Taking vitamins is an important point in strengthening the immune system, which everyone asks in the autumn-spring period. And doctors regularly recommend adding such microelements to your diet to maintain health. Moreover, there is no particular problem now in buying suitable vitamins - they are widely available in pharmacies, for literally every taste and color, and even for solving various problems: for vision, for skin and nails, for women’s health, etc.
At the same time, many predominantly use multicomplexes, where the main substances and components are collected. Doctors note that, for example, in the fall it is much more useful to specifically select microelements that will allow you to feel comfortable and prepare for winter.
This will allow restoration of those areas that suffer the most. For example, if the skin dries out, certain substances are required. If your hair suffers, another one is needed; if you have sleep problems, a third one is needed.
Plastic surgeon and current ISAPS member Evgenia Pozdnyakova told AiF.ru about which vitamins are great for the autumn period and where to get them to replenish supplies, as well as what the preventive course should be .
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Autumn vitamin deficiency
Doctors note that autumn vitamin imbalance is a new standard phenomenon for people in the world. And this despite the fact that the summer period, rich in fruits and vegetables, has only recently been left behind. “Autumn vitamin deficiency has become a common occurrence in our decade. At the same time, we must clearly understand how to understand that our body lacks a number of important elements,” says Evgenia Pozdnyakova.
Among these symptoms:
- chronic fatigue, when it is impossible to get ready, work normally, you always want to sleep and just sit without bothering anyone;
- fast fatiguability;
- decreased performance;
- tendency to frequent ARVI;
- change in appearance is not for the better.
All this, says the specialist, is a signal that the body is acutely lacking the necessary substances to maintain its health during this period of the year. This means that the diet is chosen incorrectly, without taking into account seasonal needs. In addition, the sun is waning, children are returning to their desks, where in small groups the risks of catching ARVI grow even faster. The problem is also the return of many to the office, where everyone is in close contact in a small area.
The doctor advises taking the situation into your own hands and making up for nutritional problems with vitamins. There are a whole TOP 5 remedies that will help bring back the taste for life again.
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How often should I use them?
It is immediately necessary to clarify that the above products should not be consumed regularly. Ideally, only before “planned” physical activity. In principle, you can follow the popular rules:
- breakfast – should be rich in simple carbohydrates, as this will help you cheer up as quickly as possible;
- lunch - without excessively fatty dishes, but always filling;
- dinner – simply hearty, without simple carbohydrates (complex ones are possible and even necessary).
And at the same time, 2–3 hours before your planned sleep, it is better to refuse food altogether. Otherwise, you can end up with chronic insomnia, from which even the most “energetic” breakfast will not help in the morning.
The best vitamins for autumn and winter
Evgenia Pozdnyakova offers the following list of the best products for autumn:
- Vitamin A (retinol, carotene) maintains the normal condition of the skin and mucous membranes, improves vision function, and is a powerful antioxidant. If we look for it in food, then the highest content of this element is in food products: cod liver, beef liver, carrots.
- Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) increases the body's resistance to infections, enhances the detoxification function of the liver, and has pronounced antioxidant properties. Its highest content is in food products: sea buckthorn, black currant, sweet red pepper.
- Vitamin D (cholecalciferol) helps preserve and strengthen musculoskeletal tissue, restore the myelin sheath of nerve cells, and correct PMS symptoms in women. The highest content in food products: cod liver, mackerel, salmon.
- Vitamin E (tocopherol) slows down the aging process of the skin, suppresses inflammation, and accelerates wound healing. The highest content in food products: sunflower oil, almonds, hazelnuts.
- Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) is necessary for the normal functioning of the nervous system, improves the emotional background, and increases stress resistance. The highest content in food products: pistachios, garlic, walnuts.
All these funds can be obtained from food by preparing it correctly, experts say. However, in such a difficult time for the body, when it gets colder, daylight hours are shortened, sometimes a stronger effect is required.
Article on the topic
Nourishment for the body. How to prepare a vitamin salad? “In the autumn, preference should be given to medicinal forms of vitamins, since even a balanced diet cannot guarantee a lasting therapeutic effect. One drug with a multicomplex is a more gentle solution for the liver than a “handful” of several drugs per day. Vitamins are taken 1-2 times a day with meals,” says Evgenia Pozdnyakova.
At the same time, the doctor notes, it is very important to drink the entire course to the end, since otherwise there will be no tangible health benefits. The duration of preventive courses to replenish the vitamin balance takes 1-2 months.
Autumn nutrition for those who suffer from fatigue and lethargy
Autumn is a time of year that is truly stressful for the body. This applies not only to a decline in mood, but also to a deterioration in physical well-being. Frequent rains, unstable weather, pressure changes - all this contributes to a decrease in immunity and the development of viral infections. But this is not a reason to run to the pharmacy and buy vitamin preparations. I encourage you to adjust your daily diet so that nutrition helps activate the body's defenses and avoid seasonal diseases.
Autumn is not the time for dieting
First of all, I want to note that those who want to lose weight should not go on a diet in the fall. Any restriction in nutrition threatens the appearance of a deficiency of nutrients that we so need during this period. This will weaken the body and ultimately harm your health. In order not to gain excess weight, you just need to eat right and not fight your own body, but try in every possible way to help it.
Carbohydrates are different from carbohydrates
In the autumn period, a person especially urgently needs not proteins and fats, as one might think, but carbohydrates, or polysaccharides, because... They are sources of energy, and their deficiency causes metabolic disorders. Moreover, we need not simple, but complex carbohydrates (cereals, cereals, vegetables, fruits, herbs), because they are absorbed more slowly and do not increase blood sugar levels. Additionally, these foods contain fiber, which helps remove toxins from the body.
The main rules of autumn nutrition
The daily menu should be balanced and varied. Make it a rule to eat at the same time every day. Then the body will know that food will arrive in any case, and will not cause a feeling of false hunger and store fat for future use.
The daily calorie content of food should not be less than 800 kcal, so as not to cause additional stress for the body. Food must be hot, rich in vitamins and not heavy. To avoid exacerbations of gastrointestinal diseases, exclude spicy and fatty foods from your diet. Cook in the oven, in a sleeve, steam, simmer, but under no circumstances fry in oil.
PERFECT AUTUMN MENU
- Breakfast: porridge from a mixture of cereals (including whole grains) with the addition of dried fruits, honey, nuts. If you do not suffer from high blood pressure, you can add eleutherococcus, ginseng, and lemongrass to your tea - adaptagen plants that help the body adapt to physical stress and unfavorable environmental conditions. The ideal drink is rosehip infusion. This berry contains a huge amount of vitamin C, which is necessary to fight infections.
Rosehip infusion recipe. Peel the berries so that the grains remain intact, pour boiling water 1:6, brew on fire for 10 minutes, leave for 2 hours and strain. With this preparation option, ascorbic acid in the berries is not destroyed and enhances the effect of other microelements: iron, manganese, phosphorus, magnesium, silicon. Take 0.5 cups per day. You can add honey to the infusion, but not sugar.
- Lunch: vegetable or meat (beef, lamb or rabbit) stew. As a side dish - porridge (for example, rice, buckwheat), seasoned with unrefined oil (olive, cedar, grape seed). Boiled or jacket potatoes are also useful at this time of year. Potatoes contain a lot of potassium and vitamin C.
Contrary to popular belief, it is not potatoes that contribute to weight gain, but what they are usually eaten with - fatty sauces, cutlets, etc.
- Dinner: sea fish (mackerel, sardines, tuna, salmon) or seafood (shrimp, squid, mussels, etc.), stewed with vegetables. Seafood is an excellent source of protein, iodine, and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, which help cope with autumn depression.
Fruits and berries are a source of energy and a storehouse of vitamins; they should be present in the daily diet, but it is advisable to consume them before 18 hours. Of the berries, I would recommend blueberries and black currants, which help normalize the intestinal microflora; grapes that increase hemoglobin levels. Apples improve digestion, bananas promote the production of the joy hormone serotonin, plums prevent headaches and lower cholesterol levels.
Even frozen fruits and berries grown in our region are much healthier than imported ones
Strengthening the immune system
The intestines are a huge immune organ. To support its microflora and avoid constipation, at this time the diet must include fermented milk products - kefir, Varenets, fermented baked milk or yogurt (1 glass before bedtime). For the same purpose, probiotics are sometimes used, which are prescribed only by a doctor.
Vitamin C helps strengthen the immune system. To compensate for its deficiency, it is enough to eat 2 tangerines a day. You can add dried seaweed to salads instead of tableted vitamin complexes. Freshly squeezed vegetable juices (tomato, carrot, beetroot, celery, parsley) have immunostimulating properties. However, you should drink them no more than 2 times a week and no more than 1 glass a day, an hour or two after meals, since their abuse can lead to exacerbation of gastritis, ulcers, bowel dysfunction, heartburn and even an acute allergic reaction.
To improve immunity, vitamin teas made from herbs such as mint, lemon balm, chamomile, fireweed, and St. John's wort are very useful.
Instead of sweets, it is better to eat dried fruits. Prunes increase the body's resistance to stress and help get rid of constipation; figs normalize the functioning of the thyroid gland; dried apricots are a source of potassium and carotene; they contain fibers that help cleanse the intestines and restore microflora. Cherry has a rejuvenating effect. Dates are very useful. They, in addition to other vitamins and nutrients, contain vitamin B5, which helps improve performance, enhance concentration and burn fat. It is even used for colds, because... under the skin there is a substance very similar in composition to aspirin.
Natural remedies for blues
Tryptophan, an essential acid from which the “happiness hormone” serotonin is synthesized, is responsible for a good mood in our body. A piece of dark chocolate eaten with an orange will help cope with drowsiness and give the necessary boost of energy.
A cup or two of hot cocoa a day helps stimulate performance and mental activity, lower blood pressure and stress levels.
With a lack of vitamin B, depression develops. You can replenish its reserves not with drugs from the pharmacy, but with apricots, bananas, nuts (5-6 walnuts, hazelnuts daily).
Spices (cloves, cinnamon, ginger, vanilla, etc.) will also lift your spirits. They can be added to tea and dishes.
What to eat in autumn
- Sauerkraut and fresh cabbage - rich in vitamins A and B, vitamin C, helps remove toxins and bad cholesterol from the body
- Carrots – neutralizes the effects of harmful substances
- Pumpkin - rich in iron and beta-carotene, helps increase hemoglobin levels
- Mushrooms - contain a lot of protein, help break down fats, prevent the development of atherosclerosis
- Beets are a storehouse of vitamins and microelements; the coloring substances included in its composition have antitumor properties and are not destroyed either by heat treatment or by gastric juice
- Onions, garlic - have antibacterial properties
- Beans - rich in protein and contain interferons that help fight infection
- Corn - contains the rare trace element selenium, which has a beneficial effect on the nervous system
- Sweet bell peppers are rich in vitamin C, which is not destroyed either by freezing or by heat treatment.
- Black and simple radish - stimulates metabolism, removes toxins from the body
- Brussels sprouts - contains vitamins A and B, vitamin C, helps avoid mood swings
- Tomatoes - contain a lot of potassium, help normalize heart function
Nuances to consider
It is important not to forget in the process of improving your immune health that an excess of vitamins may also not be good. After all, vitamins are often called toxic substances, and their excess can cause serious health problems. Therefore, it is worth consulting with your doctor about which medications you need to choose, which ones are best suited and will help. In this case, it will be possible to achieve the final result with great effect - improved well-being and positive changes in appearance.
There are contraindications. Be sure to consult your doctor
