It might sound a bit strange but keeping healthy doesn’t necessarily mean the same thing at all times and in all places. As humans, our bodies are intrinsically sensitive to the climate in which we live. And more than that, they are sensitive to the changing climate, be that the change of the seasons or the more gradual change in climate which happens over long time periods. We have all heard of things like seasonal illnesses and the different approach to a healthy lifestyle that you should follow in the winter compared to the summer. It is also obvious that certain climates are more conducive to health than others. There is a reason elderly people often retire to Florida and not Alaska!
How Climate Influences Our Health
Health Jobs Nationwide, a health job board and recruitment service, note that location (meaning also local climate) is a major factor when people are looking for recruitment. Our bodies are sensitive to things like changes in air pressure, humidity, sunlight amount and, of course, temperature. Another thing that climate influences is how people eat – and how people can eat healthily. To take quite a well-known example, vitamin D deficiency is a problem in places that do not get a lot of sunlight. Accordingly, eating heathy in those places entails getting vitamin D into the body by other means.
Climate also effects what grows in an area, which of course is what influences a region’s cuisine. However, in the age of efficient global trade, you do not need to be living in southern regions to eat oranges, and so on.
Tips for Eating Healthily in Changing Weather
Of course, if you want to eat healthily in a specific area, you also need to account for the how the weather changes in that area. This is perhaps the most common form of weather-related dietary advice as most climates change quite significantly with the change of seasons. So, how should your diet change when the weather changes? Here follows some top general tips:
Consider Liquid Nutrition
Liquid nutrition is one of the easiest ways to up your nutrition intake as the weather changes. This means a good deal more than just remembering to drink more when things get hot. There are warm, nutritious soups that are great when things are getting a bit colder and for the hot weather, it is a great idea to stock up on super nutritious fruit juices and smoothies. These are not only more pleasant to enjoy in the sun, but they will help your body cope with the changes as well.
Be Careful with Raw Foods
At certain times of the year, especially hot wet seasons, it is known that some foods that are commonly eaten raw can garner a fair amount of bacteria which thrives in these conditions. This does not mean avoid raw food when it is warm and wet, but you should at least be more diligent when washing it out. Such seasons are also when the diseases that result from those bacteria become more common.
Eat Seasonal Crops
Climate change can put a certain degree of stress on specific crops which do not cope as well with changing weather. Rice is one such example. Of course, it will always be safe, but the nutritional content can vary depending on the time of year. By eating crops which are well suited to whatever season it is, you can avoid this issue.
Ultimately, healthy eating isn’t a static thing. Just as your body changes and adapts to new weather, so too should your diet.