The holiday season can be a stressful on our bodies so today we’re chatting all about gut health for the holidays. Reminder that this is a season! A few big holiday meals isn’t going to drastically alter your bodies immunity or make you pack on the pounds. It’s what you do on the daily, in between all the gatherings that will make all the difference!
Tips For A Healthy Holiday Season
- Water, water, water. Hydration will keep your body energized, your digestive system moving and toxins flushed out.
- Aim to drink half your body weight in ounces.
- Drink an extra glass of water for every glass of alcohol you consume. If you are consuming more than one glass of alcohol, be sure to drink water in between.
- Add lemon to your water. This will help boost immunity and help your body detox. I love to start my day with warm lemon water.
- Herbal teas count towards your water intake.
- Focus on real foods. Whole foods are full of vitamins, minerals and nutrients that keep your body healthy. Adding these into your diet during this busy season will give your body support and help relieve the stress of the season.
- Aim to get vegetables in at every meal. Eat a variety: raw, steamed, sautéed, roasted, etc. If you find your digestive system needing support, eat more cooked veggies. These are easier to digest.
- Limit sugar. More than likely you will get plenty of sugar at your holiday parties and gatherings. Choosing to limit it between gatherings will be less taxing on your body.
- Take time to rest. Late nights, stressful family situations, travel germs, struggling to fit in your normal wellness routines, increased exposure to holiday food can all be hard on your body. Prioritizing rest, even if for a short time will be helpful.
- 10 minutes of deep breathing.
- Box breathing, 4-4-4
- Take 5 outside
- Set boundaries around bedtime
- Consider supplements. Supplements can fill in the gaps for nutrients, immunity, digestive support and more. Check out my Healthy Holiday Immune Protocol in my supplement shop here.
- Digestive enzymes (taken with meals)
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin D
- Probiotic
- Superfoods green powder
- Multivitamin
- Zinc
- NAC
Tips For The Big Days
For the days where you do have parties and gatherings going on, implement these tips to give your body extra support.
- Eat a balanced snack (protein, healthy fat, complex carb) before the big meals
- Take a digestive enzyme
- Chew your food well
- Skip the foods you don’t enjoy
- Go for a walk after your meal
- Sip on herbal tea to support digestion (peppermint, ginger, I love happy tummy tea from Mountain Rose Herbs, etc)
- Be present and ENJOY the moments
