Winter Wellness
Colder days can mean more winter sickness and for some people the "winter blues". Here's a few tips to keep well over winter:
Eat lots of vegetables and fruit. One of the easiest and cheapest ways is a beautiful bowl of soup. Check out our website for some recipe ideas.
Spend some time outside. A walk outside is good for our lungs, limbs and mind!
Move more! Sign up for Wellbeing Bingo to help develop new activity habits. This campaign runs through August with 5 weekly prize draws, and a final prize draw.
Get fresh air in your home on sunny days by opening windows during the day and closing them before the sun goes down. Airing helps keep your home dry.
Share kai with whānau or friends; a pot luck lunch or dinner shares the load and the recipe ideas. There's nothing better for our health than connecting with others.
Make sure your vaccinations are up-to-date. Free flu jabs are available for over 65s, Māori and Pacific people over 55, pregnant women and those with underlying health conditions.
It's best to stay home if you are coughing or sneezing. Teach your whānau to cover their mouth and nose with a tissue or cough or sneeze into their upper sleeve or elbow, not their hands.
Visit your GP if you need to or use Healthline (0800 611 116) for advice.
Winter vegetable ideas
In the midst of winter it's time to enjoy:
Root vegetables such as carrots, kūmara, yams and parsnips. Roast a tray and turn it into a salad, frittata or fill a wrap. Leave the skins on where possible and go for as many different colours as you can. Try our Puāwai - Kai Roast Vegetables recipe.
Mandarins, New Zealand oranges, kiwifruit and tamarillos. Sounds like the making of a winter fruit salad to enjoy with breakfast, 3pm snack or after-dinner.
A pot of vegetable soup or a wonderful warm dahl made in one pot!
