The holiday season isn’t just tinsel and mistletoe—it’s also a whirlwind of indulgence and, let’s be honest, a bit of stress. Between airport delays, packed schedules, and party platters piled high with latkes and gingerbread, it can feel almost impossible to maintain your usual wellness routine.
And that’s okay—’tis the season for a little flexibility. But if you’re hoping to weave some healthy habits into your festivities, there are simple ways to do it. We spoke with wellness experts about how they’ve reimagined their own holiday traditions with wellbeing in mind. What they had to say might just spark some new ideas for your own celebrations.
6 Healthy Holiday Habits, Expert Approved
“We Make a Family Bonding Advent Calendar”
“The holidays can feel so busy, but it’s okay to say no to things and prioritize rest and family time,” says Brintha Vasagar, MD, MPH, a family medicine physician and Chief Medical Officer of Progressive Community Health Centers in Milwaukee. Creating a homemade advent calendar filled with fun activities helps Dr. Vasagar and her family do just that. Instead of candy or other tangible goodies, her family’s calendar has prompts for fun activities.
“At the beginning of the season, I fill out the calendar. Then, each day, we look forward to a family activity, such as reading a new book together, baking Grandma’s famous cookies, snuggling up with some hot chocolate, hiking our favorite trails, or trying a new activity in our state. My kids love spending quality time together focused on fun, and it lets us start the new year feeling connected.”
HUM Hack: If you prefer an advent calendar with tangible items but love the idea of leaning away from things like candy or wine (yup, vino advent calendars are a thing), consider making your own with some health-themed items sprinkled in. HUM’s supplement bundles make a great addition to lower-cost items like resistance bands, essential oils, ankle weights, electrolyte packets, and protein bars.
“We Take Post-Holiday Meal Walks”
Holidays usually involve a lot of sitting—to eat a meal, drive to a relative’s house, or open presents. But there’s always a way to sneak in some steps if you’re intentional about it. “Growing up, my family always made time for a little post-meal stroll after big holiday feasts,” says Michael Glickman, MD, a triple board-certified family medicine, lifestyle medicine, and obesity medicine physician based in Washington, D.C. “We started this simply to feel comfortable and digest a heavy meal, but over the years I’ve come to appreciate it even more as part of our wellness routine.”
Now, Dr. Glickman says he encourages his patients to incorporate similar habits not only into their holiday routine but also into their day-to-day, because they can have such a meaningful impact. “Research is increasingly showing that short walks immediately after a meal deliver metabolic and cardiovascular benefits. For example, one study found that even a 10-minute walk started right after eating lowered two-hour blood glucose levels more effectively than walking later after the meal. Another review noted that 10 to 15 minutes of post-meal walking effectively blunts the post-meal surge in blood sugar and is associated with improved long-term glycemic control.”
HUM Hack: In addition to taking a walk, consider adding HUM’s Best of Berberine to your routine. It’s formulated with 1200 milligrams of pure berberine to support healthy glucose levels, weight management, gut health, and GLP-1 production.
“I Pregame Celebrations With Protein”
If you tend to overdo it with seasonal dishes like gingerbread, pumpkin pie, or your grandma’s famous peppermint bark, try eating something rich in protein before arriving at the festivities so you’re not starving and reaching for whatever makes your mouth water. Zoe Schwartz, ACE, a Brooklyn-based personal trainer and nutrition coach, likes to make her signature protein-packed pumpkin pie smoothie as a satisfying breakfast before heading off to family celebrations.
To whip it up, blend 1 scoop vanilla protein powder, 1/2 a frozen banana, 1/2 heaping cup of pumpkin puree, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, and 1 cup of unsweetened vanilla almond milk. “The protein powder and the fiber from the pumpkin keep me feeling full. Plus, I am a huge fan of pumpkin pie. Having something satiating that feels seasonal and a bit indulgent helps me prevent the cycle of restriction followed by over-indulgence.”
HUM Hack: If you’re looking to try a new protein powder that’s easy on the stomach, consider HUM Core Strength. It’s a low FODMAP plant-based protein powder with 20 grams of plant protein per serving. The non-bloating formula is easily digestible and helps build lean muscle.
“I Make Alcohol-Free Options More Enticing”
Between office celebrations, ugly Christmas sweater parties, and the actual holidays, there are countless opportunities to consume alcohol during the festive season. That’s why Tony Vacharasanee, NASM, ACSM, of Body Space Fitness in New York City, likes to kick off the season by making a big batch of apple cider. “It started as an experiment to see how I could provide a warm and soothing drink for the holidays about 20 years ago, and I never stopped,” he says. “I take organic apple cider and put it in a slow cooker with cinnamon sticks and a few oranges pierced with cloves. The flavor profile is amazing as the warmth of the cinnamon and cloves start to marry with the oils from the orange and its skin.”
Consider serving something similar at your next holiday get-together in place of a seasonal batch cocktail. Anytime you can give your liver a break by enjoying something non-alcoholic is a health win—plus Vacharasanee says he loves that the aroma and heat element of the drink can help his loved ones unwind. “It’s warm and soothing and helps everyone relax during what can be a potentially stressful time of year,” he says.
Hum Hack: For the occasions you do decide to imbibe, consider popping HUM’s Wing Man supplement. It contains milk thistle, a well-researched herb known for its active compound silymarin, which may help protect liver cells from damage and support regeneration.
“We Go on a Christmas Light Walking Tour”
From professional drive-through displays to holiday-themed light-up decorations at zoos, botanical gardens, and amusement parks, there are countless places to check out holiday decorations. But to keep things active, Vacharasanee opts to get in the spirit of the season on foot.
“Each year since my daughter was born, my family and I go to a different neighborhood that’s known for putting up a lot of decorations. Besides the family bonding component, it provides an opportunity to get out and walk around during a time when we traditionally stay indoors in the northeast, where we live. Taking the kiddo to see the lights is always a heartwarming experience, but from a fitness POV, I definitely score extra points when I carry her. Whether in a carrier or on my shoulders, this provides an extra rucking element for a nice zone two workout.”
HUM Hack: If light tours aren’t your thing, there are loads of other ways to mix festivities with fitness. For example, go skating at a local ice rink that’s playing all the holiday hits, hit a local mountain for a day of tubing or skiing followed by hot cocoa in the lodge, or sign up for a holiday-themed 5K that you can walk or run as a family.
“I Take Time For Rest and Recovery”
If high-impact forms of exercise like running and lifting are part of your regular fitness routine, the holidays provide a good opportunity for your body to rest and recover. This is what Lisa Moskovitz, RD, founder of The NY Nutrition Group, does each year between Black Friday and the New Year. “This might seem contradictory to a ‘healthy’ holiday tradition, but I believe that it’s an incredibly restorative and nourishing ritual. Rest and recovery are often just as critical to overall fitness as exercise. Plus, this gives me more time at home with my loved ones. This doesn’t mean I go into full couch potato mode, but I swap running on the treadmill for light walks around the block with my kids, and instead of heavier weight lifting, I’ll focus more on deep breathing exercises,” Moskovitz says.
Plus, she adds, “The holidays are stressful and time-consuming, especially if you’re hosting or traveling. When your cortisol levels are in flux, intense exercise can further disrupt this delicate stress hormone balance, so it’s the perfect time for a break.”
HUM Hack: Managing the stress of the holidays can be, well, a lot! In addition to prioritizing calming activities like meditation or snuggling up with a good book, consider trying a supplement. HUM’s Big Chill has an adaptogenic formula complete with rhodiola rosea root extract to help the mind and body cope with stress.
“I Become the Family Vegetable Whisperer”
Family recipes and indulgent desserts may be non-negotiables for holiday meals, but that doesn’t mean you can’t serve some nutritious dishes, too. “One of my favorite holiday traditions is becoming the family’s vegetable whisperer,” says Liz Weiss, RDN, the co-author of The GLP-1 Kitchen. “As the registered dietitian in the family, everyone looks to me for the veggie sides at Thanksgiving and Hanukkah. Over the years, two dishes have become mainstays. The first is my lower-sugar sweet potato casserole—a lighter, modern take on the classic—with naturally sweet roasted potatoes and a crunchy pecan and brown sugar topping instead of marshmallows. The second is my Brussels sprouts gratin made with a cream-less creamy sauce using 2% milk thickened with flour.” For the sprouts, Weiss says the magic lies in flavor-enhancing ingredients like prosciutto, garlic, and sherry. “Both dishes strike that balance of being festive, crave-worthy, and comforting while also bringing nutrient-dense ingredients to the table,” she says. “Even my late dad, a devoted meat-and-potatoes guy, looked forward to them every year.”
HUM Hack: Bridge nutrition gaps during the holiday season by munching on produce-forward snacks (think: apples with peanut butter or carrots with hummus) and popping a woman’s multivitamin like HUM Base Control. It has 22 vitamins and minerals, including iron to power your body and mind.
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