The Feast Is Over! Looking Ahead to the New Year
Every year, the holidays roll around and our days are filled with get-togethers, parties, feasts, and indulgences. These months are a time of celebration, friends, family, and acknowledging all the blessings we’ve been given throughout the year. But, inevitably, some of these celebrations lead to our bodies and minds becoming a bit overwhelmed or overloaded with things that don’t make us feel our best. Now that the feast is over, here are great tips to help you recover from indulgence during the Holidays.
There’s nothing wrong with a little indulgence. It’s okay to celebrate, let loose, and enjoy yourself with treats and food that you wouldn’t normally consume in such quantities during the rest of the year. But the coming year is a great time to start fresh and set some healthy goals for yourself and your family.
Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate
Water is your best friend when you’re trying to get your body in prime condition. Think about how much water you typically drink on an average day, and when you’re trying to give your body an extra boost, add a few more glasses. Typically, it’s okay to just drink to quench your thirst, but if you’re trying to “recover,” then you’ll need a bit more.
You can also add some healthy flavorings to your water (such as lemon, cucumber, or mint) or add some green tea, bone broth, or kombucha to your daily sipping, as well. These can all help your digestive system get back in gear, now that the feast is over.
Prioritize Light, Nutritious Foods
You’ve enjoyed the desserts, treats, and second (or third!) helpings of the rich, flavorful holiday dishes that you look forward to all year. Now, concentrate on all the fresh, vitamin-filled meals that your body is truly craving.
Load yourself up with a veggie omelet each morning and keep some prepped vegetables on hand for crisp, healthy sandwiches for lunch. Make some light soups for dinner and plan on protein and healthy fat for when you need a snack (such as nuts and avocado). These will keep your body thriving and keep your tastebuds satisfied at the same time.
Add In Some Probiotics Now that the Feast is Over
Sometimes, the body needs some extra encouragement to get things back on the right track. If your holidays included indulgence in processed sugar and alcohol, your gut flora could be struggling to provide your body with the digestive protection it needs.
Add a quality probiotic to your daily vitamin routine or—even better—enhance your diet with naturally probiotic-rich foods, such as:
- Homemade yogurt
- Sauerkraut
- Kimchee or pickled vegetables
- Sprouts
Get Outside and Get Moving
Your body is craving some fresh air, sunshine, and movement. How do we know? All our bodies need more of this, especially when we’re trying to “heal” from overindulgence. We know you probably feel tired, but trust us when we say that the best thing for a sluggish body is to get some natural exercise.
Go for a brisk mid-morning or afternoon walk around your property. Start and end your day with some energizing stretching or yoga. Clean out that chicken coop or scrub the porch floor—you know those things need to be done and you’ve been meaning to get around to them! Now, you can kill two birds with one stone—getting your home in order and giving your body some endorphin-made energy to recuperate now that the feast is over.
Set Some Realistic Goals for the New Year, Now that the Feast is Over
New Year’s resolutions are common in our culture. People decide that they’re going to improve every area of their life and it’s all going to get better starting January 1st! Unfortunately, though, most people have abandoned their resolutions by the first couple of weeks of January. Why is this? People are often “all or nothing”—if they decided they were going to take on a fully whole-food diet, and then they ate a store-bought cookie, or if they said they were going to spend less money and then they caved to the post-holiday sales, they decide to just throw the baby out with the bathwater.
Instead of setting unrealistic goals (we’re all human, after all), take the time now to journal about what you want the coming year to look like for yourself, your home, and your family. What are some small steps you can take to get there? Try adding them one at a time to your daily routine and give yourself some mental and emotional credit whenever you successfully do them.
Setting goals for self-improvement shouldn’t mean comparing yourself to anyone else. Your only “responsibility” is to try and be a better version of yourself each day, and to give yourself grace on the journey.
Rest Your Soul
The holidays are full of overstimulation, overscheduling, and pure exhaustion for some people. Hopefully, you were able to apply some of Stoney Creek Farm’s tips for avoiding holiday burnout over the last few weeks. If you still need some extra recuperation, give it to yourself!
Allow yourself an entire day that’s just for you. Go out into nature and smell the roses—literally or figuratively. Get away from your house and all the things you “have to do.” Check something off of your bucket list that you’ve been wanting to do. Or, just curl up with a good book and a mug of tea and let the world fall away for a while. It will all be waiting for you when you return and you’ll be rejuvenated after caring for yourself.
New Year, New You
Stoney Creek Farm is here to help you with your New Year’s goals. Check out our Grow Your Own Sprouts and Shoots class on February 18th. For only $40, you’ll get all the instructions, tips, and tricks for starting your own garden of sprouts and shoots to help your digestive and immune systems get back on track after all the holiday indulgences.
Remember, enjoying holiday feasts, treats, and activities isn’t a bad thing! You don’t have to “earn” these things and you don’t have to “pay” for them afterward either. However, you want to feel your best, so loading your toolbox with ways to keep yourself feeling great throughout the whole year is a smart way to continue on your healthy, sustainable journey.
