3 Healthy Things to Do Every Winter Solstice

The winter solstice comes once a year. Some of us don’t notice it. Some of us don’t even know what it is. But some of us look forward to it, knowing it’s the shortest day of the year and daylight will increase after it passes. Like many milestones and holidays of the year, this event can mark a moment for personal reflection and action planning. Take a moment to consider the choices you make as you live your most Nutritious Life. 3 Healthy Things to Do Every Winter Solstice 1. Sleep deep. Shortest day = longest night. Take advantage of this and plan for it to be a perfect night of sleep. Check in with yourself to evaluate your sleep hygiene. Sleep experts recommend that you establish a simple ritual before you go to bed to tell your body it is time to rest. Brush your teeth, wash your face, read a book or meditate for several minutes before you close the light. Make your slumber environment clear of stressors by making your room as dark as possible, turning off the television and silencing your phone. Set yourself up to be successful by making your bedroom a sanctuary for sleep. RELATED: 10 Foods That Help You Sleep 2. Sweat often. It’s dark when we leave for work and dark when we return home. It’s only normal that motivation to move wanes without the friendship of the sun. While it’s tempting to skip the gym in favor of extra time hunkered down, do your best to move each day, especially today. Walk an extra few minutes to a bus or subway stop further away, take the stairs, and walk the neighborhood to incorporate a little more movement into your daily routine. Also, you don’t have to be a weekend warrior to enjoy an hour or two of cross country skiing, a few minutes on the ice rink, or an afternoon sledding with the kids. Make time during the week for simple, active pleasure. The benefits will show in your mood first. Remember these little bits of movement can not only add up but can also motivate us to move more and get in a “real” workout. RELATED: Morning vs. Evening Workouts: Which is Best for You? 3. Live consciously. We spend a lot more time inside when it’s dark and cold outside. Spending time making your home or office a space that you like to be in will deflect some of the stress and help you lead a well and healthful life. Winter cleaning isn’t so bad when you play your favorite music and the result often makes you feel great. Carve out an hour to freshen up your space today. Light scented candles and shift some furniture around so you can enjoy it in a new way. Take a minute to look at what is and isn’t working in the space you live in so you can feel empowered in your world. Take time to appreciate your surroundings today—those in nature and those you created for yourself. Acknowledge the winter solstice this year, and every year going forward. Honor yourself and your work as you pursue your personal Nutritious Life ambitions for another season. Make it a day every year that you press the reset button amid the chaos of the holiday season, and focus on you. As you look forward to sunnier days, remember to enjoy the darker days, too!

3 Healthy Ways to Make the Most of the Longest Day of the Year

In partnership with the National Institute for Argentine Yerba Mate. You know those days when you wake up with sunlight streaming in through your window, and then you leave the office after a full day of work and the sun is still waiting there, ready to warm your shoulders? As the longest day of the year, the summer solstice is the ultimate opportunity for a happy day like that. That’s why you should totally make the most of it—by swapping your daily coffee for an Argentinian yerba mate. If you haven’t heard of it, yerba mate is a tea that gives matcha a run for its money. It’s made from the leaves of the mate tree native to Argentina, has energy-boosting properties similar to coffee, and is filled with powerful antioxidants (including more polyphenols than green tea). How can it help you maximize the daylight hours this June 21? Here are a few tips for healthy ways to make the most of the longest day of the year. (Photos: Shutterstock) Healthy Ways to Celebrate the Summer Solstice 1. Go for a long run—early or late Starting or ending the day with a long run in the sunshine will give you a vitamin D (and happiness) infusion. It’s the opposite of having to drag yourself out of bed in the dark to hit the sidewalk. For a performance boost, sip a mate latte before you lace up. Like coffee, yerba mate contains caffeine, which has ergogenic effects. That means research has shown it can enhance physical performance; it’s linked to increased power, speed, and endurance. It can also aid with circulation to keep your blood pumping as you sweat. 2. Work on a creative project you’ve been putting off Even if you have to go into work, you’ll have extra daylight hours to do something for yourself. Yerba mate is known to provide the same steady, focused energy that matcha is known for (as opposed to the spike and crash many people get from coffee), so use that extra momentum to work on a creative project (like that vision board?) you keep saying you’re going to start but never get to. 3. Take a mental health day Don’t tell your boss we said this, but if you were thinking of taking a personal day to do some things for yourself anyway, this would be the best day to do it. Maximize your mental health day by doing things that will help you thrive on other days when you’ve got to be on, like going for a mind-clearing hike in the woods or hitting up a sauna. Sip on yerba mate while you relax with a good book and you’ll be shoring up your body’s defenses for stressful days to come—mate is rich in powerful antioxidants like vitamin C and polyphenols, and researchers think it may be particularly good at reducing inflammation. And since it delivers a less intense caffeine jolt compared to coffee, you won’t have to worry as much about it keeping you up at night.