Ending 2024 With Wellbeing In Mind

This is our last newsletter of 2024! What a year it has been. Whew!

I want to finish out this year, by encouraging you to support your digestion and mindset as we go into 2025.

With one holiday celebration week behind us and another on its way, let's do a little gut check-in!

There is no need for shame or blame when indulging in holiday foods. It is a special, festive time of the year and there are ways we can all enjoy the special foods available without compromising our health or self-trust.

Please, don’t be too harsh on yourself. As the saying goes, “Everything in moderation.”

Make sure that your gut is enjoying the holidays too by providing it with nourishing support!

Here are a few tips to keep your gut happy and healthy:

•  Drink hot water with a splash of lemon or apple cider vinegar between meals. This supports your agni (digestive fire) and supports hydration.
•  Avoid snacking (save the snacky foods to have with a meal). Giving your digestion 3-4 hours between meals to completely digest the previous meal will support your overall health and clarifies the energy usage in your body, resulting in a healthy cycle of hunger and satiation.   
•  Eat your largest meal at lunch. You can digest and assimilate the most dense nutrition and complex foods in the middle of the day, as the sun is at its height which corresponds to bile production in your body. Eat a smaller dinner and feel fabulous the next day!
•  Be sure to include lots of cooked vegetables. You will be/feel less sluggish and more nourished if you make sure you eat mostly cooked vegetables at each meal. Your digestion and elimination will be more likely to stay on track and you will be less likely to gain weight. Eating cooked vegetables is wise this time of the year when raw, cold vegetables are not in season. Raw vegetables increase the cold and rough qualities in the body leading to gas and bloating, so stick with cooked ones.
•  Eat sugary foods with other foods containing fat and protein. This way the sweets won't spike your blood sugar as much and won't leave you feeling tired and foggy. 
•  Take a walk or dance around the kitchen as you clean up after each meal. Gentle movement after eating also helps to balance blood sugar and support digestion. Make a plan with your loved ones to at least walk around the block after each meal.
•  Stop eating at least 3 hours before going to bed. Our bodies like to do one thing at a time. Digestion and sleep do not work well together. If you make sure you have finished eating at least 3 hours before you go to sleep, your slumber will be much more restful and fulfilling. 

Try one or more of these this coming week and let me know how you feel. You don't have to do them all to make a difference.

And...

JOIN THE STROLL VS SCROLL CHALLENGE JANUARY 1-7, 2025. 

This the 3rd year we are doing this. Here is how it works: Each morning January 1-7, you get up and before you even look at your phone/device, you go for a walk, no matter the weather. You get to experience being present at the beginning of the day, and the start of the year, without the pull and distraction of screens.

This is supportive for our happiness and wellbeing, but also helps us reflect on our relationship with technology (oh so sticky) as we begin a new year with intention.

Who is joining me for a week of early morning strolling this 1st week of January 2025? (There is no registration, you just get up and walk).

We will post every day on Facebook and Instagram (Heartfelt Wellbeing accounts) and you can find prompts and encouragement, and share your experiences there… after you stroll…

If you want to learn even more about winter wellness, I have just the thing for you! The Winter Women’s Wisdom Workshop is happening January 18, 2025 from 10am-12:30pm EST via Zoom. (Recordings sent out afterward if you can't attend live). 

I haven't done one of these special workshops since July 2023 and am excited to share new insights that I have gathered in last year and half. This Winter Workshop will be even more spectacular!

HAPPY NEW YEAR! Let's make 2025 the best year yet!

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