Stay Fit and Healthy through the Holiday Season
The holidays can bring joy, celebration, and connection, but for many, they also bring stress and unhealthy habits. This year, let’s rewrite the script. By incorporating these simple strategies, you can navigate the holiday season with energy and resilience – without sacrificing your health.
1. Prioritize Mental Health: Sleep and Stress Management
Sleep and Self-care. If ever there were a time to prioritize mental health, the holiday season is it (though year-round is prudent)!
Keep in mind the holidays aren’t ‘happy’ for everyone. Isolation, missed loved ones, overwhelming commitments, and unmet expectations can take a toll.
Be kind to yourself and others. Compassion is key.
Take a few deep breaths to reset when feeling stressed.
Prioritize sleep; it’s a cornerstone of resilience and immune support.
Practice gratitude or reflect on your blessings daily. Small shifts in mindset can make a big difference.
- Extend kindness to yourself. Don’t get hung up on “slips” or imperfections. Gently move forward with resolve and self-love. Beating yourself up is typically not useful.
Extend kindness to others, even small acts. They create a ripple effect of positivity.
- Need a mindfulness practice for travel? Don’t miss our guide for zen-like travel.
2. Create a Gentle Eating Window
Rather than strict fasting rules, aim for consistency and predictability.
Stop eating (and drinking anything other than water) ~2–3 hours before bed
Aim for ~12 hours between dinner and breakfast when possible
This adaptation on time-restricted eating / time-restricted feeding offers more flexibility through the holidays.
Late-night eating can disrupt sleep and blood sugar regulation, leading to weight gain and illness.
Support healthier digestion and sleep quality by giving your body a break before bed.
Think of this as giving your body a nightly “reset,” not a restriction.
3. Boost Immunity through Nutrition
Enhance your diet with nutrient-rich foods:
Pastured Bone Broth or Plant-based vegetable mineral broth:
This hydrating powerhouse of nutrients is especially soothing in winter. Add an anti-inflammatory ‘kick’ to your broth with optional cayenne pepper, ginger, and/or turmeric.
💡 Tip: search “bone broth” or “broth” in the Healthy Anywhere app! 📲
Antioxidants:
Incorporate leafy greens, cruciferous vegetables, and seasonal delights like pomegranates, persimmons, cranberries, and citrus. Aim for a wide variety of seasonal veggies and fruit each day!
💡 Tip: use the “Greens” filter in the Healthy Anywhere app to find places with exceptional leafy green veggies and antioxidants! 📲
Vitamin D3, Vitamin C, B Complex Vitamins: These essential vitamins help bolster health, immunity, and overall vitality. Consult a healthcare professional for personalized advice, particularly with Vitamin D3 (blood monitoring is helpful).
4. Have a Sugar Strategy
Minimize added sugars to reduce your risk of illness and weight gain. Opt for natural sweeteners like honey and pure maple syrup, and enjoy fruit-based desserts such as persimmons with almonds. Moderation is key—even with natural options.
Sugar, especially added sugar, is repeatedly implicated in contributing to risk for metabolic disease, obesity, and cancer.
💡 Tip: Check out our favorite cranberry chutney recipe, using only natural sugars.)
5. Modulate Exercise based on Stress load
Move daily, but balance your intensity. While high-intensity workouts can be invigorating, keep them short – as in “exercise snacks” – if stress or lack of sleep is weighing you down.
Moderate activities like walking, yoga, or gentle strength training are excellent options to move your body daily and to stay active without overtaxing your immune system.
💡 Tip: Consider dialing down your exercise intensity during the holidays to compensate for added stress.
6. Stop Eating Before You're “Full” (a la hara hachi bu)
Practice mindful eating by tuning into your body’s hunger and fullness cues. Eat slowly, savor each bite, and aim to stop eating when you’re comfortably satisfied—around 7 or 8 on a fullness scale of 10. Always feel like you could eat more but choose not to. That’s the sweet spot.
7. Reduce Germ Load
With more gatherings and travel, a few basics go a long way:
Wash hands frequently with soap and water for 20 seconds. Avoid anti-bacterial soaps!
Avoid touching your face.
Skip sharing food or utensils with anyone who’s sick.
Consider using masks in crowded settings.
Happy Healthy Holidays!
Health during the holidays isn’t about rigid rules.
It’s about supporting your body through a season that asks more of it.
Stay connected. Eat well most of the time. Move in ways that restore you.
And let January feel like a continuation — not a recovery mission.
Have your own strategies for a healthy holiday? We’d love to hear from you! Share in the comments below.
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