You may think the holidays are the most wonderful time of the year, but here is an honest wellness truth: your body probably doesn’t agree. Between sweet treats and celebratory cocktails, late nights and extra gifting and planning stress, December can be a wild time for the body—mentally and physically. So, how can you prevent getting sick or feeling rundown during this time that is supposed to be joyous? Worry not, because we’ve got the answers! Here is our holiday wellness routine to help you rally and keep the fun going this season.
Supplement for Recovery
We probably don’t have to tell you that supplements should always be a part of your holiday wellness routine. Winter tends to bring with it an abundance of illnesses. When we all start gathering indoors for holiday parties, that only kicks up a notch! By helping your body absorb the vitamins and nutrients it needs most, you can encourage it to better fight off those good time-ruining germs.
But supplementing as part of your holiday wellness routine is a great idea for other reasons, too. The stress of buying and wrapping presents, creating holiday magic for children, traveling, working parties into your schedule, cooking, baking—there is so much extra on our plates in December. Guess what that does? It wreaks havoc on your nervous system.
Happily, there are supplements that can help to reduce the effects of stress. A few common ingredients known to support this include L-theanine, magnesium, and rhodiola. You can find all of these, plus holy basil leaf—an adaptogen that reduces stress and anxiety—and chamomile flower, in our MindYourMind capsules.
Pair that with ShieldUp, our formula designed to bolster the immune system and its response mechanisms, and you’ll be golden for the winter!
Stay Hydrated
Another key goal in your holiday wellness routine should be to stay hydrated. Again, the busyness of this season can impact our water intake. But in many climates, this is also a dry time of year, which certainly does not help. Add in the dehydrating habits that see an increase in December, like drinking alcohol and eating salty foods, and suddenly, you’re majorly low on liquids.
One solution is to grab yourself a cup you really enjoy utilizing, like a Stanley with a cute straw topper or one of BrüMate’s amazingly spill-proof Era cups.
A second way to boost hydration is to incorporate supplementary helpers, like Liquid I.V. But did you also know that there are ways to supplement for hydration that don’t involve actual liquid? Our SkinCapsule HYDRATE+ formula was made to help hydrate the skin. But in the process, its powerful ingredients will keep you hydrated generally. The heavy hitter here is hyaluronic acid. Pro tip: If you struggle with dry skin in the winter, combining our supplement for internal hydration with a topical hyaluronic acid might be a major game changer for you. Try it out!
Reduce Inflammation With Healthy Foods
Another element of a holiday wellness routine should be to reduce inflammation. When you’re eating more sugar and salt than usual, your body can experience an uptick in inflammation. While many think of swelling when they think of inflammation (and it can cause this, as anyone who reacts to the excessive salt in soy sauce with swollen eyes the next day will tell you!), that isn’t the only sign.
Unusual fatigue or insomnia, joint pain or stiffness, and skin problems can all indicate inflammatory response. When you break out because your diet has changed, this could be the reason.
The good news is this: there are ways to prevent and reduce inflammation. The main method is, in fact, nutrition. If you balance some of the treats and decadent meals with other foods that battle inflammation, it can make a difference.
Some of the best foods to fight inflammation include tomatoes, olive oil, green leafy vegetables, nuts, fatty fish, and fruits.
Our advice? When you need a quick bite in between festivities, make it one—or a few—of the things on that list.
We’ve got one other tip to offer here too: PlantYourDay, every day! Our protein powder contains purslane, which is high in omega-3 fatty acids and therefore anti-inflammatory. It also has a host of other great ingredients to keep your gut balanced as you enjoy those holiday meals!
Prioritize Sleep
We know, we know … how?! This time of year, getting enough sleep can feel downright impossible. Not only do you have to keep up with all of the work and household tasks you normally do. You also have to get ready (and unready) for parties, shop for gifts, wrap them, spend hours mingling at said parties and family gatherings—the list goes on! While these are all things many of us find enjoyable and exciting, that doesn’t mean they aren’t consuming time we really don’t have.
So, where are we finding that time? Often, by sacrificing sleep. Who here has found themselves wrapping gifts at midnight or waking up early to stop by a shop to purchase something for the host of the party we’re attending later? Our hands are certainly raised!
To some extent, this sort of shortchanging sleep during the holidays is unavoidable. But if you’re intentional about trying to get as much sleep as possible, you might be able to get away with skipping out on fewer Zzzs. Here are some tips:
Utilize Instacart or delegate to family members for that last-minute shopping.
Bow out early from parties where it doesn’t feel rude to do so.
Try out heatless curls or braids to prep a hairstyle overnight, so that you can sleep in a little bit longer after a late bedtime.
Avoid screen time starting an hour before you want to get to bed, because this will help you to fall asleep faster when the time comes.
Exercise Whenever Possible
Again, we know how tricky this can be in December. But exercise is such a good stress-buster. It’ll also help your body to combat all of the varied foods, salt, and sugar. In fact, sweating is even a surefire way to lose last night’s alcohol in a jiffy!
We won’t type this one to death because everyone knows exercise is good for you and especially during stressful times.
The one thing we’ll close by saying is this: walking is one of the best forms of exercise for whole-body health. There’s a reason hot girl walks are still a trend!! Plan a stroll to see the neighborhood holiday lights or try to keep a healthy pace when you’re journeying through the mall on a gift-purchasing mission. This is multitasking at its finest.
We hope these ideas for your holiday wellness routine prove useful and beneficial for you. This is such a special time, but it also demands a lot of us. The best thing you can do is strive to be thoughtful about self-care, now and in the new year, too.
Happy Holidays!