"Busy schedules, holiday parties, and lots (and lots) of sugar are not necessarily a recipe for health. Maybe you get food guilt and anxiety about “overindulging,” or maybe you feel lethargic and all-around worse in your body because healthy habits go out the window with the Thanksgiving leftovers. To help make the holidays merry and bright (not guilt-ridden or blah), here are 10 health hacks that are gifts that keep on giving, supporting you to feel good through every turkey dinner and cup of hot chocolate.
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The following list is not intended to be used to “earn” indulgences, “make up for” extra Christmas cookies, or prevent “holiday weight gain.” The holidays are meant to be enjoyed to the fullest, and that includes the foods and traditions you cherish. You don’t need to earn or make up for them. These health hacks are intended to be used in addition to savoring all the memorable traditions that are synonymous with this time of year. Instead of restricting or shaming, the goal is to help you feel your very best so you can make the most of the happiest time of year with the people you love. Read on for hacks that do exactly that:
1. Set Intentions Based on What Makes You Feel Good
New routines or a crazy schedule might mean we forego our regular healthy habits. It’s absolutely OK to pause some of your rituals, workouts, or routines as your daily schedule changes and you’re trying to enjoy the holidays. But to feel as good as possible, plan ahead by identifying two to three things that make you feel your best. Whether it’s getting in a five-minute meditation every morning or going for a jog three times a week, identify your non-negotiables and then prioritize them, no matter what. Keeping up with only a couple of crucial rituals will be much more manageable than trying to keep up every habit amidst the holiday bustle.
Also, set limits based on how you feel, not what you think you’re supposed to do. For example, limiting yourself to “no dessert” can lead to a deprivation mentality, binge eating, and a negative relationship with food. But if you know that you start feeling the bloat coming around the second or third Christmas cookie or eating the entire wheel of brie on the cheese board makes you feel uncomfortably sluggish (I’ve been there), set intentions by eating only as much as you can actually enjoy until you start mindlessly devouring. Know your limits based on how they make your body feel, and be mindful to keep up healthy habits that are important to you.
2. Load Up on Veggies First
Stick to a veggies-first mentality to make sure you feed your body the nutrients that make it function at its best. Snack on carrots before heading out to your holiday party, order a starter salad at dinner, or drink your greens as a smoothie first thing in the morning to get a head start. If a meal is buffet-style, eat the Brussels sprouts side or the sautéed carrots first before diving into the rest of the meal.
Try not to show up to a holiday meal with an empty stomach, ready to gobble up everything in sight with your turkey pants on. When you’re starving, you eat quicker, enjoy less mindfully, and have a tendency to overstuff yourself. Eating veggies first ensures you can enjoy any foods you want, but you’re still getting the nutrients your body needs. Plus, you’ll eat less of the fare that doesn’t make you feel good because you’ll be filled up with good-for-you veggies, not from a place of deprivation.
3. Get Up and Move in the Morning
While laying around in pajamas, sipping on hot chocolate, and marathoning Hallmark Christmas movies all day every day from now until January 1 sounds appealing, getting in any kind of movement can boost energy, motivation, and mental health. Fitting it in first thing in the morning means you won’t have to interrupt your Christmas rom-com binge to go on a walk or do a yoga flow (and let’s be honest: after a few movies in, the chance of stopping goes way down).
And by movement, I don’t mean a 60-minute HIIT class as a means to work off what you ate the night before or plan to indulge in that day (that’s not how the body works, and it’s also unnecessary). Take full advantage of quickie workouts offered on fitness apps, embrace lazy girl workouts, or do a more intense workout only if your body is craving it. The goal is to prioritize movement to make you feel like your best, happiest self—not as a means for a calorie burn.
4. Try Healthier Versions of Your Favorite Holiday Foods
You don’t have to stick to the exact (cream-laden) mashed potatoes recipe you make every year for the sake of tradition. When planning holiday meals, try to identify where you can add more nourishment to the foods you love by making nutrient-dense swaps. For example, using cottage cheese as an alternative to cream (bonus: more protein), replacing conventional butter with organic butter (which reduces some of the added hormones), and adding chopped spinach to a pasta sauce (for more phytonutrients). Healthy cooking doesn’t have to sacrifice taste, and eating healthier does not have to mean you forego your favorite foods. While sometimes only good ol’ sugar (as opposed to healthier options like maple syrup and dates) will satisfy a craving (and that’s OK), when you want a boost of nutrients, start by opting for these plant-based recipes for every comfort food craving, healthier versions of holiday go-to’s like pumpkin pie and green bean casserole, or simple ingredient swaps (you may just discover a new-and-improved recipe).
5. Have a Hydration Routine
You’ve heard it time and time again: Staying well-hydrated means everything from improving mood and sleep quality to balancing hormones and maintaining proper digestion. Just because it’s not hot outside or you may not be sweating as much doesn’t mean you need less water. I get it—you’d rather drink hot chocolate (or a hot toddy) than a glass of water, but your body needs proper hydration to operate at its best. When you’re not hydrated, you can experience symptoms like poor sleep, low energy, brain fog, difficulty concentrating, constipation, and headaches. Listen to your thirst cues to prevent dehydration and pay attention to your urine color as an indicator of hydration (pale yellow urine is the goal). Especially if you’re running on coffee or feeling hungover (whether it’s a food hangover or a real hangover), consider compensating by increasing your water intake to counteract their potential dehydrating effects. Try drinking a big glass before your first cup of coffee in the morning and sipping on tea or warm lemon water throughout the day for a hydrating refreshment that will also keep you warm.
6. Stick to Your Regular Sleep Schedule
If there are any “shoulds” worth following through on, it’s more rest, especially during the holiday breaks. I’m back in my childhood room, wearing cozy AF pajamas, and I don’t have to wake up at 6:30 a.m. for work—the odds of good sleep are very much in my favor. Extra sleep is not just a perk of a national holiday; it can also help you stay healthy. You already know getting enough quality sleep not only boosts your energy levels and improves your emotional well-being, but it also supports your immune system and enhances your skin health (they don’t call it beauty sleep for no reason). Plus, sleep can help you eat healthier. Cravings (especially sugar cravings) can be worsened by lack of sleep, so if you’re not getting a good seven to nine hours, that gingerbread cookie or pumpkin pie could sound a lot more appetizing.
With holiday festivities and re-watching the best holiday movies running into the wee hours of the night, getting enough quality sleep and sticking to a normal sleep schedule can be asking a lot. But going to bed and waking up around the same time translates to better sleep quality, both now and after the holidays (a study in BMC Public Health showed that irregular sleep schedules can lead to bad sleep quality, fatigue, poor eating habits, and lack of energy). TL;DR: Keep a consistent sleep routine and get seven to nine hours every night for restorative R&R and peak health.
7. Balance Alone Time and Connection
While connection and community are quintessential to the holidays (and your well-being), most of us never prioritize being alone and may even feel uncomfortable with it. Being in solitude—meaning sans technology, social media, and in-person interactions—is an important self-care ritual. If your holiday calendar is packed to the brim with social activities and obligations, try canceling or rescheduling some events to clear space for solo time. Go on a walk in the morning, take a bath at night, or find five to 10 minutes in the middle of the day to just sit and come up for air to recharge. If you’re spending the holidays alone, plan a baking party with friends or a Zoom game night with your family. Scheduling some social events on the calendar will give you something to look forward to, and it will also ensure you’re spending time with people you love. Spending time with just yourself and with loved ones to laugh and connect are equally important, so focus this year on finding the balance of both, depending on what you need more of.
8. Create New (Healthier) Traditions
Decorating the tree, baking sugar cookies, and exchanging gifts are holiday traditions for a reason (for one, they provide a sense of comfort, belonging, and connection), but have you ever thought about starting new traditions? Maybe traditions that are not only good for the soul but good for the body, too. As the temperatures drop, you may be less inclined to spend time outdoors, but it’s a common Nordic practice to embrace the outdoors year-round (ICYMI, the Nordic countries are consistently ranked the happiest regions in the world, and well-being is a core part of their culture).
A study in Science Advances found that contact with nature is associated with increased happiness, well-being, positive social interactions, and a sense of meaning and purpose in life, not to mention decreases in mental distress. Bundle up and take a walk with friends or family, go ice skating at your local rink, or play in the snow to bring out your inner child. You’ll get your body moving without even thinking about it (and isn’t that the best kind of wellness hack!?).
9. Listen to Your Body’s Cues During Meals
Holiday spreads aplenty call for eating mindfully and slowly; it’ll help prevent the dreaded bloat along with savoring the rich flavors. Frequently check in with yourself during meals to honor what your body wants and needs. Maybe you’re not hungry, but you would enjoy every bite of a slice of pumpkin pie because it’s your favorite holiday dessert that you look forward to, or maybe you realize your digestion is feeling off and you haven’t had enough veggies that day. Notice when you start feeling satisfied and are no longer finding pleasure in each bite to know when to stop rather than mindlessly eating until you’re uncomfortably stuffed. When you’re in tune with your body’s hunger and fullness cues, you live by the belief that a healthy, well-balanced diet means making room for all foods, including indulgences, while being mindful of getting in the essential nutrients the body needs to work at its best.
10. Know That Health Is More Than Just Diet and Exercise
If you’re still under the impression that one meal (or a few holidays) can drastically affect your body, you should also know that health is not a two-part formula of diet plus exercise. The podcasts you listen to, the people you spend your time with, the shows you binge on Netflix, the accounts you follow on Instagram, and the way you speak to yourself and others (that includes your thoughts) are all things that feed you, too. If you’re not also paying attention to the ways you’re being fed and nourished besides the food on your plate or the ways you’re expending your energy besides exercise, you’re missing key pieces of the health equation. Focus on fostering your relationships that nourish you, giving yourself compassion, and spending your free time purposefully to truly become your healthiest self.
Josie Santi, Senior Wellness Editor & Podcast Host
Josie has been an editor and writer for The Everygirl since 2017 and became a certified Holistic Health Coach in 2020. As the Senior Wellness Editor, she oversees, writes, and edits wellness content, as well as reports on wellness trends and interviews the industry’s leading experts. Listen to Josie on The Everygirl Podcast.