The holidays are always a whirlwind of good food, indulging, and a change in routine. You might find that you’re working out less, more stressed than usual, and eating and drinking festive foods and cocktails. There’s nothing wrong with enjoying yourself, resting, indulging, and switching off from your normal routine. However, I have a few tips that will make it easier for you to enjoy yourself while still being mindful of your hormone health and overall wellness.
1. Open the windows when you’re cooking and when you have guests over to keep fresh air circulating and to get rid of any smoke or odours from cooking. This will help to freshen up your air without the need for synthetic fragrance sprays which contain endocrine disrupting chemicals like phthalates.
2. Choose nontoxic cleaning products to clean your home for the holidays. Typical cleaning products are full of endocrine disrupting chemicals. Remember to keep the windows open while you clean too. My favourite brand is Attitude which you can find at Terra20 or well.ca . To eliminate odours, baking soda is a nontoxic option that works wonders for freshening up your carpets, couches and rugs. Sprinkle a little bit on and vacuum it up!
3. Ditch the synthetic fragrance. Rather than using a room spray or scented candles to make a room smell fresh and inviting, try out my nontoxic stovetop aromatherapy trick- simply boil a pot of water and add in a few cinnamon sticks, orange slices and a few cloves. Let it boil and it will make your house smell amazing!
4. Household dust is actually a source of endocrine disrupting chemicals, which can impact your hormones and your health. Make sure that you’re also wet dusting to really eliminate dust from your surfaces and avoid loose dust particles from flying into the air during cleaning.
5. Give a nontoxic gift to loved ones this year. Rather than buying the same scented candles and usual bath and cosmetic products, this is your chance to gift something new. You can find some great nontoxic products for everyone on your list at Terra20. They have nontoxic candles, baby products, bath bombs, soaps, lip balms, deodorants, shaving cream, face serums, lotions
6. It can be difficult to eat well during the holidays, but do your best to get in your greens daily and make sure you’re getting in your fiber. Opt for dark leafy greens and bitter greens like arugula, broccoli rabe, endives, kale and radicchio to support your liver. Incorporate these veggies into some holiday side dishes to make sure you’re getting them in. When it comes to holiday meals, fill up half your plate with veggies- this is one of my fool-proof tips.
7. Drink up! Drink lots of water throughout your day to keep your brain alert, your body hydrated, and regular. Drink a glass of water between alcoholic drinks to keep your fluids up and avoid dehydration.
8. Speaking of drinking, moderation is always a good approach. You can still indulge while keeping a good balance. Try a wine spritzer to cut your alcohol intake, sparkling water between drinks, avoid sugary mixers and use club soda instead, or simply choose to enjoy some mocktails or club soda with lime.
9. Sweat it out! One of the best ways to recalibrate your mind and body is to break a sweat. Whether that’s a hot yoga class, a HIIT workout, a spin class, a run, or a sauna session, sweat! I always feel 10x better after a good workout.
10. Get good sleep. Sleeping deeply helps our brain filter out toxins and keep our hormone levels balanced. Inadequate sleep can impact how our bodies regulate levels of our stress hormones and appetite hormones. This can lead to sugar and fat cravings, higher blood pressure, and weight gain, just to name a few.
11. Practice self-care: it can be easy to forget to take time for yourself during the holidays. Try to carve out time to slow down, take a walk, read a book, take a bath, or meditate. My favourite way to practice self-care during this time is on a long walk outside in the fresh air.
12. Remember to find a healthy balance in your day-to-day. One indulgent meal won’t ruin your progress or healthy lifestyle- simply try to keep consistent with getting in daily movement, eating your greens, getting good sleep, and hydrating well.
Overall, enjoy these next couple of weeks, take time to recharge, and keep these tips in mind! What are you most looking forward to over the holidays?