The final two months of the year tend to fly by in a blur of delicious food, festive traditions, and quality time with loved ones. The holiday season can be a joyful time of the year, but it can also be stressful and busy! For these reasons, it’s even more important to find the time to check in with yourself and take care of your body.  

Here are five ways that you can find balance and follow your gut this holiday season: 

1. Practice Mindful Eating  

Mindful eating is a powerful tool that helps you enjoy your meals and snacks while staying attuned to your body’s hunger and fullness signals.  Don’t let diet culture fool you—the goal of mindful eating is not to eat as little as possible. Rather, the goal is to slow down and appreciate the flavors, textures, and other sensory aspects of eating. When you tap into this mind-body connection, you’re more likely to feel satisfied, pleasantly full, and experience better digestion after meals!  

It’s okay if you can’t practice mindful eating at every meal or snack. Aim to use this approach most of the time during the holiday season and remember that there’s no such thing as a “perfect” way to eat.  

2. Eat to Make Your Taste Buds and Your Gut Happy 

Between big meals filled with rich and flavorful holiday favorites, it’s important to make sure your gut has the fuel it needs to thrive. To support healthy digestion and a diverse microbiome, try to incorporate foods and beverages that contain prebiotics and probiotics. Think fibrous options like fruits, veggies, and whole grains, along with fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, and Health-Ade Kombucha! This way, you’re introducing beneficial bacteria to your gut microbiome and giving that bacteria the food they need to survive and multiply. A regular intake of fiber also supports smooth digestion --something we could all use a bit more of during the holiday season!  

3. Don’t Forget to Hydrate 

Amidst the hustle and bustle  this time of year, it’s easy to overlook your trusty emotional support water bottle. Even if you’re not feeling as thirsty as you do in the heat of  remember that water aids in digestion, regulates  body temperature, and helps transport nutrients into your cells. It’s important to stay hydrated at all times of the year, but especially during the indulgent holiday season. 

4. Mix it Up with Mocktails 

Plain water should always be your go-to for hydration, but did you know that other fun drinks like kombucha can count towards your overall fluid intake?  

’Tis the season to restock your festive Health-Ade favorites with our Merry and Bright Variety Pack! Holiday Cheers, Pink Lady Apple, and Pomegranate Blueberry are the perfect trio of flavors for the season. Enjoy them straight out of the bottle or as a base for a fun holiday mocktail. So, grab your variety pack and get ready to serve up glass after glass of holiday cheer! 

5. Be Kind to Yourself

Lastly, be kind to yourself and prioritize your mental health. Set boundaries when needed and remember to find a balance between fun social events and time to recharge.  

Here’s to enjoying the season’s festivities to the fullest while doing what you can to support both your mind and your gut. [Holiday] Cheers!  

This blog post was written by Claire Chewning, RDN & Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor

Claire is a Registered Dietitian and Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor who's not on board with restrictive diets. She’s the owner and founder of Yours Chewly Nutrition, a virtual private practice where she helps individuals heal from chronic dieting and disordered eating so that they can discover peace and trust in their relationships with food + body. She’s also Health-Ade’s Registered Dietitian Advisor and loves educating employees and consumers about all things gut health from a non-diet perspective! She even writes a few blogs from time to time. Cheers!