By Audrey Sckoropad
While the holiday season brings happiness and joy, we often fall out of regular habits and schedules. We also tend to indulge and fall into the holiday temptations. These temptations can include overeating, drinking, late nights, going over budget for gift buying (which can cause stress), and more! The question is; how can we still enjoy the holidays by offsetting certain unhealthy activities? To help us stay active and choose our health during the holiday season, why not give yourself a wellness challenge?!
Once the cold months hit, we tend to see people abandon healthy habits during the winter. You can maybe blame the cold weather for keeping you inside and feeling sluggish, or the many holiday parties. Who actually feels like going to the gym and sticking to healthy eating habits?
This year for the holidays, I will take care of myself. I’m inviting you to join me on this holiday wellness challenge where I put my physical and mental health in the forefront. I think after this past year and a half, we all deserve to find some balance and a sense of well being, especially during the holiday season. I see this as a gift to myself, because a healthy body and mind is of vital importance in living a good life.
The goal of this wellness challenge isn’t to restrict yourself. I see this as more of a few simple things that you can do during the holidays to feel good and relaxed. Like anything in life, when you’re consistent, you will see results. Maybe these habits will stick and help you follow through to start the new year in a positive way!
Wellness tips for the holidays:
Stay fit.
Everyone gets busy during the holiday season, and often the first thing to go is your workout plan. But actually keeping it up will not only help you manage stress, it can also lead to a better digestion and higher energy levels. I invite you to imagine what staying fit means to you. We all enjoy being active in different ways, listening to our body is super important. For me, I know I can fit a daily 15 min stretch or yoga session in and feel good about it. I plan on keeping that up during the holidays too.
Eat right.
During the holidays, you might want to avoid leaving the house on an empty stomach. It can help you avoid overeating. Kind of like when I go grocery shopping on an empty stomach— I tend to buy so much food, more than I need. Something like a protein shake made with or half an avocado with a sprinkle of Kanel’s Holy Grail Garlic Salt could do just the trick!
If you want to enjoy a festive drink without alcohol to reduce your consumption, why not try this sparkling cranberry lemonade!
- 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
- 1 cup of fresh lemon juice
- 1 cup maple syrup
- 1 liter of sparkling maple water or sparkling water
- Fresh mint to add to taste
Blend cranberries, lemon juice, maple syrup and a cup of sparkling maple water.
Strain that mix to take out pulp from the cranberries. Then add this to a pitcher with rest of the sparkling water. Enjoy!
Eat mindfully.
What does that mean? It means that when you’re eating, allow yourself to sit back and truly enjoy your favorite holiday flavors. I personally tend to eat quickly on the side of the counter for lunch in a rush these days. I think I could benefit from taking a breath, sitting down and paying attention to the aroma, the taste and texture of the food I’m eating. I’m sure I’ll enjoy my food even more and this will give my stomach the time to send the « I’m full signal » to my brain.
Add some supplements for support.
- Probiotics are the “good guy” bacteria and microbes that populate your microbiome. They have numerous roles including helping you to digest nutrients from your diet, supporting healthy digestion and elimination, and even managing your appetite and mood. A good-quality probiotic supplement is a powerful addition to your daily health and wellness routine because it supports healthy digestion, immune health and more. I like to switch it up when it comes to probiotics. Lately I have been taking the Genuine Health probiotic tabs.
- Vitamin D. It is in charge of hundreds of reactions within the body, including those related to brain function, hormone production and immune defenses. And during the colder months, especially living in Canada, we are all most likely in need of vitamin D. Unfortunately this vitamin isn’t found easily in foods, so getting sun exposure and supplementing are the best options. There are many good options available at Rachelle Bery. From gummies to drops, there are options for everyone!
- Magnesium is a super versatile mineral and electrolyte. It provides benefits for good muscle health, better sleep and healthy digestion.
- Vitamin C and other immune supporting supplements. Vitamin C has been shown for its protection against colds and other illnesses. It supports healthy immune defenses, healthy nervous system function, antioxidant activity and also healthy neuron function and skin health. Echinacea supplements such as Echinaforce by A.Vogel have also been shown for its efficacy in prevention and treatment against upper respiratory infections.
Have a night time wind down routine.
A wind down routine is simply what you do to wind down in the evenings before bed. When practiced consistently, it can signal to your mind and body that it’s time for bed. This habit has helped me tremendously in having a better, deeper sleep. It can be as simple as not letting your phone or tablet into your room at night, diffusing a blend of essential oils (such as wintergreen, cedarwood or cinnamon for a holiday aroma), or drinking a calming tea or a digestion herbal tea (I like Phytovie’s digestive blend). Finally, relaxing your body and mind by taking a few deep breaths can tie it all together.
Set your boundaries.
The seemingly overwhelming invitations to gatherings and dinner parties can be overwhelming. And to interact with everyone at those events can be even more difficult. By communicating your needs and maintaining your boundaries, you can make time for what’s important and maintain your overall health. Some examples of boundaries you can set for yourself during the holidays; respecting your alone time, identifying triggering situations and avoiding them, not trying to fix situations or people.
Change your focus.
Put the focus on friends, family, and fun, instead of food. It doesn’t have to be all about the food. Make it about making memories and building relationships with your loved ones.
May these health tips inspire you to choose yourself and your wellbeing during this holiday season!
