When you’re in the middle of the holiday season and you look up, wading in shopping, to-dos, and events, you may give a slight cry for help! I see you because I’ve been there! 

Sometimes we need a break from the celebration to focus on our wellness and emotional health. We also need some great health-boosting meals and habits to enjoy and share.

A Healthy Holiday Survival List 

Here are some of my favorite recipes, simple decor, ambiance inspiration, and self-care practices to help you live well all December long.

Jamie's Featured Healthy Recipes

Healthy holiday food does not need to be overwhelming or overly complicated!

I love to find foods that are warm and satisfying but have a lot of nutritional benefits. You don’t have to sacrifice flavor for the term “healthy.” Your family and friends will love these delicious holiday recipes!

For an appetizer, a sweet potato dip with grilled flatbread is a delicious addition to any gathering or as a snack at home! 

This spiced baked pumpkin (similar to a baked squash) is so unique, you’ll find yourself craving it every holiday season! Drizzled with olive oil and hearty flavors, it’s perfectly sweet and spiced. 

A Cauliflower Bake can be a great swap for mac and cheese or a lighter option for mashed potato lovers. It will quickly become one of your holiday favorites with a creamy bechamel sauce! You can make it vegan by using non-dairy cheese or keep it as the simply grain-free decadence that it is.

These Cheese-&-Spinach-Stuffed Portobellos make you forget that there’s no meat. With the hearty textures and creamy ricotta, you’ll love serving this time and time again! 

A made-from-scratch fresh Green Bean Casserole with Crispy Onions brings all the best flavors from the canned versions and elevates it to a crunchy, warm, and satisfying side dish. Eating healthy has never been so good!

When you’re bringing a side to a gathering or preparing the entire meal, you can focus on delicious food and highlighting vegetables, providing alternative sides for people with special dietary needs, and finding great vegan Christmas recipes to use as the main course as needed. You’ll be helping everyone enjoy a healthier holiday!

A DIY Designer Christmas Planter

 If you’re wanting to share some natural beauty (and need a holiday survival activity outdoors!), a festive planter is just the thing! 

You’ll need —

• A 2-3 foot planter and soil 
• Garden pruners
• Scissors
• Floral Wire
• A Saw (if you need to cut anything down!)
• Clear Zip Ties
• Live garland
• ½ inch dowel cut to size slightly larger than the logs
• Christmas tree greens or a small Christmas tree to pull from

Accents:

• Red or white bows
• Birch logs or Flocked branches 
• Reusable sprays
• Pinecones
• Leaves (magnolia looks best)

1. Fill the planter with dirt and then take cut pieces of garland and sprigs from the Christmas trees and arrange them in the container.
   
   
2. You can start with garland, around the outer edge, and let them naturally fall around the container. You’ll need to firmly plant the stems into the dirt. If you need extra support, add dowels to the garland and stems with floral wire before inserting them into the pot.
   
   
3. To add the taller pieces, tie the dowels to the branches, leaving about 10” of dowel at the bottom. Stick them firmly into the dirt at varying angles.
   
   
4. Add pine greenery and maybe some cedar picks for a fragrant addition!
   
   
5. Add pinecones, ribbon, or any other accents you like.
   
   
6. Enjoy your masterpiece all season long.
   
   

Setting the Holiday Mood

Your entire family will enjoy the holidays a little more and feel a little less stressed with the right ambiance.

In the main living area, make a habit to light candles or turn on battery-operated candles around 4:00pm, turn on lite music, or find the ambiance channel on your YouTube TV channel for some fun holiday scenes, coffee shop, scenes with lite music. This will create a relaxing mood for cooking and calming those in the home. Here are some examples. 

When you start to feel overwhelmed, this can help reset your emotions!

Holiday Survival Self-care Tips

Last but not least let’s focus on some self-care during the season! Here are a few things I like to do to help me get through this busy time of year.

1. Read a daily devotional to get your mind and perspective set for the day. 
2. Drink herbal teas to stay warm. 
3. Break a sweat at the gym for more energy, get your heart rate up with 30-40 mins of cardio or take a workout class. Physical activity for at least 20 minutes a day will keep your energy up and you feeling well.
4. Try hot yoga 2-3 times a week for relaxation and deep stretching. Hot yoga will keep you warm and help to relive tension and stress. 
5. Break from technology and read a book. 
6. Take your vitamins and supplements daily to keep your immune system strong.
7. Enjoy a bath at least every other night… Use Ambitious AHA Gel Mask after your baths, your pores will be open to absorb this fantastic exfoliator and leave on the entire night of sleep. Sleep with this mask 2-3 times a week for glowing skin. 

Staying healthy and on track during the holidays isn’t as hard as it may seem. Just put some of these ideas into practice, and you’ll find your holiday survival is more fun and less stressful.

As you practice healthy habits and fun activities, we hope you have a blessed and rest-filled Christmas and New Year!