How to stay sane this holiday season

 To take good care of the planet, you need to take care of yourself first.

Last night  Ali Shapiro, Health Counselor and Director of Integrative Nutritional Counseling, and Nicole Lipkin owner and Executive Director of Equilibria Psychological & Consultation Services hosted an event focusing on the importance of taking care of your body (your temple!) and mind.

Ali & Nicole are both impressively knowledgeable in their own rights, and I would recommend anyone seeking help in their areas of expertise to give their services a try.

Here’s just a few things I took away from the discussion last night:

• Green is good: Eating leafy greens like spinach, kale, swiss chard, etc. in the winter can help cleanse your system and prevent spring allergies.
• Combat stress naturally: Adrenaline & cortisol can raise stress in your body –  we typically have raised levels of both during the holiday season. To help combat that stress choose  spices like ginger & garlic this winter season. These foods have a calming, warming effect.
• Hibernate! There’s a reason animals and wildlife go into hibernation during the winter months.  Our bodies and mind should use this time to rest (or “reboot” as I like to say.) Indoor activities like reading, knitting, writing, even catching up on movies can be especially enjoyable when it’s  so chilly outside.
• Shift the blame: During the session we were asked to write down our top 6 stressors in our lives and identify how we typically cope with them. Then, we discussed what the actual stressor behind our emotion was. For example, if the holidays and the need to get the perfect gifts or host a fabulous dinner are stressing you out consider where the pressure is coming from. Many attendees were able to identify their own role in creating this stress. Furthermore, we considered what the consequences would be if these ‘stressors’ didn’t happen??… Chances are the world would keep turning and it wouldn’t be a big deal. The point? Don’t be so hard on yourself! Enjoy this time of year, and remember to take it all in stride.

Still feelin’ physical and emotional stress? Contact Ali at alishapiro@pyournutrition.com for nutritional and lifestyle advice at or Nicole at nlipkin@equilibriapcs.com for advice and therapy for dealing with life’s challenges.

Posted by Beth