Hey, How you doing? Hope all is well in your part of the world. You remember in my last blog post I spoke about how you can keep warm this winter by exercising. It's the hardest time of the year to keep motivated to do anything least of all exercise. High on most people's agenda is to keep warm and do very little. Well I've put together 5 points that you should be doing to help keep warm and well throughout the winter months.

1. Eat well . It sounds Obvious, But it's so easy to forget about fueling our bodies correctly. It always seems easier to eat more healthily in the summer months. The longer days of sunlight give the illusion of more time so we tend to make more of an effort to eat more healthier foods such as salads and light dishes. Try to remember that fueling your body with a good variety of quality fresh food is key to keeping your body working well. Stay away from convenient ready meals and packaged foods. They are the easy option as they are quick and not much thought is required but they don't offer much in the way of nutrition. If you are looking for ideas to try something new to cook for you and your family, Check out the top 20 winter recipes www.bbcgoodfood.com/content/recipes/occasions/top-20-winter/ There are some real good suggestions on what to eat during the winter months.

2. Drink Plenty....Of Water!

You and i are made up of over 65% water so its very important that we stay hydrated. Without regular water toxins can build up in the body which will compromise the bodies ability to function correctly. Ideally we should be downing 3-5 liters of water a day and this does not include tea and coffee! If you like your warm drinks, introduce a herbal option like green tea. These have a good number of antioxidants that neutralise 'free radicals' that harm the body. When you're hydrated properly you will be in a much better position to fight off symptoms off the common cold and flu virus too.

3. Exercise! I don't need to go on about this too much but its the best way to stay warm and well during winter. Exercise will also help boost your mood and help you feel great. No excuses!!

4.Wrap up warm. Keeping warm by wearing the right clothing is very important. Helping your body retain heat with the right clothing can make a huge difference to how you feel. Its a common myth that you loose the majority of your body heat through your head, which is not quite true. However wearing a hat will go a long way to helping you keep an ideal body temperature(about 37c). Head heat loss is only about 20%-30%(in normal conditions) meaning the rest of the body is where the majority of body heat is lost. So keeping body temperature up by wearing good winter wear is imortant. If you're like me and you like to accessorise with your clothing, a winter hat along with scarf is the look I'd go for (don't forget your gloves too!) Wear additional layers of loose clothing that you can remove if you get too warm, you don't want to break into a sweat when its cold as that will cool you down even quicker.

5. Snuggle. Yes, that's right why be cold alone!! Seriously, its one of the best ways to keep warm and its highly enjoyable too (providing you have permission and its with the right person). Snuggling up with a friend or partner is a good for mind and body. Most of us like a good hug as it makes us feel good and loved. Snuggling up to someone will offer the same feelings as well as obviously heat to help you keep warm. Now i cant really help you if you havent got a suitable partner to snuggle up with, but pets are good snuggle options too (so i've been told). Whatever you prefer, its a good way to help keep the cold chill at bay.

Keep well And warm. Please share this blog with your friends and i'd love to hear your comments too!