The hussle and bussle of the holidays can have us picking up some bad habits habits! Check out these strategies to combat 4 of the most common holiday mishaps!

• Stress & Sleep

If you’re laying awake, unable to sleep, rifled with holiday stress try German chamomile, valerian, skullcap, melatonin and California poppy, which are all natural sleep aids. Essential oils can have a calming effect. A 2015 study found hospital workers at a Vienna hospital successfully reduced their levels of stress with the use of essential oils.

• Overeating

Grazing endlessly at festive gatherings can quickly make your holiday outfit uncomfortably tight fitting. For your bloated belly, consider digestive enzymes. Ginger chews can help overcome a bout of nausea. Probiotics help support digestive health. Plus, a recent British Journal of Nutrition study suggests some probiotics may promote healthier insulin metabolism during short bouts of eating an unhealthy diet.

• Energy

From shopping, to shoveling to sledding ‘tis the season to be active! Have enough energy to enjoy it. B vitamins help your metabolism, and can be found in most multivitamins. Healthy snacking (nuts, fruits, energy bars, Kombucha, seeds, green powders or protein shakes) can keep you fuelled and ready to jump for joy!

• Healthier Holiday Recipes

When the weather outside is frightful stay inside and try new healthy recipes! Try using coconut oil instead of butter. Give organic chocolate a try – it’s delicious! Experiment with new ingredients, such as chia seeds or hemp hearts. Visit our website for a delightful peppermint mocha hemp heart bite recipe!

Peppermint Mocha Bites recipe

Ingredients                               
 – 3/4 cup raw almonds
– 1/2 cup Hemp Hearts
– 1 cup dates, pitted
– 2 tbsp. cocoa powder
– 1 tsp. espresso powder
– 1 tsp. vanilla extract
– 1/8 tsp. peppermint extract
– 1/4 cup candy cane chocolate

Directions
1. Add almonds to a food processor and blend until they are finely ground
2. Put Hemp Hearts and dates in and blend until it forms a sticky dough
3. Add the cocoa, espresso powder, vanilla and peppermint extract and blend to combine. Then add in chocolate chips and pulse a few times so they are mixed in.
4. Scoop the dough by heaping tablespoons and roll into balls. You can roll the balls in the crushed candy canes or Hemp Hearts if desired.

References:Essential Oils – Stress

Forsch Komplementmed. 2015;22(3):185-94.
Link to Abstract: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26338021Magnesium – Insomnia
J Res Med Sci. 2012 Dec; 17(12): 1161–1169.
Link to Full Article: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3703169/Probiotics – Insulin Resistance – Overeating
Br J Nutr. 2015 Feb 28; 113(4): 596–602
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4339038/Health Canada Monographs: Probiotics, Multivitamins, Digestive Enzymes, Ginger
http://webprod.hc-sc.gc.ca/nhpid-bdipsn/atReq.do?atid=probio
http://webprod.hc-sc.gc.ca/nhpid-bdipsn/atReq.do?atid=multi_vitmin_suppl
http://webprod.hc-sc.gc.ca/nhpid-bdipsn/atReq.do?atid=enzyme.multi&lang=eng
http://webprod.hc-sc.gc.ca/nhpid-bdipsn/monoReq.do?id=99&