As the sky starts to turn grey, you may find yourself feeling blue and bloated. As humans, we tend to react to weather trends; however, our bodies do not have to be victims of it!

So, in order to beat these winter woes and keep your waist whittled, here are a few tips.

Cold, rainy weather may make it harder to get outdoors. Whether your daily heart-pumping routine relies on clear skies or the dreary weather suppresses motivation to hit the gym, weather can greatly affect your daily exercise routines. But, increasing your heart rate is vital to stress and depression management, along with a healthy lifestyle. Try signing up for a new group fitness class. You can ask a friend to be your workout buddy and come along, or look at the class as an opportunity to meet new people. Either way, mixing fitness with fun can help you keep motivated and socializing is a great addition to your new winter beat the blues routine!

When done right, emotional eating is okay! For some, winter weather triggers the desire to consume more sugar, refined carbohydrates, and fat. Historically, we had to stock up for the cold seasons because food was scarce. We’ve all found ourselves ordering gooey macaroni and cheese, french fries and milkshakes, greasy fast-food Chinese, or reaching for those oh so tempting coffee shop pastries when winter coats are not comforting enough. Instead, indulge in healthy, yet hearty easy-to-prepare meals such as oven-fried organic, free-range chicken, or acorn squash with brown rice and turkey sausage, and satisfy your sweet tooth with big fudgy, bittersweet brownies.

-Emily Freeman