Every year, once Halloween has passed, it always seems that the Holiday season just steamrolls in at fast speed. The candy isn’t even put up before the stores have the Christmas displays up. As Thanksgiving approaches, and between Thanksgiving and New Years, at least for me, there is a seemingly endless flurry of activity, company, cooking, eating and drinking too much and stress with shopping and planning. It’s fun while you are doing it, but, especially when you get a little older, it is easy for the pounds to slip on, sleep to get disturbed more and immunity to be a little less efficient. This year I thought I would try to be in better shape to combat the fatigue, the extra stress and the extra pounds by doing a bit of “pre-holiday pre-tox!”
1)Arm Yourself with immunity!
Because of what I do for a living (Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner), a pre- holiday pre-tox might consist of a few extra things that others wouldn’t think of. For example, my pre-tox includes making sure that I am up to date with all my immunizations, including my Influenza Vaccine and COVID Vaccine. I do feel personally that this is important for everyone, but especially older adults. During the holiday season, we are usually around a lot more people, attending more activities and out and about more. You never know what germs are lurking around and no one wants to have the Flu or Covid for Christmas!
Something else you can do to boost your immune system is invest in some good Vitamin C supplements. I take Vitamin C all winter long. I like the Cymbiotika Liposomal Vitamin C the best. You can take it daily right out of the packet, and it actually tastes good. One packet has the same amount of Vitamin C as 10 oranges, and it is formulated in a special Liposomal delivery system that allows the nutrients to reach your body effectively without being broken down in the gut. You can check it out on this link:
2) Eat Your Vegetables!
Grandma always said eat all your vegetables and leafy greens to be healthy, and she was right. Vegetables help your body’s own natural detoxification system work. Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, Brussel sprouts and cabbage have something called glucosinolates in them that work with your liver’s detoxification system. With all the indulgences during the holidays, I think starting out the season with a healthier liver seems like a good idea.
Having a double serving of vegetables on your plate can also help fill your stomach with healthy food so you don’t eat as many of the things that aren’t so healthy like sugary treats and heavy foods. It’s also a good plan to consciously start watching sugar intake early. In a 2018 online article “5 Simple Tips for Completing a Holiday Pre-Tox’ by Dana Bosselmann, the author makes the point that the holiday season can mean sugar soaked EVERYTHING and the idea is supposed to be that it’s a holi-DAY not a holi-WEEK or a holi-MONTH!
3) Extra Sleep Can Be A Holiday Gift That Keeps On Giving!
Sleep deficiency can contribute to a myriad of health issues. You need enough sleep for a healthy immune system. Lack of sleep can also interfere with how your body’s hormones regulate appetite and metabolism, making weight loss or maintenance more difficult (Bosselman, 2018). A good goal for sleeping is about 8 hours a night, although often during the holidays, parties, and activities can disrupt that. Try “banking up” on sleep in the days and weekends and getting some extra rest before the holiday rush. If you are someone who struggles already with sleep, some tips that can help you get this extra rest include drinking hot Chamomile Tea, using calming essential oils such as Lavender in a linen spray or diffuser, turning off electronics in the bedroom and taking a warm bath. Cymbiotika also has a very good sleep supplement called Liposomal Sleep that I take. It contains Melatonin, GABA, Chamomile and other ingredients. You should always check with your own healthcare provider before taking any supplements. If you want to learn more about this, here is the link:
4) Get All Glittered Up and Glowing For The Holidays (With Sweat!)
Your liver and kidneys are the main organs that remove toxins from your body, but the skin can help remove toxins through sweating as well. Working up a sweat with exercise activities such as brisk walking or hot yoga can contribute to your detox program, but they also make you feel less stressed and help regulate your blood sugar. Saunas and detox baths with Epsom salts (1-2 cups) and a couple of drops of lavender essential oils are good too. Be sure to rinse off in the shower after sweating with exercise so the toxins are whisked down the drain.
5) Stay Hydrated and Lose the Booze!
During the holidays and colder months in general, there is often lower humidity, dry indoor air and increased consumption of alcohol containing drinks. Alcohol in of itself can dehydrate you because it works as a diuretic, causing you to remove fluids from your body through the renal (urinary) system at a faster rate than other fluids. In turn, dehydration may lower your metabolism (the rate you burn calories). Prior to the holidays, I get in the habit of drinking a glass of warm lemon water in the morning to flush toxins. Green tea can boost your metabolism, and Chamomile tea can calm your nerves and relax you.
If you want to feel like you are having a fancy cocktail without alcohol, try Curious Elixirs. They are delicious craft cocktails made with adaptogens and herbs such as Ashwagandha, that relax you and make you feel good without alcohol and high sugars. They look fancy too! They have a fabulous website with all kinds of information and even recipes:
This year I want to try to start the New Year feeling good, happy and healthy. I am going to try to work on immunity, sleep, hydration and diet and hopefully be in tip-top shape to handle the stressors and temptations of the holidays! All the links for the resources in the blog can also be seen on the Resources page.
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