Some people say that it's because I'm getting older, but I found this year flew by! (My dad says you're only as old as you feel, so it's certainly not that). Here we are in December and gearing up for the holiday season.
December can be a lot of fun, with parties and get-togethers, traditions, yummy food, sparkles and gratitude. It can also be a time of stress, overcommitments, grief, and overall feeling crummy.
Over the years, I've found that there are three main areas where health challenges pop up at this time: Digestion, Immunity, and Emotional well-being. Like anything, with a little preparation and intention, we can move through this time of year more easily.
Digestion & Gut Health
Immune Health
Emotional Health
Lastly, I will remind you to keep up with your care appointments. Acupuncture, for example, is an effective way to address all three of these December health challenges at once. When our schedules get busy, we often put ourselves aside and try to push through. This is exactly when our bodies start to get our attention in other ways: through digestive symptoms, stress, and illnesses.
Don't wait until March to work on your health. If you are having trouble becoming motivated, or with discipline, we can discuss your roadblocks and find strategies that work better for you in your life. As much as it's great to get to the root of the issue, sometimes we just need ways to cope in the meantime. It's never one size fits all!
Wishing you a wonderful holiday season,
Dr Christa
Book Appointment with Dr Christa
December can be a lot of fun, with parties and get-togethers, traditions, yummy food, sparkles and gratitude. It can also be a time of stress, overcommitments, grief, and overall feeling crummy.
Over the years, I've found that there are three main areas where health challenges pop up at this time: Digestion, Immunity, and Emotional well-being. Like anything, with a little preparation and intention, we can move through this time of year more easily.
Digestion & Gut Health
- With all the cheese, baked goods, sugar, and alcohol, it's pretty easy for digestive symptoms to return or new ones to pop up. From heartburn, to bloating, to stool changes, it's common to feel icky when our gut is 'off'. If you used to take things like digestive enzymes or probiotics, this might be a great time to bring them back in. If you've never tried anything like that, it's best to get some advice to make sure you're doing the best thing for your symptoms.
- Lifestyle: Make sure you sit down to eat, chew your food well, and avoid screens while you are eating. Taking a few deep breaths first can help too, we need to get out of the sympathetic go-go-go nervous system in order to breakdown food efficiently. And castor oil packs over the abdomen are very soothing, and support liver health too.
- Food Choices: Stay with your routine as much as possible, choose alternatives that suit your food sensitivities (we can test if you are unsure), cook at home most of the time, or choose 80% 'good food' and 20% that allows for grandma's famous dessert... it's only once a year after all. Bone broth can be a wonderful way to protect and heal the gut too. And remember, nutritious food can be delicious too.
- Supplements: These will vary incredibly depending on your symptoms and their causes. Digestive enzymes can help break down foods you know you don't metabolize well, or heavy foods that aren't a part of your typical meals.
Immune Health
- Right away, I'll start by saying that it's ok to get sick once in awhile. However, knowing your tendencies and not being laid up for weeks at a time are another thing altogether. We can almost always track an illness back to being rundown, out of routine, eating more sugar, being more stressed, staying up late, or any number of ways we can become more susceptible.
- Lifestyle: Get enough sleep, we need even more in the winter than in the summer. Choose a few strategies that stimulate the lymphatic system, and do them regularly: sauna, dry skin brushing, contrast showers, exercise. Go outside. Nasal sprays and humidifiers are also helpful for keeping the nasal passages, our first line of defence, in tip top shape and tackling things before they get in.
- Herbal remedies: Selected thoughtfully, some herbs are immune stimulating and some are antimicrobial, so that some act more preventatively and some are better during an illness, and each symptom picture can lead to different herb selection. Some favourites are: Echinacea, Elderberry, Astragalus, and Oregano oil. I typically prescribe combination remedies that contain a blend of herbs that work synergistically.
- Vitamins & Minerals: We've all heard about Vitamin D and C for immune support, I also consider Vitamin A, Selenium, and Zinc. I used to think we could simply eat well to achieve good nutrient status, however, depleted soils mean we sometimes need to consider supplements as well.
- Homeopathics: There are several that can help preventatively, and also to address illnesses in their acute or chronic phases. Oscillococcinum is probably the one you've seen most often at the stores. Individual homeopathic remedies can help target specific expressions, like a dry cough versus a wet cough.
Emotional Health
- Emotional health is crucial to nurture all the time, but at this time of year especially. Darker days, family dynamics, busy schedules, grief, expectations, and other pressures all impact our emotional state.
- I recognize that all of these suggestions will take practice and support, but they are worth mentioning: honour boundaries and manage expectations, avoid overscheduling and overcommitting, schedule downtime (permission to pause) and fun experiences, your house does not need to be spotless - no one will remember that.
- Lifestyle: Hugs help release oxytocin. Getting light, either outside (preferrably) or from a lightbox or happy light, and also lessening blue light exposure (screens) at night - I put a red light book lamp on my wish list this year. Move in some way every day, to your ability. Eat protein to stabilize mood and support neurotransmitters. Also, keep a consistent sleep schedule.
- Supplements: Various vitamins like the Bs and D are helpful for mood. Heading into the season I find adaptogenic herbs to help ride the waves more easily. A few of my favourites are Ashwagandha, Rhodiola and Holy basil. Once again, I tend to use combination remedies to offer more thorough support.
Lastly, I will remind you to keep up with your care appointments. Acupuncture, for example, is an effective way to address all three of these December health challenges at once. When our schedules get busy, we often put ourselves aside and try to push through. This is exactly when our bodies start to get our attention in other ways: through digestive symptoms, stress, and illnesses.
Don't wait until March to work on your health. If you are having trouble becoming motivated, or with discipline, we can discuss your roadblocks and find strategies that work better for you in your life. As much as it's great to get to the root of the issue, sometimes we just need ways to cope in the meantime. It's never one size fits all!
Wishing you a wonderful holiday season,
Dr Christa
Book Appointment with Dr Christa
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