Page 54 - The Holiday Issue San Diego Woman Magazine

Pearls of Wisdom

Holiday Cheer – Are We There Yet?

5 WAYS TO SKIP THE STRESS AND WAKE UP YOUR BLISS

Lifestyle tips to make your holidays merry, bright, and light
with Mimi Guarneri MD and Nancy Lonsdorf MD

With Thanksgiving behind stress may have no clear avoid entire meals of raw said. They don’t get so irrita-
us, the holidays are well un- antidote, we have some tips foods and try to keep the ble, they have more patience
derway! Time for a gut check. to keep you in balance. We’ll sweets in check. Favor and feel more relaxed. They
Does the thought provoke hit the high points, as we soups and warm, cooked have a much better time—
tummy tension or fill you with know you have to get back to foods, spiced with Italian and when they have a good
childlike excitement? Judging your holiday preparations and herbs, turmeric, cumin, time, their parents do as well.
by the plethora of “Holiday tying up work projects so you ginger or whatever your fa-
Blues” discussions, all too can enjoy this special time! vorite spices. Interestingly, Rose Blend “Tea”
many of us find the holidays • 1 freshly boiled cup of
stressful, even if enjoyable. spring or filtered water
Fortunately, a published • Pour over a blend of:
study from times past shows • 1 food-grade rosebud or 1
that psychiatric admissions tsp petals (ideally organic)
and ER visits actually go down 1/8 tsp coriander seeds
before Christmas.[1] Never- • 1/8 tsp fennel seeds
theless, shopping stress, travel • Optional: ½ tsp organic
stress, emotional baggage, food-grade rose water
and meeting with difficult
relatives (not us of course!) Tip #2: Drink Hot Water for
can drive us to distraction, Energy and Immunity
or worse, social isolation and Now for a second gut
loneliness. check. Allow your attention to
What do distractions, drift to your abdomen. Feeling
stress, and travel all have in heavy or bloated? Here’s one
common? As you know, we Tip #1: Maintain Balance they boost immunity, fight of the simplest, but most
practice Ayurvedic as well with Regular, Warm Meals inflammation, and support powerful tools for improv-
as Western medicine, you To balance your nervous a healthy microbiome—all ing digestion and boosting
may have guessed that these system and stay blissful, you’ll good for staying healthy energy.
events all aggravate “vata,” need to provide stability and in this most challenging Drinking boiled water
which means they put our support through your daily season! throughout the day helps
nerves and hormones into diet and lifestyle. Here are • Enjoy hot drinks, such as curb cravings, increases
overdrive. balancing tips for your diet: herbal teas and hot water satiety, relieves gas, bloating,
Sound familiar? Feeling • Eat your meals on a (see Tip #2), which pro- and heaviness, and helps keep
overwhelmed - that there’s regular schedule. Avoid mote good digestion while your energy and immunity at
too much to do and not skipping meals. Eat your they calm our nerves. peak performance.
enough time to do it in - can dinner at least 3 hours Here’s a calming tea recipe Here’s what to do:
send our neuroendocrine before bedtime, and skip to keep irritability at bay – • Boil pure, genuine spring
system into high gear. The later snacks, for best sleep rose blend tea. One young water for 5 to 10 minutes.
attendant stress hormones and digestion. couple recently reported, Remove from heat and
can disturb our sleep, mood, • Eat warm, moist, cooked with smiles on their faces, that pour the freshly boiled
immunity—and, of course, foods that are rich in when their parents visit they water into a clean stainless
holiday happiness as well. healthy fats (such as olive now drink a rose-blend tea. or glass-lined thermos.
The good news is that and sesame oil) at each That simple cup of herbal tea • Drink at least a few sips
while the sources of holiday meal. At this time of year, makes a big difference, they every 30-60 minutes

54