Photo: examiner.com

These three simple steps are the best way to stay healthy in the colder months.

Diet is the first step to staying healthy, because looking after your body means giving it the right fuel. Don't just eat anything to kep warm. An important key to this is only giving your body un-processed food, so plenty of fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds are a must.

The easiest way to do this is to include one protein source. Have at least one low fat vegetable and stick to drinking either water or tea and coffee, as the caffeine in these drinks helps boost the body’s metabolism to digest and break down foods quicker.

Cardio refers to any exercise that gets the heart rate up and improves the cardiovascular system. These can be exercises as simple as a jog on the spot, step-ups, or even investing in a treadmill that you can run in the comfort of your own home. They improve your circulation as well, which warms you up, but more importantly carries more oxygen and food energy to all your cells.

Weight training is useful as well. Along with getting your diet right, and building up your cardiovascular system, you may want to increase some muscle mass as well.

You can do this by buying a set of weights, such as dumbbells. You can use them for various exercises, and they don’t take up much room in the house. Or there is an even cheaper alternative: doing bodyweight exercises such as push-ups, sit-ups and squats, just to name a few of many.

There are other steps you can take, but the main point is that if you don't do anything, your immune system will lose its fighting edge. At least until the warm weather returns.

Dion Gosling