Your Ultimate Guide to Thriving (Not Just Surviving) the Holidays: 6 Expert Health Tips

Yes, you can be festive and still feel your best! Don't let the holiday season side track you from your health goals.

While the holiday season comes with so many wonderful opportunities to connect with loved ones, support your community and enjoy treasured traditions, it can also feel like a minefield of temptation, stress, and disrupted routines.

The good news is that the holidays don't have to be a total wrench in your wellness plan. With some simple reframing, planning ahead, and the right tools at hand, you can enjoy the magic of the holidays and still meet your health goals.

(p.s. If you're looking for great holiday gift ideas for a loved one or yourself, check out "My Favorite Things")

Here are 6 expert-backed strategies to help you navigate the season with confidence, balance, and joy.

1. Hack Your Holiday Plate: The "Fuel First" Rule for Stable Blood Sugar

It's been well-established that large and frequent spikes in blood sugar contribute to metabolic dysfunction and other health concerns. While avoiding foods high in refined or added sugars and processed carbohydrates is always a good strategy, studies show that blood sugar balance and portion control isn't just related to what you eat, but how you eat.

Based on compelling research, following the "eating in order" rule can significantly improve your glucose, insulin, and GLP-1 response to a meal.

The Rule: Always consume fiber and protein first, and leave your carbohydrates and sugars for the end of the meal.

Why It Works: Fiber (from vegetables, fruits, legumes) creates a "net" in your stomach, slowing down the digestive process. Additionally, both protein and fiber activate your natural GLP-1 and other satiety hormones. This means that when the carbohydrates (potatoes, bread, desserts) finally arrive, they are absorbed more slowly (and you'll eat less of them because you're full), leading to a much gentler blood sugar response.

Action Step: At your next holiday gathering, load your plate with lean meats, salad, non-starchy vegetables, and healthy fats (like olive oil or nuts) first. Savor these items, and then enjoy a smaller, mindful portion of your favorite holiday starches and desserts.

2. Protect Your Inner Fortress: Balance Stress and Gut Health

The gastrointestinal (GI) tract is often called the "second brain" because of its intricate connection to your immune system, metabolism, and emotional wellness. The hectic, stressful holiday season, coupled with rich foods, can put serious strain on your gut.

Keeping your GI system strong is one of your best defenses against feeling sluggish and getting sick.

• Prioritize Gut-Friendly Foods: Support your gut lining and beneficial microflora with whole gut-loving foods, such as fermented foods (like sauerkraut or kimchi), bone broth, and high-fiber vegetables.

• Hydrate Consistently: Proper hydration - aim for at least half your body weight in ounces of water per day - is critical for moving waste and toxins out through the liver and kidneys.

• Chew Chew Chew: Chewing your food thoroughly is an undervalued, but essential practice for breaking down food and easing the burden on the rest of your digestive system (more on this below).

• Digestive Enzymes taken before heavy meals or problem foods (raw onions, garlic and nuts for me!) can help prevent gas and bloating.

• Targeted Supplement Support: Key nutrients like L-Glutamine, Vitamin D, collagen, and a quality probiotic are excellent additions to your holiday wellness routine. Check out my favorites on FullScript.

  
  

3. The Anti-Anxiety Strategy: Slow Down, Savor More

If you work with me or follow me on social media, you know that I am a huge proponent of slowing down... In all senses of the word.

Eat slower. Before a meal, take three slow, deep breaths. This activates the

parasympathetic ("rest and digest") nervous system. Additionally, chew your food

until it's mush before swallowing, and put your utensils down between bites. When you chew well and slowly you allow digestive enzymes to do their job, and make it easier for the rest of your G.I. system to extract nutrients from food. Eating slower also allows your brain to “catch up with” your belly, so to speak, and makes it much less likely that you will overeat or feel bloated.

Less is more. Yes, it’s ok to say NO! You actually don’t have to attend every party or be "on" all the time. When you overcommit and rush, your body floods with cortisol, the primary stress hormone. High, sustained levels of cortisol can weaken your immune system, making you more susceptible to those seasonal bugs. Beyond that, the stress often leads to other unhealthy coping mechanisms. Allowing yourself to slow down means you'll be more present and have more energy for the people and events that matter most.

When all of our holiday traditions revolve around food, it sends a message to our sub-conscious that joy, relaxation and connection must include eating or indulgence.

4. Redefine Holiday Joy: Non-Food Traditions that Create Connection

Our subconscious often equates joy and connection with food and indulgence because so many traditions revolve around the dinner table or the wine glass. When all of our holiday traditions revolve around food, it sends a message to our sub-conscious that joy, relaxation and connection must include eating or indulgence.

While we should absolutely enjoy special holiday foods in moderation, intentionally prioritizing non-food activities can help rewire potentially damaging messaging, especially for children.

Put your imagination to work and create new, high-value traditions:

• Bundle up the family and drive or walk around to view the neighborhood holiday lights.

• Spend a morning at a local charity, soup kitchen, or animal shelter.

• Pull out the board games and put the phones away.

• Have a home karaoke or dance party: A fun, and free way to move your body and de-stress.

5. Master the Social Scene: Make a Mocktail and Be Mindful

Holiday parties can make it difficult to cap alcohol consumption. Reframing your tendencies around drinking can be one of the healthiest shifts you make this season.

Ask yourself: Is it the alcohol I crave, or is it simply the ritual of having a festive beverage in my hand?

Give your liver a break and swap your usual cocktail for an exciting, sophisticated mocktail.

If stress or anxiety is fueling your desire to drink, address the root cause with healthier outlets: move your body, practice breath work, prioritize earlier sleep, or talk to a professional. Alcohol only masks the stress; a healthy habit helps you process and release it.

6. The "80/20" Mindset: Ditch the All-or-Nothing Trap

This is one of the biggest roadblocks to long-term health success. The "go big or go home" syndrome suggests that if you fall off your health plan for one meal, day or week, the entire season is ruined. Not so!

This kind of all-or-nothing thinking leads to burnout, frustration, and eventual failure.

Embrace Imperfection: Aim for a "balance-is-best" mindset. Think about the 80/20 rule—aim to be perfectly healthy 80% of the time, and allow for flexible enjoyment 20% of the time. Remember, a short walk around the block is better than no exercise at all. Do what you can do given your constraints.

The Power of the Reset: Know that you can always reset your efforts at the next meal, hour or day. A single dessert or missed workout does not define your entire health journey. It’s simply an opportunity to learn your triggers and blind spots, and how to avoid them, so you can return to your healthy holidays and beyond.

Happy Holidays!

xo, Emily

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Looking to support your health during the holidays and beyond? Visit Jensen Wellness to learn more about my online workshops, 1:1 health coaching and other services.