7 Holistic Tips for Stress & Hormone Balance For The Festive Season
Christmas festivities are in full swing and the last thing that’s likely on your mind is eating mindfully and healthfully right now. Don’t worry, we’ve got some ideas to help bring some balance this season, specifically when it comes to food and your hormones.
Mindful Eating For The Season
Before you overlook this, mindful eating can go a long way in supporting healthy hormones over this holiday season. Eating mindfully doesn’t need to be complicated. Here are a few tips to easily practice this month and beyond:
Savour every bite! Whatever it is you’re eating, eat it with intention, savour every single moment and chew your food to a paste. This will help you not only enjoy your food more, but also support the digestive process, keep your stress hormones lower and likely help you avoid overindulging.
Use These Tips to Support Your Blood Sugar
Balancing meals, not overdoing the carbohydrates and keeping sugars low are key for keeping blood sugar levels more stable. Additionally, lifestyle practices such as going for a walk after meals, sleeping 8 hours and practicing deep breathing are great ways to support blood sugar control for hormone balance.
Use Nutrition to Balance Your Hormones During Your Festivities
As you eat over this Christmas season, remember that what you’re eating now is setting you up for the months ahead. Consider adding foods to your meals that contain hormone-balancing properties. Include foods such as grass-fed beef, chicken and omega 3-rich fish. Add cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage to support estrogens and liver health. Lastly, don’t overdo the stimulants, such as coffee, chocolate and refined sugar.
For more tips on hormone-friendly Christmas alternatives, click here.
Add In Stress-Busting Superfoods
Food can be powerful tools to support the stress response, nervous system and hormones. Include categories of foods that help calm and counteract stress such as: mineral-rich foods containing magnesium, potassium and healthy sources sodium, vitamin B-rich foods, vitamin C-rich foods (vitamin C is depleted by stress) and omega 3-rich foods. Here are some key foods to include:
Magnesium: Dark chocolate with natural sweeteners, dark leafy greens, real salt, avocado and almonds.
Trace Minerals: High quality Himalayan salt, grass-fed organ meats and pasture-raised eggs.
Vitamin C: Lemons and other citrus fruits, red pepper, broccoli and strawberries.
B Vitamins: Egg yolks, grass-fed beef, chicken, nuts, seeds and dark leafy greens.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Wild salmon and sardines, walnuts and avocados.
Use Supplements to Boost Key Hormone & Stress Nutrients
Consider supplementing with a high quality B complex, fish oil, magnesium, Vitamin C and adrenal support. Getting these nutrients in therapeutic doses from diet alone is difficult, so adding in specific supports for a period of time can be very beneficial. You can find our top Stress Support Supplements on FullScript here.
Go Easy On The Alcohol
Alcohol negatively impacts many areas of our health, including gut health, hormones and cortisol response, blood sugar, quality sleep and immune function. Go light on the alcohol, or ideally abstain from alcohol, during this time. You can certainly still enjoy fun, sugar-free drinks, just bring some options for yourself. Try La Croix with lime, LMNT electrolytes, Sol Bru, kombucha or a mocktail. Your friends and family will love them too!
Find some fun sugar-free mocktail recipes here!
Take Time To Unwind
It’s easy to constantly be on the go in this season, and in life in general, but remember that nothing is as good for hormonal balance and stress as quality rest. It’s not always prioritized, but real rest and sleep should always be a priority.
Thank you for an incredible 2023! We are looking forward to serving you in the new year! To work with us in the new year on your hormones, fertility, gut health and more, contact us here!
Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays!
The Winnipeg Nutrition Team
