Here are ten keys to recovery over your holiday break this year, no matter how short it is.  Whether you are spending time alone or in the eye of a flurry of visitors please take time to recharge.  Even extroverts who get energy from social situations have to take care of their health personally.  Find something to nourish yourself and gift yourself health and self-care for the new year.

Greens (get green)

Go for about 7 cups of greens daily if you can, in your smoothie or salads or blended in soups. If you are oxalate sensitive stick to the lower oxalate greens (or ferment them), if you are sensitive to FODMAPS stick to the more benign greens like butter lettuce and spread them out throughout the day. Greens, for me, include veggies from the sea as well. Kelp, dulse, nori, sea lettuce and other sea greens are mineral and protein powerhouses that for many people are hugely beneficial. I like to get mine from BC Kelp or Maine Coast Sea Vegetables.

Greens are mineral rich, alkaline, full of vitamins and prebiotics, good bacteria, are alkalizing, immune boosting and replete with fiber to lower blood sugars depending on what they are eaten with and can help to detoxify by moving unwanted materials out of the body. Yes, that is NOT a typo.  Those digestive bacteria that we cannot buy in a pill or capsule are found on fresh fruits and veggies, particularly greens.  If you are looking to increase the digestive bacteria that break down oxalates you will find them on cabbages and other brassicas.  Healthy fats and greens are arguably the most hormonally nourishing foods too, helping you get through times of stress and even retain balance afterward.  If there are greens that are difficult for you to take because of digestive or thyroid reasons there is always something at the root cause.  For now eat what agrees with you and continue putting yourself first by investing deeply in your root cause health.

Nourishing Herbal Infusions

Try using 1/4 cup of herbs like spring nettle leaves or oat straw for some wonderful minerals to strengthen bones and muscles this winter (and hey tea is warm, warm is good). If you don’t have a fancy infuser just use a thermos with a spout and infuse a litre of hot water with your chosen herb and let it sit for a while before drinking. I prefer to make my tea in a regular coleman thermos and drink it throughout the day.  It can be fun to have an herbal brew at your desk as you work, in the kitchen or beside your comfy chair with a good book. Any of these strong teas will be mineral rich and a great way to get the building blocks for nourishment this time of year. For a more spiritual and mentally nourishing tea try a blend of Gotu Kola, Ginkgo, Calamus (bit bitter) or Devil’s Club (protected plant, be careful) and Rosemary or Sage. These plants have been used through different herbal traditions for mental clarity and focus and tea can be helpful for turning inward and envisioning the year ahead.

Luxury Food Stash

Now is time to pull out those luxury food stashes. Did you make them with me earlier this year? This way you will have a little bit of something sweet that won’t interfere with blood sugars but will help you to resist some of the cravings that could set you back if you are going to a lot of parties or spending time with family. Here are a few ideas for your luxury food stash if you don’t have one yet: Pomegranate Rosemary Flax Crackers, Blueberry Lime Cashews, Raspberry Apricot Caramels and Lemon Coconut Trail Bars. Make up a batch of one of these luxury food items and keep them stashed in your workplace, in your house, in the car (watch out for the desserts in the summer of course) or in your freezer to be pulled out instead of pumpkin pie and ice cream with the family or at the office party 😉

Supercharge your Bath

Epsom salts can be wonderful for detoxification. Carve yourself out some space and try lighting candles to have an EPIC self-care bath. So yes, candles, epsom salts, good music and some of the following additions: flower essences, bath “teas” (you can even use some of your nourishing herbal infusions), green tea or calendula tea in the bath (use the calendula if you are super sensitive to caffeine as it can be absorbed through the skin), 1/4 C oatmeal (watch out for washing the tub later it gets messy), aloe or aloe concentrate (I have some from Purium but you can also find some on Amazon, I love this add-on), lavender essential oil and crystal essences (water that has been sitting with a quartz crystal in it overnight preferably outside)

Sauna

Even without the far infrared benefits simply being warm can be very beneficial for the body. It can be wonderful to include something like zumba or hot yoga where you are able to sweat from some kind of activity but if you are only able to take 20 minutes to be warm and you have the luxury of a sauna or even better an infrared sauna with the added benefits then give yourself the time to indulge in that after the seasonal celebrations. We all have our different detoxification strengths and weaknesses between our livers, our intestines, our kidneys, lymphatic system, skin and lungs, however the skin is underutilized at times, especially in the cooler seasons when our bodies are colder, covered and less active as a general rule. Studies have found that simply being WARM for 20 minutes during the day can increase immunity.  Many of these studies focus specifically on corona virus outcomes.  This is especially true if you can also be submerged in cold water for some time later in the day.  It doesn’t even need to be hot/cold/hot/cold (different than pumpkin lymph).  If you do not have a sauna (I don’t but am accepting donations) try wrapping yourself tightly in a towel and spending time under some blankets after your EPIC self-care bath.

Laughter and Music

Happy music is music therapy.  Literally it is.  Sometimes I think that this Christmas spirit is really just our subconscious reactions to familiar and uplifting music. Yes most of it is musack. And I complain as much as the next girl when I hear soprano vocal acrobatics over O Holy Night for the tenth time that day… BUT music is a very unique force that can draw the listener into the present moment, awaken memories and speak directly to the amygdala in the brain in a way that no other communication or art form can (even if the conscious mind is cringing). Give yourself the gift of listening to one hour of uplifting music.  Salsa, rock anthems (We Are the Champions), funk or inspirational music should do the trick!  It has been proven to work! Another easy one is to laugh. Whether it is to watch a funny movie, have a good talk with a hilarious friend or even participate in laughter yoga these things have been shown to boost the immune system. And they’re fun.

Vitamin C rich foods (get immune)

Sauerkraut. Rosehips. Spring Nettle tea. Give your body the high vitamin C sources that it needs to keep its immunity up and balanced this winter. Remember that greens, fresh greens in particular, have more vitamin C than meets the eye, usually more than oranges. Rosehips and sauerkraut are also very good secret weapons in this vitamin category. Rosehips vary in vitamin C content and so does Kraut but sauerkraut can range up to 700 mg in a cup.  Along with the beneficial microbes in this fermented food this is a big help to the immune system. Some rosehips have more C in one 1/4 tsp than oranges do 🙂

Vitamin D

What sunshine?  If you are somewhere with enough sunshine to get adequate vitamin D and you know your levels are good then absolutely go outside! If you live in Hawaii I am coming over. If you live very far north (certainly in Canada) studies have shown that you could be outside for several hours daily throughout the winter and still not get enough D to maintain healthy levels. What does this mean? If you are working on a health concern or working for optimal health and immunity, which I do every year at this time especially, please consider using a vitamin D supplement, now especially that there are vegan sources and more and more clean supplements coming out all the time. That sauerkraut from the above Vitamin C Rich Foods can also help the vitamin D receptors to be optimally receptive so that you can make the most out of the D you DO have.

Zinc

Not all pumpkin seeds contain zinc because of depleted soils.  Yes.  I am still getting over the shock but the more I read about soils the more I feel in my heart that it is true. Go for organic and biodynamically raised pumpkin seeds, chia, sprouted sesame and sea vegetables to get your zinc naturally.  Most seeds, if they are grown organically, will be better choices for zinc but pumpkin and sesame are still king if you can get ahold of them from a good source. Better yet: sprout your sesame seeds and dehydrate them to make a sesame butter in your blender which you can then use to make Green Humous.  There is also the option of growing your own chlorella but you will then have to choose a method of “cracking” it.  The more you can take your zinc needs into your own hands the more guaranteed you can be to have enough.

Sleep

I must admit I am NO sleep expert. There is a big part of me that is a five-year-old child that doesn’t want to miss anything while I am asleep.  Some people only eat food because they are human and they find it an inconvenience.  I am this way with sleep and it is my health weakness, I work on it…  But I know without a doubt that lack of sleep can contribute to or cause the following things:
• insulin resistance (temporary… but if the sleep deprivation backs up… how temporary is it really)
• adrenal fatigue
• dysbiosis
• immune dysregulation
• leaky gut
• lack of growth and repair all over the body
• being late for morning appointments (joking but bad right)

Some things that can help with sleep are:
• cedarwood or lavender oil on the soles of feet
• reishi mushroom tea or tincture at bedtime
• 5-HTP (work with your doctor)
• Passionflower
• Lemon Balm
• Sour Cherry
• Valerian (not for everyone, can make some folks edgy)
• Phosphatidyl serine
• GABA (depending on type/source)
• Hops

I find that if I can establish a ritual involving me actually arriving in bed at a reasonable hour then I am halfway there. Sometimes a racing mind can keep us up.  If this is you find someone to work with so that you can resolve your sleep issues and experience better health outcomes overall.  The above mentioned interventions each work differently so their success depends on defining the root of the problem.

Water

This would not be complete without a quick reminder that water is the basic building block of our bodies. Keeping hydrated can help to keep the good things coming in and the unhelpful things leaving our bodies especially in the winter with all of the interior dry air.  Water also keeps us supple, flexible, keeps our guts working and able to absorb nutrients and also is essential for stomach acid production.  Studies have found that slightly cool water is better absorbed but slightly warm water, sipped throughout the day is better for detoxification. Choose what suits you and makes you feel satiated.