5 Quick Tips to Stay Healthy this Holiday Season
5 Quick Tips to Stay Healthy this Holiday Season
Dr. Ellen Simone, Naturopathic Doctor
The holiday season is upon us and with the joyful festivities and social gatherings also comes the cold and flu season. Implementing these 5 quick tips to stay healthy this holiday season can help boost your immune system so there’s no need for FOMO (fear of missing out!) to occur. If you are in charge of the holiday hosting your guests will also benefit from these health tips without even knowing it
- Add some berries to your breakfast: Blueberries, strawberries, raspberries and blackberries are rich in vitamin C, an essential vitamin which supports a healthy immune system. Frozen berries are a great option and can easily be added to a breakfast smoothie, oatmeal, cereal or chia seed pudding. Or incorporate them into your holiday hosting by serving a Very Berry Cranberry sauce instead of plain old cranberry sauce.
- Snack on some raw, unroasted pumpkin seeds: Pumpkin seeds are high in zinc, an essential mineral which supports a healthy immune system. Pumpkin seeds can easily be sprinkled on breakfast cereal, on salads, as a crunchy garnish for your holiday soups or mixed with some almonds, walnuts and cranberries to make a festive holiday trail mix. Here’s a great crowd pleasing recipe for Nut Free Cranberry Pumpkin Seed Balls which are also dairy-free, egg-free and gluten-free which everyone will enjoy.
- Serve up some ginger spiced turmeric lattes to your holiday guests: Not only will they enjoy a delicious drink, they will also be enjoying the warming and immune boosting properties of ginger and turmeric. According to traditional Chinese medicine principles, when it is cold outside our bodies need warming spices to protect us from the cold season which brings with it the cold and flu season. Simply make a large batch of Ginger Spiced Turmeric Latte in your crock pot and keep on the ‘warm’ setting so guests can serve themselves during your holiday gatherings.
- Try implementing the 4 Gift Rule: This year I came across this fabulous article on the 4 Gift Rule. Holiday gift giving can be overwhelming financially and cause elevated stress levels which depress your immune system. The 4 Gift Rule suggests setting up guidelines for meaningful gift giving by only purchasing 4 gifts which include something you want, something you need, something to wear and something to read. Receiving meaningful gifts and expressing gratitude and appreciation are helpful for supporting the release of your happy hormones and improving your mood.
- Spend 5 minutes alone to recharge! In this season of giving we often give away so much of our mental, emotional and physical energy to others that we feel exhausted and depleted at the end of it all. Traditional Chinese medicine is all about the flow and health of your Qi/Energy and if it is depleted it can increase your susceptibility to the cold and flu. So take some time to replenish your Qi/Energy by doing something you love like reading a book, going for a walk in nature, listening to uplifting music, or scheduling a self-care appointment for some personal pampering! The more you are able to recharge, the more you can give to others.