Simple Tips to Stay Healthy This Winter

With winter coming up quickly, focusing on staying healthy is very important to me.  It seems like everyone is sneezing or coughing.  As much as I'd love to just put a big bubble around myself and my family, I know that's a bit extreme and freakish.    Instead, I try to focus on the following tips to stay healthy.  Of course, it's not 100% fool proof and I've been known to get sick, but I'd like to think these little hints help me stay mostly healthy throughout the cold/flu season!

Keep Active.  
Schedule in at least 30 minutes of physical activity a day.  Keep the blood flowing and endorphins going.  Once you stop, it's harder to get back into it.  I keep a schedule to keep myself motivated.  I have found that without a schedule, I flounder and give up more easily.  I also try to remember to rest of my rest days.  Some days 30 minutes of physical activity means stretching.  And stop making excuses!

"I don't have time", "I can't", or "the weather is horrible" - scratch those phrases right out of your vocabulary.  Make time.  You are in charge of yourself and if you don't take care of your body, who will?

Vitamin C.
I'm a teacher and have a daughter that goes to daycare and a son that is in 4th grade.  We are all exposed to many germs and illnesses.   It helps to pump our bodies with Vitamin C and it's easy!   Vitamin C comes in many forms - lots of veggies and fruit like oranges, kiwi, and brussel sprouts.  And there are many benefits.  For me, I eat tons of oranges and clementines in the winter, but I also have a selection of Vitamin C packets that I enjoy adding to my water.

Snack.  
Yes - that's right.  Snack!   But stay away junk snacks like cookies.  Keep a selection of healthy choices available at all times.  When you're feeling hungry, grab an apple, banana, or clementine.  I even like to keep something like rice cakes in there too.   Every morning I grab at least 3 pieces of fruit and add it to my lunch bag.  I snack throughout the day.  That way I'm not eating three huge meals a day and I'm not starving myself.  Snacking maintains my energy and provides me with the nutrients to fend off colds and other gross things.

Hydrate.
While I haven't found any research connecting water and fending away colds or the flu, we all know that water is good for you.  It also flushes out the toxins.  So why not?  Plus, the air is dryer in the winter and I have found my water intake increases quite a bit during the winter months.

Rest.  
Remember to kick back and relax.  I find it next to impossible to find time to rest.  There's always something that needs to be done - baths, grocery shop, Christmas shop, make dinner, make lunch, clean up, load up the woodstove, take care of chickens, back bags for next day, and the list can go on and on and on.  But I find that I need to force myself to call it a night between 7 and 8 pm so I can hang out with the kids just before bedtime and put my legs up and relax.

What keep healthy tips do you have?  Share!