10 Healthy Habits for Parents & Kids During Winter
Wash Your Hands
I’m sure we have all heard this plenty of times, to the point of it being annoying - but it is important! Thoroughly lather the front, back, fingers, and wrists for 30 seconds. Getting in the habit of washing your hands will not only model it for your kids, but they will want to join in too. If you are really struggling to get your kids to wash their hands, try singing a song together!
Eat Well
The holidays filled you with desserts right? It’s so important to nourish that body with food that gives you natural vitamins and nutrients too! I’m not saying you can’t have the desserts, because no one can stop me from my grandma’s peanut butter fudge! But it is important to eat your fruits and vegetables throughout the day as well.
Red or pink grapefruits are packed with vitamin C. Broil it for a minute or two and dust it with cinnamon, another immunity booster, or dip it in chocolate for a healthy treat.
Cauliflower is rich in glutathione, a powerful antioxidant that helps fight off infection! Dip it in yogurt, drizzle them with vinaigrette, or add them to your favorite vegetable soup.
Cinnamon is antiviral, antifungal, and antibacterial. I love to add it to my teas!
Squashes, sweet potatoes, and pumpkins are rich in vitamin A and beta-carotene
Spinach and broccoli boost those helper T-cells with Vitamin E
Onions and garlic are antibacterial and antiviral
Apples and pears are full of fiber (I love to dip them in chocolate or caramel hummus)
All the soups!!
We love to take an extra immune boosting dose of Elderberry Syrup during the cold months too. This Elderberry Syrup Kit is our favorite! Elderberry is packed with antioxidants and vitamins that do an array of protection for your body.
Local Raw Honey - not for children under 1 year old. Local raw honey also has TONS of healing properties and antimicrobial properties. Support your local pollinators and local economy by buying from your local farms. We picked our Bees In The D honey jar up at a local event.
I love Ellen Fisher’s plant based recipes, Andrea Hannemann has some wonderful resources, and Madison Mealy has a ‘highlights’ tab on her Instagram full of healthier recipes!
Wear Layers
Wear layers that let you regulate comfort, wick off moisture, and retain body heat. Breathable clothing is so important too! REI posted a super quick read on layering basics. But you can either: layer clothes for winter activities or layer for staying stylish and warm indoors.
Basics For Outdoors:
Don’t wear cotton - Wear wool. Cotton is great at absorbing moisture and not letting go. So whereas that may be ideal for a kitchen towel, not so much for keeping it close to your body. Wool wicks moisture from the skin, is very water resistant, and will help regulate your body temperature to keep you warm.
Mid layer! If you have anything breathable, and waterproof, like a second long underwear layer or a thicker fleece, put them on overtop of your first layer.
Quality winter jackets. I would recommend investing in a quality winter jacket. It may be pricy up front, but they will last you many seasons and keep you safe and warm (especially if you are doing my next recommendation often).
Basics For Indoors:
You are still going to want a base layer, whether that be cute Merino wool or silk thermals or stylish turtlenecks.
Then you can have fun with the second layer! My go-to is dressing up a sweater, but you can also layer a vest, blazer, cardigan, button-downs, crop top, camisole, or even a dress!
For cooler months, I like to invest in quality fleece lines leggings or tights! Fleece lined tights will be a game changer for staying stylish AND warm in winter.
Get Outside
Indoor air quality tends to be lower than that of the air outdoors. Also with lower temperatures, people to spend more time indoors. Make a point to spend time outside, even if it is for a few minutes. Evelyn and I have been doing daily walks and she leads the way, so we go home when she is cold. A fun way to make the walks easier, bring along a sled. When Evelyn gets tired of walking, we just pull her on the sled and that let’s us enjoy a little more time outdoors (and at our own pace so we can get the blood flowing too!).
Getting outside helps:
A daily dose of fresh air and sunlight will boost immune systems, increase circulation, vitamin D, and promote overall wellness.
Getting out in nature promotes healthy sleep patterns.
Nature and natural play lowers stress (for both adults and children!).
Getting outdoors will improve your mood - sunlight will give your body that natural boost of serotonin to continue feeling well throughout the winter.
Stay Active
Don’t let the winter months keep you from getting your heart-rate up. I know it is tough to get out of bed or feel any motivation during in the winter, but it is important to get your body moving at least 3 times a week. Whether it be for 7 minutes, 30 minutes, or an hour-long yoga session, move that body and your body will thank you for it. There are plenty of free resources out there if you need structure too!
A couple of my favorite accounts for getting my movement in:
Madison Mealy posted some AWESOME workouts over the beginning of quarantine and I saved them all! I frequently pick a few to do during my morning workouts.
I found Yoga With Adriene back in high school and love to do her videos as a workout or sometimes after workouts for a little extra stretch.
Anna Saccone shared some quick HIIT workouts and gentle pregnancy workouts. I did her workouts all throughout my pregnancy and now I do them if I need a quick, 7 minute, high intensity workout just to get my movement in.
Keep clean
Try to vacuum twice a week, clean the filter in your vacuum regularly, wash bed sheets and blankets each week, replace air filters each month, and keep a clean home.
My go-to disinfectant and all-purpose cleaner is 1 part vinegar, 1 part water, and mint essential oils! We actually have plenty of wild mint in our backyard, so I infuse our vinegar and only add essential oils if it needs to be enhanced. Vinegar may smell potent at first, but it dries odorless.
Stay Hydrated
If you’re in the Midwest like we are, then your winter is already dry. Combat the dryness by keeping yourself hydrated! You can set drinking water goals, I use an app to keep track of my water intake. Or you can infuse water, drink hot herbal teas, make homemade smoothies, and drink hot chocolates in moderation.
I love to start my morning with a class of water before I drink my tea. Then I always try to drink two 40oz water bottles, here is my current water bottle, and a few cups of tea throughout the day!
Take a bath
Taking a bath in many cultures is said to having healing properties, help relaxation, and of course possess so many health benefits! A bath can help elevate your mood, help you sleep better, relieve muscle pain, reduce blood pressure and prevent serious heart conditions, burn calories, relieve cold and flu symptoms, soothe irritated skin, feel refreshed and almost more awake.
Bath tips:
the water temperature shouldn’t too far exceed your own body temperature
adding oils like rose, lavender, calendula, aloe oil, or coconut
adding oatmeal is beneficial for your skin
Epsom salts are great for muscles and reducing any chances of infection
soak for 10-15 minutes at least, breathe, relax
Or, if you happen to have a sauna, like we do now, regular sessions in the sauna are said to boost the immune system and help the metabolism as well. The goal of the sauna is to come (and leave) peaceful and relaxed. We have a sitting room outside our sauna, there I like to keep: a bowl & spoon for splashing water on the coals, essential oils (I dilute ours into the water bowl - never poor essential oils directly into the coals), lotion, and drinking water. You want to stay hydrated during your session!
Practice daily meditation or gratitude
Meditation and gratitude are both powerful skills that can really benefit the mind and body! They can improve brain concentration, improve breathing efficiency, increase pain thresholds, relax the mind, induce physical relaxation, reduce emotional explosions, lower blood pressure, and help connect with others!
Being stuck inside with others for extended periods of time can cause a lot of stress or discomfort for some, meditation and gratitude can help you navigate those uncomfortable times and make it easier to control those negative reactions, paving the way for more positive interactions and peaceful relationships.
Don’t forget to rest
Sometimes we feel like we need to constantly be moving or constantly be ‘productive’, but it is so important to remember to rest and relax in the winter (and other seasons too). Letting your body relax and making sleep a priority can help your body naturally stay healthy and fight off anything that comes your way. During rest & reset days, we love to dedicate game time where we all enjoy a board or card game.