The 12 Days of Relaxation Tips that Price Chopper Gave to Me
We know how stressful the holiday’s can be especially with so much of your time spent on planning, shopping, and attending gatherings! We've created these health tips and shopping list to help you distress and recharge during the hustle and the bustle of the holiday season!
Tip 1: Soak and relax in a coconut, oatmeal and Epsom salt bath. These natural ingredients soothe muscles, moisturize your skin as well as decrease the itchiness and inflammation that comes along with winter weather.
Instructions: Fill an old thin sock with ¾ cup oatmeal, tie the end of the sock tightly and add toss into bath water. Add Epsom salts according to package directions and use coconut oil in place of body lotion after you bathe.
Tip 2: Drink chamomile tea for its soothing and sedative effects. Chamomile tea is perfect after a hectic day at work or before bed as it can help you relax and unwind as well as aid in a good night’s sleep!
Tip 3: Make a restorative kefir facemask. The powerful probiotics in kefir have an anti-inflammatory effect that can alleviate skin issues like acne and rosacea. Kefir also contains natural alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) which helps reduce wrinkles and slows down the aging process.
Instructions: Apply a couple tablespoons of kefir to your face and let dry. For best results leave the mask on overnight and rinse off in the morning.
Tip 4: Eat celery to reduce stress! Studies show that tension can be relieved when snacking on crunchy snacks. Celery has also been shown to help lower blood pressure which leads to a better ability to relax. Make sure you save the leftover celery for tip 5!
Tip 5: Make a homemade vegetable soup for warmth and comfort. Add garlic, spinach, and thyme to your favorite vegetables for a nutrient packed soup. Soup is calming, and relaxes your nerves. This helps boost your immune system to fight off the common cold and flu.
Tip 6: Eat tryptophan, an essential amino acid that creates serotonin, a neuro-chemical that promotes healthy sleep, decreases anxiety and depression, and promotes happiness. Choose dark chocolate with 70 percent cocoa or higher as it is rich in tryptophan and tastes amazing. Other healthy options are lean turkey, almonds, sunflower seeds and sesame seeds.
Tip 7: Eat bacteria! The good bacteria such as lactobacillus can increase gut and brain health. Choose fermented foods like kimchi. Or choose Culturelle, a probiotic supplement.
Tip 8: Go to the wild side and choose wild rice instead of white rice. Wild rice contains 30 times more antioxidants than white rice and has as much protein as an egg in one cup of cooked rice! Try adding a cup of wild rice to your homemade vegetable soup.
Tip 9: Add unflavored gelatin to your hot drinks. Doing this improves gut health and digestion, protects your joints and lowers joint pain, helps improve sleep quality, improves your skin health, maintains strong bones and helps you feel full! One tablespoon only has about 50 calories and around 12 grams of protein.
Instructions: Slowly add one tablespoon of gelatin to your hot tea, hot cocoa, or coffee. Continue stirring until it is completely dissolved.
Tip 10: Skip the booze before bed for better sleep. Consuming alcohol before bed can actually increase the amount of time you could spend awake during the night as well as diminish the quality of your sleep. Refer to tip 3 and have a cup of chamomile instead!
Tip 11: Eat Vitamin A filled foods for beautiful skin, strong bones and immune health. Try adding these top 5 vitamin A foods to your diet on a daily basis: carrots, sweet potato, kale, spinach, and apricots.
Tip 12: Let Price Chopper help you de-stress by getting your groceries delivered.
