The cool winter months aren’t everyone’s favourite time of year, and it’s easy for your health to fall into a bit of a slump. Stay happy and healthy this winter by taking steps to fight off common health saboteurs. Think of it as a mid-year health check – a chance to take a look at all aspects of your wellbeing and make a plan to keep yourself feeling your best.
Lighten up your comfort foods
If you crave rich, carb-heavy meals in winter, look for ways to make your favourite comfort foods healthier. It’s easier than you think – start with simple switches like using wholemeal pasta instead of white, or replacing your mashed potato with mashed cauliflower. Soups or casseroles with lots of vegetables and legumes can be a great way to satisfy your desire for warm, hearty food, while still giving you all the nutrients your body needs.
Fight off sickness
Catching a cold or two is almost inevitable in winter – but give your body the best chance of fighting off sickness before it starts. Get your flu shot, drink plenty of water, and add immunity-boosting foods such as ginger, garlic, citrus fruits, yoghurt and sweet potato to your meals.
Keep the blood pumping
It’s always tempting to stay rugged up on the couch when it’s cold, but keeping active during winter is a great way to give your mood a boost, help your immune system, and stay feeling fit and strong. If you can’t bring yourself to run outside in the cold, look for different things you can do indoors to get the blood pumping. Invest in some hand weights, a skipping rope and an exercise ball and do your own workout in the living room. Or you could find an indoor pool, take a pilates class, or use fitness DVDs – anything that gets you feeling positive about doing a bit of exercise.
Boost your mood
It’s normal to feel a bit down when the sky gets grey. The long hours of darkness and short hours of light can affect our levels of serotonin, the chemical in the brain that acts as the body’s natural mood booster. Eating complex carbs, which prompts the brain to produce more serotonin; getting some exercise, which reduces cortisol, the stress hormone; and staying social, to release endorphins, can help fight off the winter blues.
See things clearly
Looking on the bright side is easier when your vision is clear – and when you love the way you look in your glasses. Visit any HBF participating optical store to find the perfect pair, with many of the frames on offer fully covered by HBF.* For most designer frames outside the fully covered range you’ll still get at least 20% off as well as your usual benefit, so the choices are endless. Find your nearest participating optical store at hbf.com.au/participating.
Give us a smile
Smile and the world smiles with you. Get your pearly-whites looking and feeling their best with a professional teeth clean. HBF members are entitled to a fully-covered scale and clean each year from a participating dentist*, which will save you about $100. Go to hbf.com.au/dentists to find a participating dentist near you, and get your smile sparkling – the perfect way to lift your spirits.
Check yourself out
Now is a great time to check in with your whole body and make those physio or chiro appointments you’ve been putting off. The annual maximum you can claim on your health cover for many Essentials services is refreshed each January, so if you claimed your maximum last year, you can now claim for these services again*. So don’t wait any longer – get all those little aches and quirks checked out and work towards feeling better all over.
*Benefits depend on your level of HBF cover
