I feel the nip in the air, the roads are strewn with fallen dried leaves and the cold weather clothes, comfy wooly slippers are filling in the racks at the mall near my house! Well, if you happen to live in areas that experience milder winters, you are lucky but if you are in terrible winter regions, like places in the North - East you have to get a plan to survive the cold like a ninja! For me, it gets really hard to hold on to my routine, especially the ones which beg me to leave my nest. I can almost see hands going up in the air, saying, me me me! Come on, we can't let the winter blues hit us every year. Let's try to make this cold weather days better, but how? I have a few pointers here.
Sweat it out!
I don't know about you, but I usually go to the gym early in the morning spring, summer and fall but winter, not so sure about that! With dark and somber weather and blink-and-you miss daytime, it’s easier to skip the workout, but do not give in to this. We fall off our calorie meter, fitness takes a nosedive, we put on weight, a bloated tummy and poor digestion accompany all this. So please put on an extra layer if you want but do not miss your gym schedule. Get out, breathe in some fresh air, it will not only boost your motivation but also your metabolism and immunity.
Pump those fruits and veggies!
Listen, I know it's okay sometimes to binge eat or indulge in our comfort food, especially during those chilly evenings, but not the whole winter. Colder temperature brings with it a great variety of food wonders, right! How about trying a warm butternut squash soup or a recipe with kale or swiss chards or Brussel sprouts. Yummy in your tummy and a thumbs up on the calorie count too!
Get going girl!
I love to hibernate on those cold winter nights. However, it’s a very bad idea. Instead, plan a quick walk in the nearby park or just head out for coffee. Don't roll yourself into that comforter, you will end up eating more, will sleep at irregular times and will rate low on the energy meter. Avoid this. A deep breath of the pure cold air into your lungs is refreshing and rejuvenating!
Break out the humidifier
When the air gets cold and dry outside, try to keep the keep moisture locked inside the house by running the humidifier. And do you want to get fancy? Add an essential oil diffuser to your winter purchase list!
Make smart skincare choices
We tend to overlook this till the time our skin starts feeling flaky. My skin is on the drier side and it's important to keep it hydrated and moisturized. Determine your skin type and make the smart switch because your sweater probably is not itchy, is skin is, look after it. Want to explore some other options, check this.
Get your flu shot
Last year, I skipped mine, ended up in urgent care with high fever with an almost $300 bill, gosh! It usually comes at a very low price or free with insurance.
Healthy and hearty
Ditch the coleslaw and try oven-roasted veggies instead or tweak your dinner by adding warm baked Brussel sprouts and potatoes into your salad or maybe a generous amount of cabbage, cauliflower, parsnips or squashes into your dishes. These seasonal veggies bring in the much-required variety into your food. How about a warm bowl of cauliflower soup? Hmm yumm!
A little bit of self-love doesn't hurt
It's cold, wintry, and it's dark. The vitamin deficiencies might start popping their head out. Nip it in the bud and start taking your supplements seriously. Want to know a bit more about supplements for the ladies, head here. Also, the cold season might be a good time to head to the sauna to relax and ease all the rigidness that has a cold made to creep inside your body. Imagine you right after a gym session, sitting in a sauna with eyes closed, heaven!
Rubba dub dub
It’s winter so odds are someone around you has cold. Be extra diligent about washing those hands. I even carry around a little lavender hand sanitizer to wipe down my phone or my yoga mat at the gym.
Add All the spice in your life
Try adding the pumpkin spice, grated ginger or dash of cinnamon to your drinks. I am into my tea with a little hint of almond milk and a pinch of ginger. These flavors are so quintessentially for the cold weather! And did I mention ginger has medicinal properties to ward off rhinoviruses {this virus causes cold} and anti-inflammatory goodness to cure sore throats.
Come on, cold weather should not be a punishment, it has its great sides too. So, we promise ourselves now, that apart from a few straying occasions, we'll try to stick to these basics. Cheers to happy cold weather days!