It's officially winter in Miami. Do you know what that means? It means that our normally hot and humid weather is slowly fading away, being replaced by an early morning chill and lots of rain! While we don't have to worry about sleet or snow during wintertime in Miami, we do have to worry about a constant change in temperature, which results in colds more often than not. I thought I would share some of my tips on how to stay healthy this winter while we all still have a fighting chance!
Because really, it's no fun being able to go to the beach on Christmas if you're too sick to be able to do so!
Tips on How to Stay Healthy This Winter
First and foremost, WASH YOUR HANDS. All day long, every day, no matter where you are going, what you are doing - keep your hands cleans. While everyone around you might be coughing and sneezing, you have a better chance of avoiding catching the colds of other people if you keep your hands clean. I also like to carry a little bottle of hand sanitizer with me (Angeline does as well) to use after being in public places. As much fun as shopping at the mall is during the holidays, there are germs crawling all over the place in public places!
Stay hydrated! Drinking lots of water helps you stay hydrated, avoid headaches and wash out all of the impurities in your body. Most people don't realize just how important it is to drink the daily recommended amount of water each day. The Institute of Medicine recommends that we drink eight 8 ounce glasses of fluid a day, and while popular opinion doesn't stipulate that it has to be water, I personally find that I feel much better when I limit my intake of sodas, juices etc in favor of good old H2O!
Take a daily multivitamin. I take a daily multivitamin, and I really try to get Angeline to take one as well. While I am used to taking vitamins and supplements on a daily basis, it is still something that I struggle with when it comes to my daughter. Part of it is that she is a teenager, and what teenage girl does what her mom tells her to everyday? Taking a daily multivitamin is important because most of us don't really eat a perfectly balanced diet, and we miss out on essential nutrients. It is especially important to take our vitamins during the winter, when illnesses are going around and our immune systems are struggling.
I buy L'il Critters™, the #1 child gummy vitamin for Angeline, and not surprisingly, she doesn't resist my "Take your vitamins!!!" routine when I hand her a cute little gummy in the morning on the way to school.
L'il Critters™ is the better tasting gummy vitamin that's preferred by children and trusted by their moms (like me!) because they mean it when they say, "We Make Nutrition Taste Good.” Seriously, they taste like gummi bears, which makes them pretty hard to resist! You would think that I could get Angeline to take a regular multivitamin in pill form, since she is 16 years old, but that's nearly impossible. So L'il Critters™ it is!
Increase your Vitamin D intake during the winter. While it's easy for us to get plenty of Vitamin D from all of our Florida Sunshine, there are less-sunny ways to increase your Vitamin D intake. Did you know that exercise helps increase your Vitamin D levels? And don't forget about fatty fish! While farm-raised fish aren't as high in Vitamin D, wild salmon has about 1000 IU per 3.5 ounces.
What are your tips for staying healthy during the winter months?
L'il Critters™ are the #1 child gummy vitamin. We are the better tasting gummy vitamin that is preferred by Kids and trusted by Moms. "We Make Nutrition Taste Good.”
Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Church & Dwight via Glam Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Church & Dwight.
Anjanette Young
Isn't funny, but I bet we could avoid a lot of colds just by washing our hands more often. I'll have to try the gummie vitamins for my girls. last few I tried they didn't react well to the colors. thank you for sharing.
brett
super tips. wash, wash wash your hands- that's the biggest one!!
Meghan Cooper
We love L'il Critters! We use them every day!
Krystyn
We are in the same boat here in Atlanta....and this reminds me I need to get the kiddos vitamins. I keep forgetting!
Angela
Love L'il Critters year round!
Kecia
We focus on hand washing all year round, but especially with the germs running rampant during cold and flu system. We also make sure to take a multivitamin to stay healthy!
Autumn
Washing hands is something that a lot of people seem to skip out on. I hope you are able to stay healthy this month! A lot of people are getting sick, and I'm trying my best to stay away - at least until after Christmas 😉
Shell
I'm a handwashing freak, especially in the winter time! My boys like the gummy vitamins, but I have to hide them after an incident we had with one of my boys eating half a bottle.
Melissa
Great tips! I really need to get my son taking those vitamins.
kim
yes, that's what I say too...wash those hands and and clip those fingernails too. Great other tips too.
Candy
Great tips!! I miss the beach!
Piera
These are great tips! The handwashing is so important! We love L’il Critters Gummy Vitamins - our 6 year old takes these every day!
Stefani
Great tips! I just wish I was better at taking vitamins every day.
Kelsey Apley
Great tips and thanks for sharing. We take a multivitamin each day as well, it is hopefully gonna help keep us away from getting sick! The Lil Critters sounds great!!
Liz
I really like arming ourselves with what we need in vitamins every day too. It's good insurance!
Ellen Christian
It is so important to remember to take your vitamins!
Shauna
I love these... I had no clue that you should increase your vitamin D... hmmm, interesting..
Janel
I'm all about the water!! Lots and lots of water!
Angela S
Plenty of water and vitamins are a must this time of the year!
martha
wash, wash, wash your hands!!
Pam
We spend a lot of time washing our hands to prevent germs!
Dawn Lopez
Thanks for the great tips! I had no idea that the temp fluctuation had it's downfalls when it comes to keeping healthy! Yuck! Cheers to that, hope we all avoid cold/flu this year!
Nancy Lustri (StyleDecor)
We take vitamins and there's a lot of hand washing in this house. The kids know that when they come home from school, they head straight to the sink. It seems to work. The kids are never sick (knock on wood). 🙂
Jennifer
I love gummy vitamins!!! These are great tips. I definitely wash my hands a TON more in the winter!!
Melissa
Great tips. Honestly, I really struggle with staying hydrated. I get to the end of the day and realize that I haven't had much to drink. My kids love taking their daily vitamin.
Dawn
My daughter hates to take vitamin pills. We need to get these for her.
Tammilee Tillison
The beach looks amazing! I am slightly jealous of the Miami winter!
I love the gummi vitamins. Such a fun way to get your daily dose of vitamins.
Crystal
Wash hands and sneeze and cough into your elbow...that's what I'm always telling the kiddos.
Kristin Wheeler (
My kids eat these SAME vitamins! We try and wash hands often too!