Winter is coming, and we all know what that means; colder temperatures, increased rain, more time spent inside than out and an increased risk of getting sick.
Protecting yourself early and preparing your environment before and during winter can help keep yourself and your whānau stay healthy, warm and well through the colder months.
Here are our top tips for your whānau’s winter wellness.
Prevention is the easiest and best protection against winter bugs. Think about how you can boost your immunity before winter sets in:
Make sure your whānau are up to date with all immunisations – check with your GP or call Healthline on 0800 611 116 to find out if you and your whānau are fully protected against a whole range of illnesses like measles, mumps, pertussis, and whooping cough.
Many of these immunisations are free if you haven’t had them yet.
We know what it takes to stop the spread of COVID-19, all of these steps are exactly the same when we’re trying to avoid catching other winter nasties.
Pull-on your socks and jersey and warm hat – staying as warm as possible is a key way to support your body’s natural immunity and defend against sickness.
Often in winter it can seem like our healthy eating options are limited, but there are lots of winter vegetables that are in season and taste great in soups and stews that can feed the whole family.
Think pumpkin, kumara, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, leeks, parsnips, bok choy, potato and more.
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During winter we seek protection from the cold temperatures outside and we head inside. Keeping your home warm and dry inside helps leave all the winter nasties outside.
Having an appropriate heat source and an insulated home is very important for keeping the heat in your home during winter, and to help, there are a few support options you can look into.
To find out more about the programme or to apply, visit Warmer Kiwi Homes programme | EECA
They can assist with insulation, ventilation, curtains, bedding, heating, smoke alarms and more. Contact them on 09 630 9799 or email housing@adhb.govt.nz for a referral form.
Find out more about how they can help by visiting Noho Āhuru - Healthy Homes • Healthpoint
When it is cold outside and warm inside, you may start to see an increase of moisture on your windows inside your home.
This can also be affected by other day to day activities like using your dryer or drying your clothes inside on a clothes rack.
While the odd day of condensation is fine, prolonged presence of moisture can lead to dampness. Dampness is caused by too much moisture being trapped in your house, and can lead to mould forming.
There are simple things that you can do to help reduce the amount of moisture in your home:
Mould is a type of fungus. It is bad for your health because it produces allergens (things that can cause an allergic reaction), irritants and sometimes can have more harmful affects.
Sometimes mould is obvious, but sometimes it can be hard to recognise. It often looks like fuzz, a stain, spots, a smudge or discolouration. It’s often black, green or white, but can come in a range of other colours, including grey, orange, pink and brown. It can also have a bad smell.