The holiday season can bring a mix of emotions—joy and connection, but also stress, overwhelm, and the pressure to do it all. In this episode of 1,000 Waking Minutes, Dr. Wendy Bazilian cuts through the chaos and talks about how to find balance, create space for things that matter, and savor the season.

Discover how small intentional choices, like elevating your plate with festive flavors, sharing joyful traditions, practicing breath work, and creating moments of pause, can transform your holidays. Grab a cozy drink, settle in, and tune for inspiration to embrace the busy and the beautiful of the holiday season.

FROM THE EPISODE:

“We're not trying to stay on track. I really want to flip the switch on that today. It's more about what can we do to enhance the joy, enhance the abundance, the fun of the season and add a little bit more joy to your plate, your health and your life.”

WE DISCUSS:

(1:13) Why the holidays are about connection and time

(6:15) Why adding is better than restricting, when it comes to nutrition and diet

(10:40) Intentional choices that have significant ROIs for weight management, mental health, and immunity

(21:26) A Mindful Minute: A breathing exercise to bring calm amidst holiday chaos

(25:25) How to give yourself the gift of pause

(30:20) My favorite foods to elevate holiday meals with vibrant, nourishing additions

(36:41) How to make daily movement happen

(38:30) Smart sipping: How to enjoy festive beverages while staying balanced

(42:30) Tips for creating meaningful new traditions and keeping things light this season

(47:56) A question to ponder and reflect on

(48:39) Closing remarks and gratitude to my team and you for joining me on this journey

CONNECT WITH WENDY

Follow me on Instagram: @1000WakingMinutes  

Visit my website: wendybazilian.com

Email me at: 1KWM@wendybazilian.com 

PLEASE SUPPORT

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Thank you for tuning in to 1,000 Waking Minutes and being part of this journey–together. A huge thank you to our amazing collaborators including our production and marketing teams and Gabriela Escalante in particular. To the ultra-talented Beza for my theme music, my lifelong friend and artist Pearl Preis Photography and Design, to Danielle Ballantyne, Jen Nguyen, Joanna Powell, and of course, my family and everyone working tirelessly behind the scenes.

Health Disclaimer: The information shared in this podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be considered individual medical or health advice. Always consult with your trusted healthcare provider before making any changes to your diet, exercise, or medical treatment.

REFERENCES:

Helander, E.E. et al. (2016). Weight gain over the holidays in three countries. The New England Journal of Medicine, 375(12), 1200-1202. https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc1602012 

Yanovski, J. A., et al. (2000). A prospective study of holiday weight gain. The New England Journal of Medicine, 342(12), 861-867. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10727591/ 

Wolk, A and Michels, K.B. (2002). A prospective study of variety of healthy foods and mortality in women. International Journal of Epidemiology, 31(4):847-54. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12177033/

RECIPE:

Bazilian Biscotti with Dried Cherries and Pistachios

Courtesy of her mother-in-law: the amazing, one-in-a-bazilian…Nancy Bazilian

Featuring antioxidant-rich dried cherries and ground cinnamon alongside heart-healthy walnuts, these taste as good as they are good for you (in a healthier-treat-sort-of-way!)

You’ll want to write a thank you note to my mother-in-law, Nancy Bazilian, for this recipe!  These freeze beautifully, too. 

Servings: 24

Serving size: 2 biscotti (slices)

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 45-50 minutes 

Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Ingredients: 

2 eggs

3/4 cup sugar 

1/4 cup olive oil 

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup dried cherries

1/2 cup chopped pistachios (walnuts work great, too!)

2 cups unbleached, unbromated white flour

¼ cup organic cane sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. 

In a food processor, mix together eggs, sugar, olive oil, and vanilla. To the liquid mixture, add the salt and baking powder and process.  Add dried cherries and pistachios then add flour last and process until dough forms on dough-setting or for approximately 5-10 seconds.

With wet hands, form dough into 2, 12-inch "loaves" down the length of the cookie sheet (about 1/2"-3/4" high by 2" wide by 12" in length). In a small dish, mix together sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle top of ‘loaves’  with cinnamon/sugar mixture.

Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Carefully move loaves to cutting board and slice into individual biscotti approximately 1/2"-3/4" each with a very sharp knife. Return biscotti to parchment paper and bake 5 minutes more. Turn biscotti  slices to other side, and bake 5-8 minutes more.  

Feeling like a bit of dark chocolate?

Replace ½ cup of dried cherries and ½ cup of pistachios with: 

1/3 cup dried cherries

1/3 cup pistachios or walnuts

1/3 cup dark chocolate pieces

Flat out fun. Some pieces may break, but still taste dee-licious. Enjoy with tea for an afternoon snack.

Write me at 1KWM@wendybazilian.com to share your thought and connect!

Time is the gift we

give ourselves and each other

during the holidays.

Whether it's five minutes to

reflect with gratitude, ten minutes

for a walk with family,

or an hour preparing a

recipe that makes you smile,

these moments are our life's

currency.

So let's think together about

how to make them count:

joyfully, practically, and meaningfully.

We experience 1,000 waking

minutes on average every day.

How are you spending yours?

I'm Dr. Wendy Bazilian and

you're listening to 1,000

Waking Minutes.

I can't wait to connect

with you here with practical

ways to eat well, move

daily, and be healthy.

To optimize every waking minute

you live for a happier,

healthier life.

Thank you for sharing some

of your waking minutes with

me today.

Let's get started.

I'm saying yes to better

days, yes.

I'm on my way, yes.

It's gonna be okay, yeah.

Welcome to 1,000 Waking

Minutes.

I'm Dr. Wendy Bazilian and

I'm so glad you're here.

Today, together, we're diving into

life's most precious currency, our

time, and exploring how to

spend it meaningfully, especially during

the holidays.

This season brings so much

to the table, literally and

figuratively.

It's about connection and celebration,

and a little bit of

chaos, too, for many of

us.

But today we'll focus on

how to make the most

of our 1,000 waking

minutes during the holidays: feeling

great, having fun, and hopefully

spreading a little joy.

If you're like me, the

holidays also bring back some

nostalgia and some memories, and

as I was preparing for

today's episode, I was thinking

about some of those childhood

TV programs that would come

on when TV was much

simpler and you only had

a few channels to choose

from.

One that always comes to

mind at this time of

year is Rudolph the Red

-Nosed Reindeer.

And there's a character and

a song that has always

stuck in my mind, sung

by the old Kris Kringle

to the sort of ornery,

I think, warlock character of

sorts.

And it goes a little

bit like this:

"You put one foot in

front of the other And

soon you'll be walking out

the door!" Something like that.

That's a song that sticks

in my mind, but I

bring it up to you

not just because we're talking

holidays today, but it has

relevance.

And I think of that

because small steps or literal

steps forward get us moving

toward healthy habits.

So whether it's holiday plans,

your health goals, or just

surviving the season, we're going

to put one foot in

front of the other and

make some small, meaningful steps

forward throughout the holiday and

toward a bright new year.

Holidays at their core really

are about the who and

how we spend our time.

And time is a gift

that we give ourselves and

each other during the holidays,

I think.

Whether it's time to reflect

for five minutes of gratitude

or a 10 or 20

or 30 minute walk with

a family member or an

hour preparing a recipe that

brings back not only memories -

maybe a family recipe - but

that you're bringing to the

table to share with others -

friends or family - together.

Something that makes you smile.

These moments are our life's

currency and they're captured now,

but also forevermore.

So let's think together about

how to make them count.

Again, joyfully and practically and

meaningfully.

I also know that this

season can feel like a

whirlwind of obligations.

It has become something of

shopping and maybe parties - of

traditions that you are revisiting

and sometimes making new, sometimes

wondering if you want to

continue a tradition - and also

sometimes challenges.

We're going to acknowledge those

moments too a bit today.

The stress of missing someone,

whether they've passed or they're

at a distance or for

other reasons. There's financial pressures

that go with this time

of year.

Just trying to keep up

sometimes can seem overwhelming.

But my hope today is

to remind you that the

holidays don't have to be

perfect to be meaningful.

And today I want to

talk about some science-backed

benefits -

you can always expect that

of me -

that you can experience for

your wellbeing by making certain

choices and practices part of

your holiday season.

We'll share a Mindful Minute

as always together, and I'll

give some time and honor

the practices that we might

choose to use to make

it happen this holiday season.

So grab a cozy drink

or a blanket or imagine

it in your head, depending

on where you're listening from

for a moment.

Let's start talking about how

to spend these waking minutes

together,

balancing joy, health, and connection.

All right, so let's talk

about making these holiday minutes

count.

One of the things I

love about the season is

that it gives us so

many opportunities to connect: to

our health, to our loved

ones, and to those little

moments of joy that can

stick with us long after

the season ends.

So I want to dive

in to some of the

ROIs, the returns on investment,

or benefits to some of

these small intentional choices during

the holidays that can have

big payoff now and in

the time ahead.

So number one, if you

boost your plate, and we'll

talk about nutrition, you can

boost your life - and by

that I mean your well

-being, your overall health, but

also your pleasure and satisfaction.

I'm going to start with

food on purpose.

We often think of the

holidays as a time of

indulgence, and it is, and

it can be, but it's

also a time we can

add a little bit of

health to our plate, but

not just take things away.

So we're not going to

settle for 'staying on track'

today.

We're going to talk about

how to add joy, add: add

flavor, add fun, and add

some nutrition throughout the holidays.

An important study, one that

I really think started the

whole movement of research on

this idea, and I've written

about it, I've talked about

it for - at least since

2007 that I can remember -

was a study that came

out in 2002 in the

International Journal of Epidemiology, and

this study of over 60

,000 women found that regularly

adding healthy foods, like fruits

and veggies and whole grains,

to your meals and plates

is more impactful to your

health than simply cutting or

reducing or eliminating those things

we may need to eat

a little bit less of.

Let me think about that

out loud again with you.

This is really important research.

It may seem like logical

and obvious, but it was

a suggestion that what we

when add to our plate - and

it was a beginning of

a movement when I started

writing about so-called superfoods

or the types of foods

and nutrients you put on

the plate - how important they

are, versus cutting back or

cutting away, and it completely

flip-flopped and flipped the

switch on sort of the

diet mentality and supported by

research.

Many studies have come since

that time further substantiating this

the value of what

I call the 'plus', which,

by the way, feels much

more logical, much more attractive,

and much more doable.

I think you might agree

with that.

So building on that foundational

research, which was done by

Michaels and Wolk back in

2002, recent research continues to

underscore the health benefits of

incorporating the nutrient-rich foods

onto the plate and their

importance.

Just wanted to mention one

super-recent study, 2024, just

out in PLOS ONE.

The researchers evaluated the impact

of plant-based diets on

cardiovascular health, on cancer risk,

on stroke, and their findings -

and this was an umbrella

study, meaning it was a

review study of meta-analysis

and systematic reviews, so it's

a review of reviews - and

they found that a diet

rich in fruits and vegetables

and whole grains can significantly

reduce the risk of these

chronic diseases, reinforcing the idea

that what's on the plate

is critically important to our

health, and that it may

be more important or at

least as important as any

kind of reduction you might

be making to your diet

by restriction.

And enhancing overall health is

the key.

Enjoying a healthy holiday, thinking

about what can I add

to my plate, might be

a more celebratory way than

how am I gonna restrict

between all the holiday festivities.

So instead of thinking, I

can't have this, think, what

can I add to this

meal to make it even

better?

Maybe it's a handful of

nuts to your salad, some

roasted carrots alongside the mashed

potatoes, which are both great,

by the way, or maybe

a dessert that has some

fruit with it or an

occasional dessert of fruit, and

I will include a fabulous

recipe, by the way, from

my mother-in-law, which

is a pistachio and dried

cherry biscotti, which is very

seasonal because you think of

the colors.

It's very easy, it's very

giftable, and it is so

delicious, and it's got nutrients

as well. But it's a

cookie, it's a biscotti.

So as you prepare your

holiday meals, consider the nutritious

additions you can make, whether

incorporating vegetables into your dishes,

choosing whole grains over refined

ones, small changes that can

have an additive effect.

Benefit number two: stop weight

gain before it sticks.

Now, a lot of people

think, "oh my gosh, it's

a free-for-all right

now.

I'm just giving up before

I start", or "I always

gain 10 pounds" or there's

an inevitable weight gain of

5,... 10,... 15 pounds.

We've heard the scary headlines

about holiday weight gain that

we're doomed, basically, to gain

them, but the thing is,

research doesn't bear that out.

There hasn't been a lot

of research in this area,

but research that has been

done, and been done again,

shows that in the holiday

time period, people gain about

0.8 to 2 kilograms,

so about 1 to 4

pounds on average.

That's not too bad, considering,

and something that you can

think about as maybe you

make some of these adjustments

now ahead in the new

year, but the real trick

here is not letting it

stick around.

A study from the New

England Journal of Medicine reminds

us that it's often the

little habits during this time,

like eating slightly smaller portions,

keeping up with your movement,

balancing your plate with the

nutrient-rich foods, that can

help prevent weight gain from

turning into long-term weight

on your body.

So it's really back to

those minutes, the minutes you

invest in some of those

choices that can have real

payoff.

The third benefit is: move

daily, stress less.

It's a good tip, a

good time for me to

use that second pillar: eat

well, MOVE DAILY in the

mix here.

This is something that's a

year-round tip, of course,

but especially during the holidays,

moving your body daily can

be good for your physical

self and very good for

your mental self.

Research shows that regular physical

activity doesn't just burn calories,

it boosts the feel-good

chemicals called endorphins and lowers

the stress hormones like cortisol

in the body.

So even if it's a

quick 10-minute walk after

a meal... - episode three is

ringing in my mind, so

if you haven't heard it

yet, I encourage you to

either go back and listen,

all about taking a walk

after your meals, or read

the transcript if you choose -

or taking an extra lap

at the mall, doing a

dance party in your home

to holiday tunes if you

choose.

Giving yourself the gift of

movement is truly a gift

to yourself at this time.

And every step you take

keeps your mind and body

feeling a little lighter during

the season.

The fourth benefit I like

to title as: share joy,

share health.

This is about giving, and

yes, giving gifts can be

lots of fun, but what

I'm really talking about are

the acts of kindness, whether

it's volunteering, donating to a

cause, or simply being present

for someone.

These acts don't just feel

good, they're scientifically shown to

benefit and boost your health.

We don't do the giving

for the 'getting', however, I

am going to share the

research that giving activates parts

of your brain associated with

pleasure, and also can help

reduce certain symptoms of depression.

Plus, volunteering can help your

physical health by increasing your

social connections, and possibly even

your physical activity in the

volunteerism.

And the best part is,

it doesn't have to take

hours to make an impact.

You don't have to volunteer

year-round.

You can volunteer a couple

hours during the season, and

it might become contagious for

you as well.

A small moment spent helping

someone else can change their

day and yours.

One of the things that

I've absolutely loved doing over

the years with my family,

and also with my extended

family - my goddaughters from time

to time - right at this

season, over the holiday season,

is volunteering with different organizations.

And one of my favorites

is with Feeding America.

Some years, our three wonderful

goddaughters have joined us, and

it becomes not only a

really fun morning spent together,

but a cherished tradition, a

cherished memory, a source of

laughs and storytelling.

We spend the morning giving

back by stocking things or

taking inventory, whatever we're called

to do, and then we

head out for a festive

lunch together.

We plan it, and it's

something that is meaningful to

me that I really enjoy

doing, and enjoy, as time

permits, others to join in

if they're interested and they

want to come along.

It's a perfect blend for

me of connection, of joy,

of meaningful time spent, and

amazing how full your heart

feels after just a few

hours.

Just one example.

I imagine you have some

examples, and if you don't,

I'm happy to share other

things that you might want

to tap into newly in

this season.

I'd love to hear from

you.

You can email me or

visit my website and be

in touch as well.

The beauty of giving is

that it really is a

two-way gift.

As I mentioned, it's as

much for you, even though

that's not why you do

it to start, as it

is for the person or

the community that you're helping.

And a fifth benefit is

calming your body and doing

some breath work to sharpen

your mind.

So while moving our bodies

is certainly vital, sometimes the

best thing we can do

for ourselves is just breathe

and practice some of that

abdominal and belly breathing and

yogic breathing.

Deep breathing isn't just a

tool for yoga classes or

mindfulness retreats.

It is science-backed, and

it's a simple way to

help reduce stress and feel

more grounded.

And I think both of

those are beneficial during this

holiday season.

So controlled breathing, so it's

sort of a practice breathing,

can help lower blood pressure,

it can help reduce your

heart rate, and it can

quiet your body's stress response.

Plus, deep breathing can boost

oxygenation to your cells so

you feel more alert and

energetic and can benefit your

brain as well.

So the beauty of this

is it only takes a

few minutes, and I like

to think of inhaling all

the good that the season

brings and exhale whatever you're

ready to let go.

A powerful way to spend

a little bit of time

each day.

It may seem small, breathing.

I mean, it's something that

if you don't do a

breathing exercise, you'll still have

involuntary breathing and you'll still

oxygenate your cells sufficiently to

exist.

But it's a perfect example

of how tiny moments within

your 1,000 waking minutes

can make a big, big

difference.

And we're going to practice

a little of this breathing

during our Mindful Minute in

just a moment.

Okay, so I saved perhaps

the best for last.

The last benefit, or ROI,

is about laughter.

And it turns out that

sharing a good laugh really

does have some physical health

benefits.

A study published in the

Psychological Bulletin found that laughter

can help reduce stress, it

can help support healthy immunity,

and it can even help

balance or improve blood pressure.

Kind of like light exercise,

you might think of it.

And it's really like giving

the body and the mind

a big holiday gift, I

think, wrapped up in a

little giggle that might expand

to something more.

There's a quote by the

19th century humorist Josh Billings

that goes like this:

"Laughter is the sensation of

feeling good all over, but

showing it principally in one

place."

Isn't that true?!

That our laughter comes out

through the mouth, and some

people have the most glorious

laughs.

They're literally contagious once they

get started.

The smile comes over the

face, a beam of light

comes through the eyes.

If you get a really

good belly laugh, you feel

it in your belly.

And no matter what, a

good laugh feels like a

wash all over the body,

head to toe.

So this holiday season, though

there are many stressors for

all of us, no doubt,

this can be one of

the best times to sprinkle

in, purposefully, something that makes

you laugh, making room for

laughter.

Whether you're watching a holiday

favorite like Elf or A

Charlie Brown Christmas, or you

come back to those funny

family stories and you tell

them again, or have the

younger generations learn them and

retell them from years past,

or you can even start

new traditions.

If you're searching for things

to laugh about, maybe start

a joke jar, and you

can add to it and

pull from it on a

whim.

I'll get you started with

just a quirky little one:

Why did the gingerbread man

go to therapy?

Well, of course, it was

because he was feeling crumb-y.

Well, I hope that you're

laughing or at least chuckling

inside, if not rolling your

eyes back, but a smile

coming through, a little wash

to your day.

And the idea there, of

course, is that some of

these small steps, intentional steps

in our 1,000 waking

minutes, whether it's laughter or

adding good food on nutrition

or the movement, these little

steps can actually have real

payoff to our mental health

as well as our physical

health, real ROIs. A good

reminder that laughter can lighten

up your entire being and

it can all start with

a chuckle.

It's a great reminder of

what we've been talking about

in these benefits.

So those are some important

returns on our investment of

why to choose some minutes

for yourself and for your

health.

The holidays are full of

opportunities to do little boosts

to your health.

We're not trying to stay

on track.

I really want to flip

the switch on that today.

It's more about what can

we do to enhance the

joy, enhance the abundanza, the

fun of this season and

add a little bit more

joy to your plate, your

health, and your life.

Okay, so let's take a

moment together:

our Mindful Minute for today.

This is a little time

for us to breathe and

reset.

Earlier, I mentioned how breathing

deeply can help lower stress

and reduce our cortisol and

even sharpen our focus, help

with our brain.

And this is your chance

to experience it firsthand.

I'm going to set you

up and then we'll experience

it and then we'll reflect.

So for the next 60

seconds, as we share the

Mindful Minute, I want you

to remember as we do

this together that these exercises

aren't about achieving some kind

of perfection in mindful meditation,

but they're simply and powerfully

about just being present.

So I want to invite

you to be that, especially

being present in the midst

of potential holiday chaos and

also fun.

So find a comfortable position,

close your eyes if you

like, or lower your gaze

if it's safe to do

so.

Let's first start by taking

just one full breath in

and out to get ourselves

ready:

in through the nose, exhale

through the mouth, and let's

begin.

We're just breathing.

As you breathe in deeply,

feel your chest and your

belly rise.

As you exhale, let go

of the tension.

Maybe something small that's weighing

on you today.

With your next breath, imagine

you're inhaling all the joy,

the calm connection that the

season can bring.

And as you exhale, let

yourself release anything that doesn't

serve you in this moment.

As we complete the last

few seconds, exhale your final

breath out...

one more time, slowly.

Feel the weight in your

grounded, calm, present.

Okay, that's it.

One minute and hopefully a

world of difference.

It's amazing, I think, I

hope you agree, how just

one minute can help you

feel more centered.

Remember moments like this don't

take much time, but they

can make so much impact

on how we show up

for ourselves and for the

people we care about.

So as you move through

your 1,000 waking minutes

today, take this calm of

this minute together with you.

Use it as a reminder

that even amidst the busiest

of times, a little pause

can bring clarity, peace, gratitude.

Thank you for sharing that

Mindful Minute with me.

Now let's talk about some

practical ways to take these

insights and turn them into

action without feeling overwhelmed by

the hustle and bustle of

the season.

Talking about practical tips can

help us choose which ones

might serve us and hopefully

make the season feel more

joyful, balanced, and meaningful for

you.

It's not, again, about staying

on track or creating another

to-do list to check

off, but those small intentional

actions that you might build

in, add to, to help

you feel great and enjoy

the season.

So I want you to

focus on one or two

simple things.

Nurturing yourself, fostering those things,

and that's it.

But I'm going to provide

you a number of them.

So think of these sort

of as your holiday toolkit,

relatable hopefully, doable, and designed

to fit your 1,000

waking minutes.

You don't have to be

perfect to have a wonderful

holiday season, but a few

practices will make it ever

more so enjoyable.

So number one, give yourself

the gift of pause.

'Pause points', I sometimes call

them, is one of the

kindest gifts you can do

for yourself, and it's just

taking a moment here or

there to pause.

It can feel like a

whirlwind.

It can feel like you

can't squeeze in another minute,

but even a five-minute

break can make you feel

like you're gaining time, and

it can be a total

game changer for some.

One way to try this

is to pair your pause,

and I - P-A-U

-S-E - pair your pause

with something you already do.

So let's say you're baking

some cookies for the season.

During the baking time, do

something like take a moment

to sit and sip a

cup of tea or sit

quietly and just disengage or

do a mindful minute of

breathing.

If you're stuck in traffic

or you're sitting in a

mall parking lot, either before

you go in or before

you head home, use that

time for a few deep

breaths.

And another favorite quote that

speaks to this that's often

attributed to Dolly Parton, though

the exact original is uncertain,

I found... But I like

Dolly Parton so much about

what she's done to inspire

readers and artists, so I'll

attribute it to her.

And that is this:

"Don't get so busy making

a living that you forget

to make a life."

And I use that right

now because we can take

small pause points in our

busy life, our workdays leading

up to the holidays, the

holiday season, and really, that's

what you'll remember.

That's what you'll come back

to.

And this season really is

about connection, about the pause

to help you refocus on

what really matters.

So think about the places

you may be otherwise waiting

and make that instead actively

choosing moments for you.

curate your own

joyful moments.

Let's talk about that whole

concept of fostering joy.

Can you create it or

manifest it?

Absolutely.

There've been whole books written

about ways, and that might

feel overwhelming, but it doesn't

have to be elaborate.

So by finding joy, it's

finding the smiles in your

little moments that bring you

happiness.

It's the things that you

can make space for within

your days that really do

spark that joy.

So maybe it's putting on

your favorite holiday playlist or

skipping instead of walking, if

that brings you joy.

Maybe watching a classic holiday

film like Home Alone or

maybe Miracle on 34th Street

or Die Hard, as I

seem to recall, that happened

over Christmas.

But watching something that brings

you joy - YOU! - joy over

the holiday or laughing over

that one story that everyone

tells every single year with

you, about you, around the

family, or just something funny

that brings joy internally.

If it's hard to create

on-demand small moments of

joy when you really need

them, not unlike creating a

joke bowl that I mentioned

before, you can actually create -

get one of your many

extra tote bags, if you're

like me, you've got lots

of them, or a box

or even a bowl - and

jot down some things that

bring you joy and pop

them in.

And what I mean by

that is some small, medium,

and longer length items, activities

that bring you joy.

So some things that only

take a couple minutes maybe

or five minutes or 10

or 20 or a couple

hours or a whole evening.

Examples could be knitting for

15 minutes if you love

to knit or taking a

bath if that brings you

joy and comfort or calling

someone who always just lifts

you up when you talk

to them.

It could be a movie

night or an evening socializing

with friends around the dinner

table.

The point is that joy

isn't something we have to

wait for to happen to

us.

It is something we can

create.

And honestly, sometimes the simplest

things for just a couple

minutes and sometimes the silliest

things are the ones that

stick with us the longest.

So remembering the fine sage

words of Charlie Brown, remember

"it's not what's under the

Christmas tree that matters, it's

who's around it."

So make time for the

people that bring joy to

you and experiences that light

you up this holiday season.

So next up: elevate your

plate with flavor and fun.

So you know if you're

listening to me you're going

to hear about nutrition.

And holidays are definitely a

time when food takes center

stage.

And that's something really to

celebrate in my book.

So this season, instead of

thinking about healthy hacks to

change the cherished family recipes

or traditions - by the way:

don't do that.

The goal is not to

change grandma's stuffing recipe or

skip any of the holiday

classics, but perhaps instead think

about how you can add

to them or beside them

a little extra flavor, color,

and yes, nutrition.

Enhance the tradition and make

your table more vibrant and

it will become more healthy

with minimal effort and all

the fun.

So a few ways to

sort of 'plus up' your

holiday favorites that you can

think about.

And I have a long

list of these that I

could provide to you and

hopefully will in the time

ahead.

Just a few.

sprinkle on nuts.

Nuts, toasted walnuts, pistachios, almonds.

They are a great companion

this time of year.

The harvest just happened.

You can find the nuts

even in shell and you

can crack them if you

wish.

They are so delicious.

They can be added to

salads.

They can be added to

roasted vegetables.

Walnuts can even be stir

-fried into a stir-fried

veggie dish.

And they're rich in those

good fats, the healthy fats

that can boost heart health.

And each nut has its

unique properties, like walnuts, an

excellent source of omega-3.

Pistachios, the green, has that

wonderful lutein and zeaxanthin for

your eyes.

They've got good fiber and

protein.

But they're gorgeous to add

into your recipes and to

your dishes.

I mentioned before the dried

cherry and pistachio biscotti recipe.

It adds a little bit

of green.

It adds crunch.

It adds a chewiness.

It adds flavor.

It adds nutrients.

It's so wonderful.

So add some nuts.

The second kind of plus

-up you can do is

adding color and brightening up

your classics.

So you can brighten up

your mashed potatoes with chopped

herbs like parsley and rosemary,

which have nutrients.

And this is just a

flavor addition as well as

a colorful addition to your

standard go-tos at the holiday

time.

Or pomegranate seeds.

This is a great time

to use those arils or,

again, dried cherries or dried

cranberries and add them into

grain salads or stuffings or

roasted Brussels sprouts, another recipe

I have that I'll have

to find and see if

I can post that.

Bringing antioxidants to the table,

sweetness, some sweetness to the

savory.

And they just taste and

look amazing.

They bring phytonutrients, vitamins, minerals,

fiber, all that just by

'adding to'.

Another one, adding sweet and

spicy.

So I mentioned before, like

parsley or adding herbs to

the mashed potatoes, but if

you stir in some cinnamon

or nutmeg or ginger, certainly

flavors of the season, it

can add warmth to your

sweet potatoes and your squash

recipes.

They can boost antioxidants.

They're very rich in antioxidants.

And they may inadvertently help

you reduce the added sugars

that you add to your

diet without even trying.

So I'm not even suggesting

this, but because they bring

some of them warmth and

a sort of sweet note,

sometimes we inadvertently have other

behaviors that are health-enhancing

from some of these additions.

There's a lot of amazing

research on herbs and spices.

It's something that I will

definitely dedicate

an episode to - I've dedicated

years of presentations and research

and doing things with herbs

and spices.

But today it's really, really

about their day job.

The herbs and spices shine

best when we just talk

about their flavor.

They make food delicious.

They make it easier for

us to eat foods that

we need more of like

vegetables and fruits and whole

grains and lean proteins.

You name it. They add

flavor unto themselves and they

really have no downside.

They have no calories, no

liabilities, so to speak, just

the good stuff.

Another nutrition plus-up is

upgrading creamy classics.

So I have been known,

and I do like to

talk sometimes about swapping in

nutrients, but during the holidays,

it's not so much swapping

for putting something in and

taking something bad out, but

some people don't realize when

some of these nutrient boosts

or nutrient swaps happen, you're

actually making it more pleasurable

as well.

So sometimes swapping part of

the heavy cream for like

a Greek yogurt or part

of the sour cream, not

only adds a lot of

nutrition, but it actually adds

a different like functional and

flavor quality and creaminess and

mouthfeel.

So thinking of adding the

pureed cauliflower, for example, to

a mashed potato is not

just about cutting back on

the carbs.

It's really about adding like

a new texture, a new

flavor, a new note, as

well as a lot of

nutrients as well.

So boosting the creaminess, boosting

the appeal by making some

of these swaps.

That's it for the plus

-ups, but I want you

to remember not to forget

all the places that you

can add nutrition. Adding dips

and starters and making them

health forward maybe, a curried

red pepper dip to go

with your vegetables or your

chips or your breads that

can be served.

They can be light and

flavorful at the same time,

and it can add to

the abundance of a healthy

holiday season instead of feeling

like you're removing or taking

away.

So the idea again is

not about replacing or restricting

here.

It's about more.

It's about more joy, flavor,

and yes, nutrition and health

as well.

The small festive additions can

make your plate feel more

colorful and joyful.

And you know what?

You might feel better and

less bogged down internally in

your body, which does beget

and help you with the

other things that are health

-enhancing over the holiday season

as well.

So next is movement.

You had to have known

that I'd work movement into

this list, but just hear

me out for a second

around the holiday.

I'm not suggesting this is

the time to up your

fitness routine or start your

gym membership if you don't

already have one or renew

it.

But this is really about

the 'feeling good' and 'clearing

your mind' type of movement.

This is about stepping outside

in fresh air, even if

it's brisk or downright cold.

One of my favorite things

to do after a big

holiday meal is try to

get everyone, including myself.

I need a little psyching

up sometime to do this,

but grab my friends and

family and take a short

walk.

We've dedicated a whole episode

to this, of course, but

not only does a post

-meal walk help with digestion

and blood sugar and energy,

but it really is a

chance to connect beyond the

table and to move and

transition to what's next.

So these walks don't need

to be long: 5, 10,

15 minutes, and they even

might look better with the

holiday lights if you have

a neighborhood or you can

walk around the block if

you live in a cityscape

where you can see some

of the lights this season.

And definitely think about moving

in some capacity.

If walking really isn't your

thing or it really is

snowing or raining or you

just can't get out there,

think about dancing.

Think about moving to your

favorite song.

Think about playing freeze tag

in the house if there's

kids or grandkids in tow.

The idea is keeping it

simple, but getting your movement

in in a way that

feels joyful and energizing and

refreshing.

It really is a gift

that can help you in

your mind, the endorphins that

you feel released.

It can reduce your stress

and it can help you

physically as well.

The next tip is sipping

smart and sipping festively.

Holiday drinks.

It's so funny to me

because holidays always beget the

cocktail, the mocktail, the new

drink of the season.

And we have our holiday

favorites as well.

Drinks are often where we

can sneak in some extra

hydration and flavor, but the

calories can add up quickly,

especially if a lot of

the rest of the year

you're sort of hydrating with

nutrition in mind and keeping

the added sugar or added

calories lower.

But instead of skipping entirely

- or sipping mindlessly as sometimes

happens - let's focus a little

in the sipping sphere on

balance and joy.

So always hydrate first before

you go into making your

decisions about food or other

things you'll drink.

So always start with a

tall glass of water.

There's no question that we

need to hydrate and sometimes

even more than we think

during the fall and winter

seasons.

But hydrate before a meal

or having a cocktail.

It's a simple habit that

will help fill you up,

quench your thirst, and help

you feeling very well.

And you can add things

like orange slices or dip

a few cranberries that can

just float around and feel

festive.

If someone is serving up

the drinks and the water

glass is boring and the

cocktail glasses are fun, ask

for the cocktail glass and

have a glass of water.

Just start.

And then you can create

like festive mocktails.

So it's not all about

the alcohol.

If you do consume alcohol,

just choose wisely, knowing that

there's seven calories per gram

in alcohol.

That's approaching what fat has

per gram in calories.

And alcohol has a major

impact on your system.

This isn't about going away

from that if you do

choose to drink modestly, but

consider some mocktails and maybe

accompanying them with sparkling water

to not just dilute, but

to add bubbles.

And have things like ginger

pear Italian soda, or a

sprig of rosemary in a

mocktail.

Places where you can use

some pomegranate juice and lime

juice and sparkling water where

you get hidden antioxidants at

the same time and it's

festive and beautiful.

And it gives you a

festive vibe without the alcohol.

You can also be selective

with your indulgent drinks.

So if you really love

the eggnog this time of

year or you have a

special holiday latte that you

just can't wait to consume,

keep that in mind so

you make space for it

so that those are the

things that you're looking forward

to.

So it makes choices for

or 'not right now' for

something easier for you so

that being intentional can make

those your treats that there's

no guilt associated whatsoever and

you build them in to

your holidays.

And it's all about creating

balance when it comes to

sipping over the holidays.

If you're hosting parties or

even in your home, consider

having like a little hydration

station where you might have

some infused waters or some

fruits that you can put

in and to accompany and

make more festive the beverages

because this is a fun

time of year to spice

it up and to flavor

it up. And a good

time to remember to enjoy

some of those drinks mindfully,

thoughtfully, because those calories do

add up and I just

want you to be aware

as you're enjoying them this

holiday season.

And two final practices are

just ways to bring maybe

a feeling of balance and

well-being into the holiday

season and help you, or

help you and your family,

remember what's important to you

during this holiday season.

We're so fed into the

commercialism of the holidays.

Some of us, you know,

sort of just go along,

not blind to it, but

sort of go along with

all the expectations and there

are opportunities that can really

feel good about holiday traditions.

So the next one is

about making time for a

new tradition.

Sometimes we can create a

little something that's special just

for you or for you

and your loved ones.

Traditions always start somewhere and

after you do it once

and if you enjoy it

and you do it again

you're like, "oh, this is

becoming a tradition!"

They don't have to be

grand either.

Some of the best are

just small moments or windows

of time dedicated to something

that's special to you and

you either do on your

own or bring someone along

who would enjoy it.

For me it's that Feeding

America experience as one example.

Sometimes with my goddaughters, which

I still, you know, I'm

saying it here, but it

brings such a warm feeling

to me spending that morning

together.

Think about what you might

like to do.

Maybe it's something small like

making hot cocoa and sharing

it with your friends or

taking 20 minutes to stargaze

one evening on a clear

night in winter when it's

crisp and maybe there's snow

fallen on the ground where

you plan for that in

your mind and you look

for when that's going to

happen and then you grab

and seize that moment.

Maybe it's doing a new

craft with some family or

maybe hosting a Zoom holiday

social, you know, with close

friends and family like across

the country.

Maybe you set a tiny

menu and not - by menu,

I just, well, it could

be orchestrated and elaborate, but

little menu - like bring your

favorite warm cozy drink and

a snack and, you know,

sign on at this time

and get together and just

chat and enjoy a festive

holiday time on Zoom or

in person.

So you could also host

a gratitude dinner at this

time or just having come

through Thanksgiving, but something where

people on purpose kind of

come to the table saying

what they're thankful for at

this time of year or

for this year as we

think about setting intentions for

the new year.

Again, traditions are so personal.

I'm just giving you a

couple ideas on ways to

think about items that you

might create anew.

If you're struggling with the

whole holiday season, feeling stressful

or too orchestrated or too

programmed, what might you do

to set the course differently

that might bring you to

a next place?

And the final tip I

want to give you today

is keeping it light.

Keeping it light, literally and

figuratively.

Bringing a lightness in attitude

to the season in your

mindset and for your surroundings.

A calm environment as much

as you can.

It could mean decorating your

home with cozy or warm

lights or some dimmable lights

to create a more calming

atmosphere this season or approaching

things with a sense of

humor, like going in purposefully

to approach with a sense

of humor.

It's okay to laugh at

the little holiday stressors.

It really is.

It can make them feel

smaller.

And when the stress creeps

in, as it inevitably will,

take a moment to reframe

that if possible.

Ask yourself, you know, if

you're sharing a meal and

hosting a meal even more,

is it about the perfect

meal or is it really

about bringing together the people