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| Beat winter blues, stay positive, healthy and ultra beautiful with these tips. Your beauty diet needs an extra boost in the cold weather to stave off weight gain, depression and dull skin. Here are some easy tips to make this winter your happiest yet! |
It might be freezing, rainy and dark outside, but there are loads of things you can do to stay happy through the winter months. Try a few of these ideas and you’ll feel energized, positive and will even avoid putting on those winter pounds. Here are some things that really help you to stay sunny all winter long – no trip to the Maldives required!
1. Facebook-stalk yourself
You’re allowed to self-snoop - it’s officially good for you. A US study found that spending time on your own profile page for just five minutes sent self-esteem soaring. The reason being that there’s no other place with such a high density of nice messages, flattering photos and happy memories of fun times.
2. Exercise in the a.m.
It’s dark, the central heating hasn’t come on yet and you sooo want to press ‘snooze’ until the very last minute. But there is a good reason why you should man-up and hit the gym or pound the pavement first-thing. The American College of Sports Medicine found that post-exercise highs can last for 12 hours, giving you more energy, clear thinking and positivity for your whole working day. When I really don’t want to get up, I tell myself that I’ll only do a ten-minute workout and then relax in the sauna. But once I’m there, I can’t help but extend it for another 45 minutes. Sneaky… |
| Kensington Gardens covered in snow was the perfect location for a homemade BMF session |
3. Gather your happiest pals
Bears may hibernate, but we humans weren’t meant to hide away in our dens all winter. In fact, socialising is a very powerful way to boost your mood. A 20 year study of 4,700 people found that hanging out with sunny-natured people boosted your own mood by 15%. Grab a coffee at work with your colleague, or organise a Sunday evening bring-and-share dinner to get you pumped for the week ahead.
4. Eat your way upbeat
No, not by swinging by the all-you-can-eat buffet; although that might work in the very short term, lets be honest. Certain foods boost your mood by increasing brain activity in the ‘happy’ area (sorry for the non-scientific description..). Vitamin D, B-Complex, Omega-3 fatty acids and complex carbs have all been shown to increase serotonin, the feel-good chemical. Start the day with porridge, lunch on salmon with brown rice and spinach, and end the day with black-bean chilli. Superfood snacks are mango, bananas, nuts and seeds which all increase tryptophan in the brain, having a natural calming effect.  |
| My winter supplements - an arsenal against illness and the blues! B-Complex is mega important for mood and energy |
5. Anticipate a great escape
Looking forward to a trip is one of the most fun things in life. I spend a good minute every day planning (and daydreaming) a future getaway. I even get excited looking at books called things like ‘Amazing adventures to do before your die’ because they remind me there’s a whole world out there…
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| Indoor skiing before for a ski trip. Check out the lovely 80s outfit... |
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| I love books like this one for really unusual and inspiring travel ideas.. |
Thank you for reading, and please follow me on Twitter +Ultra Skin Beauty and on Google+ which is the G+ button to the left.
Soo sorry to self-plug but if you share this article with a G+ thing I will be v v happy!
More from Ultra Beauty:
- Winter is the perfect time to get your sleep routine sorted. Read about why it's so important to your beauty and health, and the key to a good night's sleep.
- Pampering is my favourite thing to do when it's cold outside - here are my top beauty products to invest in for 2014.
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| Mini-skirts are not appropriate snow wear! |
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