This post was sponsored by Nature Made as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post about 5 Positive Changes to Welcome Spring are my own.
There is a rumor spreading across the land. As I hear it, winter and its accompanying cold will be leaving us and something called Spring will soon be in the air. This has been a particularly cold and snowy winter in my little corner of Montana so I am thrilled to see the snow in the yard melting and the temperatures staying above freezing. As the season of sunshine and warm breezes comes upon us I’d like to share with you 5 positive changes to welcome spring. I can’t wait for the full departure of winter but after living in this state for 10 years I know that there will be at least one more snowfall before I can finally say goodbye to the cold for the season.
Welcome Spring
Winter for me is the season of hunkering down, sitting by the fire with some hot cocoa, a cat or two in my lap and trying to not count how many inches of snow have fallen. As the new season starts to roar its way in I want to make some positive changes to welcome spring.
1. Get Moving
I love when the snow and ice disappears and walking becomes less treacherous. I have balance problems so going out on icy surfaces is dicey for me. Not to mention the fact that I am always cold. When the weather warms and I can feel safe walking I enjoy nothing more than getting out to stretch my legs and breathe in some fresh air. It’s even better when I have the company of the man I love.
All of the beauty in my adopted home state makes getting out for a walk in the woods so delightful. It’s not only good for my heart, it’s good for my soul.
2.The Garden gets Started
The hubby has already started planting seeds for this year’s garden. The eggplant, broccoli, tomato and pepper seedlings are pushing their way up and out into the world so that come summer we will be able to enjoy the fruits of the harvest.
Just thinking about enjoying a salad fresh picked from the garden makes my heart sing. For now we rely on last year’s harvest. As spring rolls around I make lighter meals that are more vegetable centered mostly using my personal favorites – broccoli and cauliflower.
The cruciferous vegetables I love so much are very healthy. They are low in calories, rich in folate, vitamins C, K and E and they are high in fiber. We grow more than broccoli and cauliflower of course – but they are the ones I enjoy the most.
3. The Fruits of Spring
Berries! Beautiful berries. Spring starts bringing all of those lovely bits of sweetness into the stores. Blackberries, raspberries and strawberries all seem to appear in abundance. We do grow some berries here but the strawberries won’t be in until the end of June and the blackberries won’t appear until it’s almost fall. We’re planting raspberries this year but we won’t have a harvest from them for a couple of years.
A garden is all about patience.
That is why I love the spring and the availability of beautiful, organic berries in the stores. Adding more fresh fruits of any kind is a perfect way to make a healthy change for the season. Much like the cruciferous vegetables, berries are low in calories and high in fiber.
Strawberries provide folate and potassium. Blueberries are high in vitamins C and K as well as manganese. Raspberries contain phosphorus and selenium and blackberries have been found to have the highest level of antioxidents as well as vitamins C and K and manganese. (source)
Citrus fruits are also abundant this time of year but no matter what you choose adding fresh fruits are a great way to make a positive change to welcome spring.
4. Keep Your Mind Engaged
OK, maybe this one isn’t one isn’t specific to any particular season. It’s an all year round effort. The human brain needs exercise just like any other muscle. If you ignore it, it will atrophy. No matter what you choose to do, I encourage you to do something.
My favorite brain exercise is reading. Anyone that visits this blog with any regularity will know that I read a lot of books. I try and expand my reading choices so that I’m experiencing new worlds and learning new things. It’s important to challenge myself and to learn. That goes for everyone; whether it’s books, a hobby, or some kind of course – just do it!
5. Supplementing My Diet
Most of the winter I wear a hat – yes, even indoors. I’m just always cold! You can imagine what this does to my hair. Add in the fact that I’m post menopausal and my hair has really gotten thin. By the end of winter my hair needs help. In addition to some extra conditioning treatments and moisturizing shampoo I recently started taking Nature Made® Hair·Skin·Nails Adult Gummies. These flavored supplements come in mixed berry, cranberry and blueberry and they are some of the tastiest gummies I take.
Nature Made wants to be there for you as a partner in working to make each day a little more healthy. They are proud of being #1 Pharmacist recommended so that they can help you meet your health goals. It was so easy for me to add these yummy gummies into my routine – I purchased them at Target.com which made shopping for them as simple as can be. A couple of clicks and they were at my door in a few days.
Taking a daily specialized supplement is a great way make a positive change in your routine. Nature Made Hair·Skin·Nails may help support healthy hair, skin and nails†‡ so it is certainly a worthwhile addition to my daily multivitamin regimen. I am so grateful that Nature Made offers so many of their formulations as gummies. I have the world’s worst time swallowing pills and having the vitamins and supplements I want available in this delicious and easy to take form makes taking them well, fun!
†‡ These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any diseases. May help support hair, skin and nails in those deficient in biotin.
Nature Made has a wide range of vitamins and supplements to help you in your goals. You can certainly find one to fit your needs.
