I am writing this on an extremely wet afternoon when you could be forgiven for assuming we were in the depths of winter rather than barely into autumn.

On top of that, a number of my friends have Covid or really horrid colds and it seems early for that as well.

One of them lost his appetite and is having a pretty miserable time – and as he lives alone, there’s no one to rustle up healing chicken soup or to peel an orange for him. By the time this column comes out, I’m sure they’ll all be fine, but their experiences have set me thinking about nutrition in the dark, damp months we’re about to experience, and how to keep ourselves as healthy as possible even when the odds are against us.

Let’s face it, you don’t have to be at death’s door to feel dreadful when you get some bug or other – and this goes double if you live on your own. So, I think a bit of preparation for illness could be sensible.

Perhaps we should start by getting some batch cooking done?  When there are tasty homemade casseroles and soups frozen ready for use in portions especially tailored for our needs, then even if we’re tired, poorly, or just disinclined to cook properly we have an option other than ordering a takeaway which might well consist of an overload of calories.

Talking of calories, it’s all too easy in autumn and winter to eat a lot of high carb, comfort food to cheer us up. The trouble is that when spring and summer come round, we won’t be very happy if we can no longer fit into our favourite clothes.

Might it therefore be a bright idea to bone up on what foods are particularly beneficial, in the hope that they will energise us and hopefully help stave off various lurgies. Foods that are packed with vitamins and protein, but not going to pile on the pounds.

Protein is a must for energy and for maintaining and building muscle mass. Make sure you’re consuming around one gram a day per kilo of your weight. So, if you weigh 70 kilos, you should be looking at eating 70 grams of protein daily. For guidance, the average chicken breast contains about 30.

Here are some of the recommended items suggested by the BBC’s Good Health website and various other reputable organisations: Beetroot, berries (frozen are just as good as fresh), carrots, celery, cranberries, Greek yoghurt (higher in protein than other types) leeks, oats, oranges, parsnips, pears, pomegranate, red cabbage, sweet potato, walnuts and watercress.

You might also boost your health if you ensure you’re getting sufficient vitamin D because you certainly can’t rely on daylight as a good source at this time of year. Foods that can help include mushrooms, salmon and egg yolks.

Woman warming hands by fire at homeWoman warming hands by fire at home (Image: Getty Images/Hemera) Also, you might want to consider taking a supplement. I use a spray containing 3,000 international units per dose, which you can buy from loads of outlets. It retails around £9 and lasts for ages.

I know that dancers at the Royal Ballet take vitamin D if their levels are low because it’s believed it helps prevent injury or speeds up recovery if they do get hurt. My reckoning is that if young athletic individuals like them need this supplement, probably we do too.

Many nutritionists and dieticians also recommend various vitamin B combinations. You can buy vitamin B complex pills which contain most of them.

The claim is that they improve mood, skin and the brain. They are also more important as we age because many older people exist on fairly restricted diets for a number of reasons and may not be getting these vitamins in what they eat. It’s fairly common for those of us over 65 to get cracks at the corners of our mouths or a sore tongue in winter, and B vitamins should help to prevent that.

I also want to mention omega-3. These healthy fats are essential for good eye health. They can reduce inflammation in the body too and, according to the British Heart Foundation (BHF), are important in reducing the amount of harmful fats, called triglycerides, in our blood. The BHF also says that omega-3 lowers blood pressure, improves circulation and prevents blood clots.

Can you get enough of these in what you eat? The jury seems to be out on that one, but you can certainly improve your levels by regularly opting for oily fish such as salmon, mackerel, sardines and anchovies.

The next few months may feel dismal at times but why not turn yourself and your wellbeing into a project? If you take an educated interest in how to look after yourself properly by eating the sorts of foods that will help in your quest for good health, you’ll feel a sense of satisfaction that you’re doing something useful and responsible for yourself.