Let's Be Healthy Latinas!

99. Adjusting Your Wellness Routine for Winter: Flow, Don't Force

• Naihomy Jerez • Episode 99

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We explore how to pivot food, movement, mood, and community so winter doesn’t derail your wellness. Practical tips include warm seasonal meals, daylight-timed walks, vitamin D considerations, indoor movement, and building real-life support.

• reframing winter routines as pivots, not failures
• swapping raw salads for roasted vegetables, soups and chili
• dressing properly for outdoor walks and moving them to midday
• leveraging walking pads and simple indoor movement
• considering vitamin D with labs and medical guidance
• supporting mood with sunlight, sleep and medication when needed
• using herbal teas for hydration instead of cold water
• planning IRL connection to reduce isolation
• creating a winter playbook and tracking what works

If you found something of value here, please go ahead and share it with a friend, with a family member, please share it on social media, on Instagram. You can go ahead and tag me. And if you have not yet, I would really appreciate it if you would rate the podcast, leave a review to help others find us and share this information. And if you're looking for support in your health and wellness journey and you're looking for a holistic health coach, I might be your person. So go ahead and please reach out, send me a DM, send me an email, and we can chat about what that might look like if we were to work together.

Thank you so much for listening!


Speaker:

Hello, friends. Welcome back to the podcast. So winter is upon us, the cold is here, daylight savings time has happened. And how does that affect our wellness? It might have a big impact, whether you realize it or not, and that is exactly what I'm here to talk to you today, to talk to you about today. I'm in New York and it's getting quite cold. And even my friends down in Florida, I've seen that they are in the 60s and 40s down there. So if the cold weather is not your thing, if you are not a winter person, I get it. This is the season where I don't thrive as much, but I think I still can, and I've made it a point to flow with nature as much as possible because we human beings are a part of nature, and if we see nature around us, they flow with it. So that's something I am trying to implement. I started, I think, intentionally last year, and I'm continuing to do it this year as well. However, that doesn't come without intentionality and support and kind of just making the decision. Because unless I move somewhere else, I really don't have a choice. This is what this is what we're in for, these seasons changing. A few weeks ago, I was having this conversation with a client of mine who lives in California. So she's a West Coast girly. And we were talking about these transitions. I think every no matter where you live, there is some sort of transition. Even let's say in the Dominican Republic, they talk about winter. I mean, their winter is not the same as this kind of winter, but for them, it's cold, they're in extremely warm weather for a lot of the year, and they have seasons like the rainy season and the dry season, and there is seasons everywhere, right? So, how however I still find that let's say in the Northeast, there's a lot of more drastic transitions and seasons from winter to summer, and that does affect how we show up in our wellness, and it doesn't mean that we don't do it at all, we don't do wellness at all, or we give up on wellness, which I think is usually what happens where you cannot keep up with your same exact routine, so you see that as failure, or you just can't do it, right? Because your motivation or what you do or what you eat, how you show up in the summertime might feel super hard in the wintertime, or vice versa. You know, I have clients who struggle in the summertime and do so much better in the winter. So, whichever side you're on, if you thrive in summer or you thrive in winter, still the point is that we need to transition from one season to another, and how we're gonna do and how are we gonna do that without fully giving up on a wellness routine, thinking that we can't do it anymore, or it's not for us, or we failed because it doesn't look the same way, or it doesn't feel the same way as it did in a previous season. Okay, you're with me? So, with my client from California, I want to talk about a few things that we discussed and a few things I've also added that I've done throughout the years when it comes to the seasons changing. This month of November is actually my, I believe, nine-year anniversary of when I started my wellness journey. And I've learned a lot in these nine years. I'm going to talk more about that in a future episode, so look out for that. However, I just want to say in the past nine years, I've learned so much about how seasonality affects wellness, or not even affects it, but the changes that it brings along. And I really did start my wellness journey in November of 2016. Okay, so not the happiest, go luckiest times. I feel like I feel like a lot of people start in the spring when it's not as dark outside, when it's not as cold outside. So that says a lot about where I was with my mindset of just like let's fucking go. Like I'm ready to do this, and I didn't really care about outside circumstances except that I did once I started, and I'll I'll share, I'll share that in another episode. Anyways, let's get into the tips that I have for you or topics of conversation when it comes to wellness and seasons. So, one of the first things that I like to touch on is food, right? And our bodies crave different things in different seasons with all due right, right? Like our bodies innately shift with the seasons, and in the winter, we need a little bit more padding. We our bodies accumulate a little bit more fat. It is actually quite natural to do that because usually we need more protection against the cold, and with that comes changes in the kinds of foods that we're craving or that meet we might want to eat. So, generally in the winter time, I like to transition more to warm foods than to cold foods. I don't really crave cold foods as much or at all. It's harder for me to eat cold foods, kind of like salads um or different kinds of fruits, things like that. So I transition to warmer vegetables. Maybe I really love roasted vegetables, so that's something I lean on a lot. Root vegetables, soups where you can pack with things like root vegetables, kind of like a sancocho. Uh, chili is another great one that I like to lean on. So, how we're getting our vegetables in, because I know getting vegetables in is like a big topic of conversation or what we're eating in wellness. There are multiple ways to get these kinds of nutrients in, right? So if you are used to thinking, oh, I only get my vegetables through a cold salad, or I need to eat cold things, or the vegetables need to look a certain way, then I really invite you to consider other ways to get your vegetables in. And it doesn't mean that it's wrong, and it doesn't mean that you are regressing in any sort of way, it means that you're adjusting. So I love again more of the warm foods, warm root vegetables, roasted vegetables, things like stews when it comes to the warm weather, it is a lot more comforting. I think that if you are still being mindful as to the portions you're having and how you're balancing your plate, then you're like you're good to go. And just because your meals don't look like what they did in the summertime or in warmer weathers does not mean that the transition to foods you might crave in the winter is going to stall your progress at all or is going to ruin the work that you've done. So I invite you to be curious about that. The next thing I want to touch on is your clothes. A lot of my clients on the East Coast, especially, well, no, everywhere, okay, uh, usually go out for walks. And a lot of them are not a fan of the cold. And we rely on other tools that I'll touch on in a second, like walking pads, let's say, to walk in the house, and that's all great. However, something that I encourage my clients to do and that I've done myself is to get the tools you actually need for the season. So, by that, a lot of my clients would not dress appropriately for the weather, and therefore they felt extra cold and wouldn't want to step outside. And we discussed about getting a hat and getting some gloves and getting a scarf and getting uh shoes that would protect your feet from the colds better, or socks, things like that. And it made their walks outside a lot more comfortable, and they actually enjoyed their walks outside. With that said, we might need to adjust when we're walking outside because now the mornings it might be dark, and in the afternoons or early afternoon, around four or five o'clock, is also dark. So those walks after dinner maybe are not an option anymore because it is dark outside, and I don't really enjoy walking in the dark, so the times of walking also might need to transition. Something I would do a lot when I worked in corporate was take a walk during my lunchtime. That way the sun was out because part of being outside is getting some sunshine, and in the winter time is so limited that yes, there's the movement piece, but there's also the getting some sunshine piece, right? It's it's multi is multi-layered when we walk outside. Yes, there's movement, but there's also fresh air and there's also sunshine. So, something I like to encourage my clients to do is see if they can take a midday walk. So they're not only getting the the benefits of movement, but they're also getting the benefits of sunshine. And if cold is a real issue, then seeing how you can dress more appropriately so that you do not feel as cold. And how can you also build up your tolerance for cold? That is something I am working on myself. How can I, you know, give that body a little stressor or make it work a little bit more to warm me up? And if you're walking, usually that builds up, you know, heat. But in the same way that we do saunas with the heat, the cold is also beneficial. I don't know if you've heard of cold plunges and things like that. Honestly, I'm not a huge fan of being plunged into cold water, but I can work with feeling a little colder when I'm walking outside. So, again, it's just seeing what kind of tools you need to adjust to the temperature and also your schedule. How does it shift when we are trying to get some sun and is not as readily available anymore? And with that said, something I do, and this is not you should always consult with your doctor, you should get your blood work done when it comes to this. But I re I do take a vitamin D supplement, especially in the winter time in the morning, because usually that's when sunshine is available. Uh, and you should really consult with your doctor and have some blood work done to see where your vitamin D levels are. So please go ahead and do that. But vitamin D is so essential for mood and for hormone health and for you know, like it's just it has such a big impact. It can help with depression, it can help with feeling happier, like all these different things. It can help with hormone production, where if your hormones are not being produced effectively, or they don't have the tools they need to produce themselves, then a whole host of different things can be happening in the body. It can it helps with blood sugar management, right? So a lot of processes that's the word I was trying to find in the body, uh suffer when our vitamin D is way too low. So, especially in the winter time, I do like to keep up with my supplements to support my body, and especially vitamin D. So that is another thing to keep in mind for the winter season. Now, beverages, hydration is so important, and something that I don't enjoy, and my clients have brought up too is drinking water, especially cold water. So a lot of them drink seltzers or regular cold water, and it's just not as appealing in the winter time. So, something I like to do, and my clients have started to do too, is drink herbal teas, drink something that's warm, and that is equally as hydrating. So, either getting good quality tea bags or creating your own batch of fresh tea at home, similar to the Dominican tea, can be super helpful for keeping you hydrated in the way that's more pleasing for the season instead of trying to chug cold water, which I'm not a fan of in the winter time. Another thing that we can discuss is I already went, I'm looking at my little list at adjusting the schedules for walking. However, something I also did was get a walking pad for the house. I do not use this walking pad all summer long because most of the time I can find time to take a walk outside because the sun is just more available, more hours of the day. However, we become a naturally a little bit more sedentary in the winter, we're not going on walks as often, going to parks, enjoying time outside, going to the beach or to the pool or different things like this. A lot of things are indoors. So something I do use in the winter time is this walking pad because a lot of times, let's say after dinner, I might have not gone on a walk all day or what have you. And while we're watching TV as a family, instead of sitting on the couch, I can walk next to the couch while we're having family TV time, or any other time during the day, actually, you can go ahead and hop on the walking pad, and at least it'll give you that movement portion in. The sun is one thing, right? As we discussed, but me, you can also, if what you're looking for and the goal you're trying to hit is movement, it can really support you with getting that in throughout the day. I spoke about flowing with nature a little bit, right? And last year when I was working with my ancestral healer, we spoke a lot about these seasons, and it doesn't mean that we don't struggle through them a little bit, and that seasonal depression sets in a little bit, and we need support for that. But with that said, um, there's two parts there's one flowing with the season, and another part is understanding where you might need extra support. So, with that said, I highly recommend that you also have this conversation with your doctor to see if the if you're really struggling, what kind of support um medication can give you, and there's no shame in that. I've been, I noticed that my mood was off, my motivation was off for quite some time, and I went and I had um a conversation with my doctor. I explained to her everything that was happening, and she actually gave me medication. First, she we spoke, right? Um, and she kind of coached me through a few things, and she also offered me uh options in terms of prescriptions to support me in this season, and I'm not talking about just winter season, but in the season of life right now, and uh I I went for it because there's no need to be on this much of the struggle bus when there are things to support me in this season, and it has been well discussed and thought through, and it's with intention, so that is something that can also be helpful. And the last thing I'll mention is community meeting IRL in real life with friends, I or family members, or just whoever, other humans, maybe it's just community activities, and uh I've been doing coffee dates with the community, and that has been so good, and trying to schedule time to be with friends in real life, and that is always so helpful in this season where it feels so extremely isolated, isolating because let's say in the summertime you can go to a park or you can be outside somewhere and there's other people around you, however, a lot of times in the winter we don't have those options. I mean, sometimes we go to the mall if we want to walk around and be around people, so that's an option as well, but intentionally recreating connection, in-person connection as much as you can with people who are near you and seeing how you can get creative and hang out together at some capacity, it doesn't have to be spending money all the time or spending excessive amounts of money all the time, right? Like, let's get creative in ways where we can support each other in person, and I think that that gives us something to look forward to, it helps us feel seen and not alone, and it helps us pass the time, right? Eventually, winter will pass, and it helps us pass the time, so having something to look forward to, I think uh gives us a little bit of glimmers in this season. I hope these tips have been helpful in ways that you can transition in the winter season. I think that a lot of things are also habit creating. Like, as I was mentioning when I first started my journey nine years ago, something I would struggle with was waking up for the gym when it was still dark outside or when it was really cold outside and all that. But I realized that I never regretted it, and it's mostly developing that mindset and building evidence that you are actually going to enjoy yourself, like you do what you need to do to keep yourself warm or feel comfortable and safe in getting to where you need to go. But I'll tell you one thing, I never regretted going to my workouts that I had already planned for, no matter how cold it was. I mean, unless the weather is like clearly unsafe, but just the thought of like, oh, I don't want to go today. Like, I've been there so many times. So a lot of it is just especially if you're new to wellness, like really observing what your mind is telling you and what the resistance actually is and setting yourself up for success. Um, I love to leave my clothes out for the gym, so I have as little to do in the morning. I also like to have a warm beverage, so I'll drink warm lemon water, and sometimes I like to eat something I don't do in the summertime is take coffee with me. But in the wintertime, sometimes I do like to do that or take a cup of green tea, and those are things that are comforting to help me along in the process. So I hope these tips have been helpful as we are getting deeper into the winter season, and I hope that it inspires you to find what works for you in this season. Maybe what you've been doing for the summer and the early fall is just not hitting the same, it's just not feeling the same, and it doesn't mean that you need to stop, it just means that you need to pivot and see what's gonna work for you in this season, and maybe write that down, journal about it because you know what? Winter's gonna come again, and you're gonna be like, What did I do? How did I do it last season? What worked for me, what didn't. You can bookmark this episode and listen to it when winter is approaching again, and know that you can be as cyclical as the seasons and nature are, right? Think about the trees and how they drop the leaves, they hibernate for a little while and come back. So, how can you do that to a certain capacity? How can you be retrospective and look in while also meeting your needs? Okay, I hope this has been helpful for you. If you found something of value here, please go ahead and share it with a friend, with a family member, please share it on social media, on Instagram. You can go ahead and tag me. Um, and if you have not yet, I would really appreciate it if you would rate the podcast, leave a review to help others find us and share this information. And if you're looking for support in your health and wellness journey and you're looking for a holistic health coach, I might be your person. So go ahead and please reach out, send me a DM, send me an email, and we can chat about what that might look like if we were to work together. So I hope you have a great week and see you on the next one. Bye.