It’s that time of year again - the nights are drawing in, the weather is getting colder and with the kids back at school it all seems like a recipe for getting ill with seasonal sickness like colds and flu.
But there are steps you can take, and good habits to get into sooner rather than later, which can help keep you and your family healthy.
Learn to make healthy winter meals
The British Heart Foundation has put together a great selection of tips for eating healthily on a budget, even during the winter months. They recommend:
Using frozen fruit and veg to get your 5 a day
Getting your protein from cheaper options like beans, lentils and tofu
Use whole-grain versions of bread, pasta, or rice to keep your digestive system healthy
You can look at their full guide here and check out their healthy dinners for cold winter nights.
Stay warm this winter
One key way to stay warm this winter and save money on your energy bills is to ‘heat the human, not the home’.
Layering clothes to keep in the heat, getting extra warmth from electric blankets, heat pads and foot warmers and blocking any areas in your home that are particularly draughty, including around window frames, keyholes and under doors are all effective suggestions.
Our friends at MoneySavingExpert have added a few extra tips too, and also what to do if you’re struggling to afford these options.
And did you know that with your Fair for You Shopping Card, you can purchase winter clothing from TU at Argos? Find out more here.
Keep up to date with medication and jabs
Keeping up with prescriptions, doctors’ appointments and vaccines is a simple way to stay healthy and avoid the many bugs doing the rounds.
Find out if you’re eligible for free Flu and COVID boosters using this NHS guide and get yours in the diary.
Winter is also a tricky time for getting enough Vitamin D, which is great for boosting our immune systems. Keep an eye out for seasonal deals to stock up on supplements when you can, like the Holland and Barrett 3 for 2 Mix and Match.
Get Active for Free
The cold, rain and shorter days can make it feel harder to find your get-up-and-go, but staying active is not only a great way to stay warm, it can also boost your mental health and strengthen your immune system. And it doesn’t have to cost the earth either.
In fact, the British Heart Foundation has put together a great selection of exercises and workout ideas that can be done in and around the home absolutely free.
Please note we’ve used links to external websites. Although we make every effort to ensure these links are accurate, up to date and relevant, Fair for You Enterprise CIC cannot take responsibility for pages maintained by external providers. Views expressed on external sites we link to are not necessarily those of Fair for You Enterprise CIC.
If you come across any external links that don’t work, we would be grateful if you could report them to the web content team.
The content of this blog does not constitute personal financial advice, and the views expressed in it are those of the contributor or author, which may not necessarily represent or reflect the views expressed by Fair for You Enterprise CIC.