A Canadian winter can be extremely long and cold for months. These sometimes dreadful months can get pretty boring if you don’t plan a few activities to keep you busy. Another thing about these Canadian winters is the freezing northern winds we get, these can be super hard on your hair on your skin and take their toll on your mind after a while.
If you are at all like me and love to travel, winter can also make road trips more challenging if you are not prepared. If you want to learn how to master a Canadian winter stick around and you will find out.
Dressing For a Canadian Winter
Wear winter outfits that will prepare you for the biting winter wind. If you are going to be spending any time outside in a Canadian winter you will have to dress for the weather. Canadian winters can be very unpredictable, and you can’t rely 100% on the weather channel it seems to change by the hour.
Even in the winter, you can look good if you take some time to plan your outfits
- Put thermal underwear underneath your pants and winter jacket by doing this your outfit will be less bulky than wearing ski pants and will eliminate a huge sweater weighing you down under your winter coat.
- Wear gloves that are slender that also protect your hands while you are out
- You can pick out winter boots that look great with most winter outfits you wear
- If you want to look good buy a toque that is stylish and also completely covers your ears so it will prevent you from getting an earache. It can become very annoying having to keep pulling a toque down over your ears to keep the wind out.
Staying Healthy in Winter
Trying to stay healthy during a Canadian winter can be difficult because of Christmas parties and New Year gatherings. I tend to eat more when I’m around my house and during winter it seems like I slow down and spend more time at home. I do fewer road trips and outdoor adventures as soon as the snow flies Some important things I do is make sure I have healthy food around the house and try and keep the junk to a minimum.
Here are some ways I like to stay healthy in winter.
- By having my favorite smoothie in the morning, I know winter and cold food/drinks don’t always seem comforting, but smoothies are so healthy they’re packed with vitamins and protein if you use a protein powder. I just can’t do without them. Mixed berry smoothies with bananas are my favorite.
- For supper, I like to make hearty comfort chicken dishes as I don’t eat beef. I just substitute ground beef with ground chicken and come up with tasty meals. Some of the meals I make are chicken meat sauce with spaghetti, ground chicken lasagna, ground chicken chili, and chicken taco pasta. All these are great ways to cut out fat in your diet but also have a hearty comforting meal on a cold winter night
Nourish Your Hair in Winter
Even in if you don’t spend a lot of time outside in winter the heater in your house constantly going off in your house can cause your skin and hair to dry out. You can prevent this from happening if you do a few simple things.
- If you have medium to long hair you won’t want to wash it every day this will dry your hair out. Using a good shampoo and conditioner will give you extra moisturizing for the dry winter months. I like using natural oils on my hair like argon oil, coconut oil, or Jojoba oil these are all great ingredients and I switch them up as needed.
- When you brush your hair use a brush that will be gentle on each of your strands so it will eliminate breaking your hair.
- Try not to use many hair products that will dry your hair out. If I don’t have a special event planned that will require a super fancy hairstyle, I usually braid my hair after I have washed towel dried, and brushed it. I sleep with my hair like this, then in the morning I let the braid out and it has a beautiful wavy look to it. Sometimes I leave it down like that or just put it into a high ponytail.
- Make sure if you decide you want to blow dry or straighten your hair you put some protector in your hair before you use any tool that has heat.
Keeping your skin Silky Smooth in a Canadian winter
The crisp cold Canadian winters can torture your skin if you don’t protect it from the moisture-sucking elements. Here are some steps you can follow to prevent this from happening
- You can Keep your face looking healthy and beautiful by washing it in the morning with a gentle cleanser and then moisturizing it with a vitamin-rich lotion that has an SPF. It’s good to still use a moisturizer that has SPF even in the winter. After you wash your face in the evening apply a night cream to help give your skin what it needs while you sleep.
- Drink as much water as you can to help your body stay hydrated and this will also help your skin look better, it’s easy to forget to drink a lot of water when it is cold outside but this step is important to keep your skin glowing even in winter.
- Covering your body as much as you can before you go out will stop the wind from getting at it.
- When you come back home at the end of the day after and have your shower apply a good skin cream to put the moisture back into your skin so it will stay hydrated all night long. My skin will feel dry and tight until I use my moisturizer.
- You can easily protect your lips by applying a simple medicated lip balm to your lips before you go out this will help your lips stay lush and healthy all day long.
Help Your Mind Stay Healthy in Winter
Wintertime can seem to last forever and those who are summer lovers like myself try their best to remain patient for warm weather to come back but that only slows the process down. A good thing to do is to have some plans in mind to pass the long winter season away.
- Learning how to do something new like making candles or refinishing furniture can be a great way to pass the long winter evenings away.
- Since there is way less possibility of sun exposure in the winter months, you can get some extra vitamin D by taking supplements.
- gym membership in my city to help me stay in shape and relax my mind and body while there. At some gyms, you can get plus memberships that come with bonuses such as private hot tubs, steam rooms, and workout equipment.
- Last year I got a Happy light for Christmas this product helped me to get some benefits that the sun provides without actual sun exposure.
- If you are lucky enough to go on a vacation somewhere warm do it! This is a great way to escape a Canadian winter if only for a week or two. Your body and your mind will thank you.
Go on a Canadian Winter Road Trip to See Friends
A way to master a Canadian winter is to get out of the same old groove, by getting out of the city and visiting your friends that you haven’t seen in a while, this is a great idea to pass some time away.
- Before you decide to go on your road trip make sure your vehicle has good winter tires on it and that it is in top working order. The last thing you’ll want to do is get stuck on the side of the road in winter.
- Before you leave the house make sure you have checked the weather reports so you will have an idea of what the weather conditions will be like for your trip.
- Packing a winter emergency kit in your vehicle along with extra blankets, and warm winter clothes is a must if you plan on traveling in a Canadian winter. All these things will help prepare you for sudden weather changes that can happen in winter.
I hope these tips help you come up with some ideas to make the most of your winter in Canada.