Gift Yourself a Calm and Healthy Holiday Season

Contributed by Sue Moores, M.S., R.D., Kowalski's Nutritionist.

The holidays are a wonderful time to celebrate so many things. Last year we adjusted celebrations, scaling back on many of the season's typical to-dos. As we roll into this year's festivities, some of those adjustments may be worth revisiting, says Courtney Jordan Baechler, M.D., M.S., Preventive Cardiologist and Medical Director at the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation.

"The past year was an opportunity to put less pressure on ourselves to create perfection and instead place more intention toward realizing a state of calm," says Jordan Baechler. "This holiday season won't be as isolated as last year, but we won't be where we were in 2019. COVID will still be with us, and people have different levels of comfort and ease about it. Caution and healthy habits should still stay top of mind."

Through her practice, Jordan Baechler helps clients achieve better health (and calm) by "feeding" their body, mind and spirit. "Fewer than 3-5% of us have an optimal lifestyle," she says, "so we have plenty of room to initiate or expand upon health-helping strategies." That starts with the usual suspects, including:

• Movement (30 minutes per day)
• Optimal sleep (ideally 6-8 hours)
• Nourishment (wholesome foods, plenty of produce, whole grains, healthful fats, etc.)
• Stress management (including the practices of gratitude, reflection, social connections and music)

Jordan Baechler encourages people to explore Eastern medicine practices as well, including acupuncture, acupressure, aromatherapy, meditation and massage. Virtual offerings for some of these practices, such as yoga, tai chi and Ayurveda techniques, are making it easier than ever to experience their value. "I see people respond to these methods every day through lower blood pressures, lower blood sugars, improved insulin sensitivity and better heart rates," she says. "The benefits are real, influential and impressive."

Spending time in nature each week is a key component, too, Jordan Baechler adds. "It is incredibly therapeutic, and luckily in Minnesota, we have all sorts of unique ways to experience the quiet and stillness of the season."

Since COVID, more and more of us have come to realize and understand the significance of our mental health. Family and friends accepted that "the usual" wasn't possible last year, and they can again if you want to continue in the same direction this year. "People are discovering what matters most to them," says Jordan Baechler. "We've been given an invitation to reimagine and discover more about how we want to (and how we can) be well."

Embrace the possibilities.

We wish you and yours all the best for a joyful, calming and healthful holiday season!