enough, the risk of this pest can be eliminated.

the cold isan ally of the field, since it keeps many pathogens at bay, which makes the use of chemical treatments even less necessary. In fact, many plant species have assimilated this need for cold and darkness, through a phenomenon called vernalization, which is the biological function that ensures that plants do not interrupt their winter dormancy and begin to flower before winter is over.

To do this, the plant is programmed not to flower until a sufficient number of hours have passed at a certain temperature and light.

Although sometimes we think that we do not have much to do with plants or animals, we are all built of the same material, we share basic structures and become aware of it and respond to changes in the environment It allows us to adapt better and achieve greater well-being and health, both physical and mental.

In his classic treatise on self-sufficiency Life in the countrysidejohn seymour The section dedicated to winter begins with the delicious phrase: “Winter is the time to build and repair”.

Although Seymour talks about the most mundane tasks on the farm, fixing the greenhouse or preparing the compost and the seedbeds, his statement could not be more accurate for interior life as well. The months in which the number of hours of sunshine decreases invite to recollection, care and reflection.

How low winter temperatures benefit you

1. The cold awakens the inner heat

On the one hand, the cold proposes us to plan and be rational (so as not to forget the raincoat or the umbrella, and thus avoid catching a cold, for example). We do more indoor activities; communication is established around the table in cafes and closed places, while in summer many of the activities make us move and go out.

Normally we don’t sit in front of the air conditioner, but we do sit in front of the fire in a fireplace. There is something in the need for heat that refers to the interior of oneself. The simple pleasure of sitting in silence and with a hot cup.

It is a fact that the cold and the dark months make us more melancholic, but this does not have to be negative. That introspection can instead be very positive. This reflection can help us to get to know each other better, to listen to each other more, away from the abundance of summer stimuli.

In the cold season we are more at home, we read more and pay more attention to the intellectual, which leads us to know ourselves more inside. It could be said that in summer we live more abroad, we travel more abroad, while in winter the trip is made inwards without having to leave the house.

We can take advantage of the time at home to rearrange not only the closet but also our ideas, undertake forgotten plans and projects. There are several simple proposals to get the best out of winter. Regarding the playful and familiar, this is a great time to get family and friends together and resume board games, conversationthe traditional, classic, fun and cheapest way to socialize and bond.

Before Twitter and Facebook, before ubiquitous Wi-Fi, people talked to each other for the hell of it, perpetuating an atavistic rite; the small and important stories were told. It is the great moment for talk to the people we care about and worry about them.

A beautiful project for winter evenings It can consist of narrating a story that interprets in the first person the positive aspects of the life lived so far; it would be a matter of basting a collection of clippings, photos and personal stories that create our “album of good memories” with the aim of filling winter with the warmth of our lives. A way to promote the perception of who we are and become aware of our place in the world.

2. Your house becomes a temple in the middle of the storm

Anyone who has visited the Nordic countries in the winter months will have seen that they are true masters of create pleasant environments through the use of light and textures. Just as they admire and envy street life in southern countries, we can learn from their customs to create atmospheres that promote well-being.

The languages ​​of colder peoples, like Dutch, sometimes give us clues. in it there is auntranslatable term, gezellig, that describes a situation of calm, a feeling of serene well-being, of being very comfortable. It is an untranslatable term that could be evoked by a wool scarf, an old cozy and enveloping wing chair, an afternoon of good conversation in front of the fireplace or the warm decoration of a room.

In winter we can not only adapt ourselves, but also predispose ourselves to that feeling gezellig adapting the environment of our houses. We can achieve this through simple steps such as the strategic use of carpets of joyful textures, of cushionsof curtains thick (which will also act as an effective thermal insulator) and a careful use of light; some candles are the best ally to make any room a true garden of the soul, a serene place in which to deeply enjoy the quiet winter hours.

3. You make the most of light

In summer, thanks to the number of daylight hours, we spend a large part of the day outside the home, we are more active and more easily embark on excursions and outdoor activities.

He winter it tests our will to carry out outdoor activities, but it also tests our body, so it is advisable to stay in shape. Exercise stimulates the proper functioning of the immune systemwhich counteracts its possible weakening due to lack of sun, temperature changes, etc.

The number of daylight hours decreases, so it is important to plan to get the most out of them and receive our daily dose.

We can all learn from the coldBoth children and adults. A winter storm is usually the best occasion to approach a nature reserve (they are closer than we think) and spend a great day learning about nature. Rare bird species brought in from afar by the storm can often be seen. A most inspiring spectacle.

4. You choose foods that warm and comfort you.

The chapter on food is undoubtedly one of those that most clearly shows us the need for winter, the need for cycles and variation. If we didn’t have the cold months, we wouldn’t be able to enjoy seasonal foods that nature so wisely offers at this time, such as citrus fruits or winter vegetables full of vitamins.

It is a time more prone to colds, so it is convenient to pay attention to the diet. Not because it’s cold you have to stop hydrating; getting used to drinking herbal teas is a healthy way to warm up the body without adding empty calories while being adequately hydrated and receiving the benefits of the medicinal plants, seeds and extracts used.

At the table, winter is blessed with delicacies such as thistles, cabbages or artichokes, and It is the season of stews and broths: few dishes are more comforting and that transcend their mere nutritional value to warm the soul.

Learn to cook the different products of each season It puts us in contact with the world around us, escaping from intensive monoculture products and continuous presence 365 days a year.

The variety of life and periods of the year is expressed in few places as clearly as in the shopping cart. This can be quite a challenge. Subscribe to a green basket It is a simple gesture that will force us into the routine of eating fresh, seasonal and local products, in addition to developing culinary techniques and knowledge of recipes to prepare them in the most delicious ways (which in many cases would be forgotten).

Cooler temperatures are ideal for make homemade fermented foods such as sauerkraut or kimchi. These are simple ancient recipes that, in addition to providing us with vitamins, fiber and minerals, are a cheap and inexhaustible source of probiotics. With the heat of summer, fermenting at home is more risky, the cold is our friend here too.

The cold is the ally of the field and guarantees good harvests (“year of snow, year of goods”); The winter months invite us to meet with the people who matter while they are an excellent time for introspection and personal growth in many areas. Just as in our interior we are governed by a balance of factors, life needs a balance between cold and heat: the good cold is undoubtedly on our side.