When winter comes, we all want sweet, warm and high-calorie meals.

There is nothing surprising about this – the body is slowly switching to “we need to somehow survive this winter” mode. How can you avoid gaining unwanted pounds because of your increased appetite?

You can discover below!

When you want sweet or oily …



In the winter diet, how frequently you eat is very important. It is best to eat five times a day but in smaller portions. Skipping breakfast and taking long breaks between meals can result in hunger strikes. If you like fatty foods, choose marine fish like herring, salmon or mackerel, which are rich in “good” omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins A and E. When you think about eating something sweet, wait a few minutes, focus on something else.

However, if you still have a craving for something sweet, reach for healthy snacks like fruit, dried fruit, and nuts. Nothing bad will happen if we occasionally indulge in the temptation and taste a few chocolate blocks or a slice of cake – but it’s best to eat them in the first half of the day when we’re most active.

Eat warm and spicy food



In the morning, you eat a sandwich, then yogurt with fruit, then salad and … you’re hungry all the time. In the winter it is worth eating more warm meals that will keep us warm. For breakfast, instead of sandwiches, it is better to choose muesli with nuts and warm milk. Instead of salad at lunchtime, spicy soups will work better.

Add spices like ginger, pepper, chili, and turmeric to your dinner dishes. They contain capsaicin, which promotes digestion and raises body temperature. If you are not a fan of spicy flavors, you have heart problems or stomach ulcers, add these spices in small amounts, but if there are no clear contraindications, do not give them up completely.

Reach for frozen foods



Even if we don’t have as many fresh vegetables in the winter as in the summer, that doesn’t mean we have to give it up. It is worth choosing frozen foods, which, due to the fact that it is stored at a low temperature, retains most of its nutritional properties. It is a good solution for acid products, e.g. cabbage or cucumbers, which contain beneficial bacteria for the gut. This is especially important this time of year – the natural gut bacterial flora has a significant effect on the body’s resistance, a barrier to the germs that attack us.

Keep an eye on physical activity



It’s worth being active all year long. That doesn’t mean you have to spend every other day at the gym. Maybe instead of fitness exercises, you can achieve more by spending time at the pool, dancing lessons, climbing the wall, or playing tennis? Instead of sitting at home, take a half-hour walk or a short bike ride – this will not only give you energy and help you stay healthy but will also greatly improve your mood.

And when the weather is not great for outdoor activities – instead of eating sweets in front of a computer or TV, it’s better to exercise with workout programs online. After a mini workout, instead of eating packet of chips, it is better to eat a handful of nuts.

Provide iodine to the body



In winter, the body uses more iodine. This element is a key component of the hormone of the thyroid, which, among other things, is responsible for increasing your metabolic rate and generating more heat. To increase the amount of iodine in your body, it is a good idea to enrich your diet with more sea fish, but also algae, spirulina or other algae.