Y’all. I meant to finish this and post it BEFORE CHRISTMAS. And then life happened and I got the freaking flu. It’s no joke this year. But, for me, rather than beating myself up over it (which was my first tendency), I’m embracing this crazy season and hopping back on the wellness train – and trusting that the universe sent me that illness for a reason. Watch this week’s Wellness Wednesday video over on Facebook for more on this.

 

Winter is very obviously here. Here in Texas, temps are swinging wildly from one day to the next (no joke, friends up north – we’ve had 50 degree swings in 12 hours more than once!), and the barometric pressure is all over the place. The flu is making its rounds (again, boo) along with a few other, ahem, interesting things that are keeping kids home sick- and adults too.

 

How do we keep our families well with all of the wackiness?

 

I can really only speak to what I do for my own family, to be perfectly honest. We aim for perfect on our “winter wellness checklist” but often fall short of perfect – because we’re busy living and doing all the things! So, my other piece of amazing advice for you here is to stop, take a breath, and just do the best you can!

 

Here’s what us chaotic Wuistingers do in the winter!

  • Get adjusted regularly – yes, cliche since their mama/wife is a chiropractor, but it’s true that this is our number 1 to-do for staying well! Here’s an interesting summary of how chiropractic care helps the immune system.
  • Wash our hands – my kids are always grumbling about this one, but it works! Also, I get fun soaps from local makers, so I feel like it’s a double win! I heart supporting other small businesses!
  • Elderberry syrup – I make literal gallons of it to sell at the office and we take it regularly at home too (more on that one next week!).
  • SLOW DOWN. This is the hardest one on my list BY FAR. It’s a crazy time of year with the holidays and school stuff and parties and marathons and all the things – STOP. BREATHE. Whoa. Slow down – even for 10 breaths. 2 minutes of focusing on your breath can totally reset you, friend.
  • Homeopathic Flu Prevention duo – this can be found here* and we do this with our whole family every year.
  • We try REALLY HARD to get enough sleep. This is a killer for the parental units, mostly – we can just lay down the law of “nope, because I said it’s bedtime” and *poof* our kids are asleep (well… as long as it’s Court putting them to bed – if it’s me, I get dehydrated philosophers who “just need one more something” crazy babes of mine!). But us? Mmmmm. There’s always stuff to be done, clean up, businesses to run, a relationship to maintain, and all the things. You know how it is! So, we try really hard to get to bed at a reasonable time to ensure enough sleep.
  • Drink lots of water. You’re made up of 70% water – stay hydrated. Here and there (when you think about it!), add a tiny pinch of good salt – think himilayan pink salt or celtic sea salt or something fairly unprocessed.  If you’ve met me, you probably have heard about my “dirty water” that I drink – I LOVE a little extra salt and lemon or lime in mine. My kids unlovingly call it dirty water – think of all the 6 year old sass that can get put into the question “Mama, I’m thirsty. Can I have a sip of your water. Wait a sec – is this DIRTY WATER?” Oh, the humanity! This is also my favorite in the summer when it’s just hot – I feel super hydrated when I drink this one!
  • Get outside! We aim for a few family walks each week – it’s sunshine, fresh air, movement, and family time all in one!

 

(* The links I provide are just places that I buy from and love – they don’t have a clue who I am in most cases and I’m not associated with them or getting anything back! I just want to be super honest with y’all!)

 

So, there’s a big list! There are some other things we do, but these are the biggest things we aim for being consistent with doing. And, like I mentioned, we’re nowhere near 100% perfect on this stuff.

 

I’m in the office for all of my normal hours all winter – come get adjusted! Come share your wellness tips with me, please!

 

Stay well, everyone!

xoxo,

Dr. Jamie