Winter’s coming. This line means something entirely different for Game of Thrones fans, but for those of us in the northern part of the country, it has always meant a welcome shift in the pace of life. Frankly, I’ve been waiting all winter for the cold and the snow, but all we’ve really had here is damp gray days. It’s taking more of a toll on my mood than the bitter cold does.

Becky Lang and I put together some tips and product recommendations for surviving the longest stretch of this season without needing to jump in a frozen lake or relocate to an apartment with a fireplace to feel alive again. We are, after all, not as cute as bears, nor are we are good at hibernating.

Here are a few ways to start living like a health goddess once again, even if you have no immediate plans to take off your slippers.

Wit & Delight’s Guide to Hibernation

1. Pop Some Vitamin D

Whatever you do this winter, do not forget about the sunshine vitamin. A lack of vitamin D could be creating lots of problems for you, from keeping you feeling down in the dumps to making it impossible to nix that bug. For those who can’t don a bikini and spend 20-30 minutes exposing their full body to the sun, a winter supplement might be in order. Just don’t take more than 4,000 IUs a day, and make sure to do some research before purchasing. To get more vitamin D in your life, try adding fatty fish, eggs and cod liver oil to your diet. Yum, right?

2. Think (and Drink) in Colors

Leaving the office to be greeted by 5 p.m. darkness may make you want to curl up on the couch with takeout and beer. But there are other nighttime tonics that can bliss you out, keep you feeling satiated and give you a huge dose of antioxidants. To motivate yourself, aim to drink the most colorful potions possible. After all, the brighter the ingredient, the more antioxidants it contains. Purple berries, red beets, green tea and golden turmeric are all wonderful ways to notch up the nourishment factor.

Here are a couple recipes to get you started:

Golden Milk
Warming Beet Juice
Chia Berry Smoothie
Green Tea Latte

Plus, no one is telling you that you can’t add a little booze to any of these. In fact, we’re giving you permission.

3. Make Friends with Your Freezer

Your local farmer’s market is a ghost town right now and you can’t exactly remember what fresh berries taste like. Fight your current allergy to the cold and venture into your grocer’s freezer aisle. Many frozen fruits and vegetables are picked at the peak of freshness and preserved with all that goodness intact. Beyond just buying frozen produce, you can also cut down on food waste by freezing ingredients you’re not going to finish. A couple ideas:

-Cut ripe avocados in half and freeze for smoothies
-Freeze soft dates to make gooey frozen treats
-Chop fresh herbs and stick them in ice cube trays with cooking oil

To make enough room for all this real food, you may have to throw out some of the old, frozen, processed foods you’ve been sitting on for months. That’s probably fine. J

4. Consider a Dehydrator

Give your fresh ingredients a second life by chopping them up and placing them in a dehydrator. One of these handy devices will probably only cost you around $50, and will enable you to make everything from fruit leather to beef jerky. Plus, if you’re feeling extra industrious, you can even make your own dog treats.

Recipe ideas:

Chicken Jerky & Sweet Potato Dog Treats
Orange Julius Fruit Roll Ups

5. Get Sprouty

Did you know you can grow all kinds of sprouts during the winter, right from your countertop? All you need is a glass jar, mesh, a rubber band and some seeds. These little microgreens are a stylish and inexpensive way to top salads, plus they contain all the nutritional goodness of seeds.

Check out this guide to growing your own sprouts to get started.

6. Order In

Putting on your heavy boots to head to Target in the dead of winter can be a drag. Why not make it easier on yourself by creating weekly or monthly orders of healthy ingredients? Thrive Market is a fun and sorta fancy way to order nuts, protein powder, salad dressing, coconut oil, jerky and so much more right to your door. They make it super easy to shop by your particular health or diet needs, and they often feature fun giveaways of the latest new health food. Plus, their bulk prices sometimes rival CostCo.

7. Get Your Comfy Game on Lock

Finally, you’re going to need a wardrobe for all the lounging that you’re going to do. Take some time to search out the comfiest pajama pants, fuzziest slippers and warmest robe. Grana features cashmere items at a price that won’t make you cry, and Lou & Grey has soft fabrics on lock. Top your cozy arsenal with a lavender heat pillow that you can drape over your shoulders to relax your muscles, and an essential oil diffuser to give off good scents — and vibes.

Happy hibernating!

Links:

Round Up Items: H&M Cashmere Robe, Slip Pillow Case, Halo Ice Cream, Quarterlane Subscription, Soma Water Bottle, Hat, Cultiver Sheets, Eye Mask, Gold iPad, Rose Salve, Nars Nail Polish, Silk Pajamas, Fur Blanket.

Items Pictures: Cultiver Sheets, Brooklinen Duvet, Citizenry Pillow, Sleep Jones Pajamas, Heath Ceramic Mugs, Ikea Side Tables, Blu Dot Bed, Askov Finlayson North Hat, Winter Water Factory Onesie

Kate Arends

Kate is the founder of Wit & Delight. She is currently learning how to play tennis and is forever testing the boundaries of her creative muscle. Follow her on Instagram at @witanddelight_.