How to Survive the Holidays
The holidays can be a particularly stressful time of year. Family coming and going, immune system struggling as the season changes, and Christmas costs….
In this blog post I’m going to go over some easy changes you can add into your routine to help “survive” this time of year and go into the new year with your best foot forward. We’re going to go over diet, sleep schedule, finding balance between movement and rest, outerwear, and potential herbs/teas you can incorporate.
Firstly, we’ll go over diet. During the winter months in Chinese medicine, we focus on nourishing the kidneys, but I would also personally recommend you boost the lungs as well since they are very important in overall immunity. Foods that we must focus on both moisten and warm the body. Think ---- in the winter our environment becomes cold and dry, so the goal is to fuel the body in a way that counteracts that.
Now let’s go over some foods that benefit and support the kidneys:
Root vegetables
Kidney beans (of course)
Black beans
Sesame seeds
Walnuts
Sunflower seeds
Chestnuts
Carrots
Barley
Pears
Pork
Eggs
Now for the lungs:
Honey
Pears
Radishes
Turnips
Garlic & onions
Almonds
Sweet potatoes
Squash
This time of year, it’s very important to focus on soups, bone broths, stews, and any way you can warm or cook your foods before you consume them. Try to avoid raw foods and ice drinks as much as possible.
My favorite thing about Chinese medicine is the focus on finding balance. Too much of a good thing isn’t always a good thing ;). This is why it’s so important to find the balance between both rest and movement. With the days being shorter its normal for your body to want to sleep more than usual almost as if our bodies are hibernating so if you’re feeling a little extra tired in the evening and you can, go to bed early and get that extra rest! On the flip side, always incorporate some sort of movement in your day. In the winter months I would recommend not pushing your body too hard focussing more on gentle movements like yoga, taichi, or pilates. This way you can still get your exercise but you’re honoring your body’s craving for rest. Balance.
Now let’s go over outerwear and why it’s important.
Scarves, scarves, scarves! Your neck is known in Chinese medicine as a very vulnerable area for external pathogens to enter the body so it’s very important to keep it covered while outside to create a protective barrier. Another important tip is to avoid the crop tops. It’s important to keep your low back and abdomen warm and covered as these are your digestive organs and kidneys. Both of these systems hate cold and function better when they are kept warm. Finally, socks! All of your reproductive meridians meet on the feet so keeping them warm is important in avoiding terrible menstrual symptoms and helping to support fertility.
Finally for some herbal recommendations. For winter, as I’ve said before, we have a big focus on warming body the body to the herbs chosen will reflect that. You can either make these into teas with honey or add them into meals more regularly. These herbs include:
Ginger
Cinnamon
Astragalus
Turmeric
Gogi berries
Jujube dates
Reishi mushroom
Citrus peels
These are vital in improving the immune system and overall energy during these dark cold months.
Hopefully these recommendations will help make the winter months and holidays more bearable. Another obvious recommendation I would make is to make sure you keep up with your regular acupuncture appointments. Lifestyle and dietary changes combined with acupuncture can have a massive positive impact on your quality of life for years to come.
Happy holidays everyone!