8 Doable Ways to Regain Your Health in 2017

Every January, our once roomy yoga classes are suddenly overrun by resolute people who have been subsisting on spiked almond nog and sweet potato brownies for two weeks. I say this without judgment as a person who has been subsisting on spiked almond nog and sweet potato brownies for two weeks. Simply, we all want to turn our health around this time of year... so how do we sustainably accomplish this?

Stop saving up for a juice cleanse.
I've been in both camps with this one, but if you've been overdoing it this holiday season and need to settle into a new way of nourishing yourself... by all means, don't abruptly underdo it. Raw, organic juice, much like the aforementioned nog/bites, should supplement a well-rounded, joyful diet with wiggle room for champagne and, you know, solid foods. If you're a passionate faster and care to debate this one with me, please reach out, but know that I will drop some feminist psychology on you and then offer you a brownie.

Hire someone to touch you. (?!)
Massages, like all my favorite kinds of self-care, seem indulgent but really do effect positive functional change. A half an hour rubdown makes your muscles, lymph nodes, and circulation sing; plus all that targeted compression serves to detox your organ tissue of anything superfluous its been holding onto. And you'll sleep the most rock-solid sleep you've ever slept afterwards. Try a massage once and figure out what sort of time and money you need to reallocate to make it happen weekly or biweekly. You can buy a half an hour spa massage with essential oils and everything for around $60 bucks, and you can try a less luxe but equally powerful reflexology massage for around $40.

Sleep with a humidifier next to your face.
If you mysteriously wake up with a sore throat every winter morning, this will heal you. I use this essential oil diffuser/ humidifier that makes me feel fancy AND keeps me hydrated. 

Start (and keep) a journaling practice.
I start every day with a journal entry adapted from my friend Katie Dalebout's book, Let It Out: A Journey Through Journaling. (Psssst Katie and I are doing a live Infrequently Asked Questions podcast interview and journaling workshop at Soho House Chicago this month. Members, sign up in your app!) As soon as I have a hit of caffeine in my system, I write down my dreams from the night before to peep what's going on in my subconscious. Fun fact: I never used to remember my dreams, but now that I know I'll have to write them down, I can almost always recall them. Second fun fact: I stole this exercise from my über enlightened boyfriend. After that, I do a little stream of conscious writing to sweep out some residual brain trash; list five things I'm grateful for and one thing I want the day to bring... a new income stream, for example, or a fresh creative opportunity. Then I thank the Universe and sparkle through the rest of my day like the woke dream manifestor I am.

Try to eat smaller more frequent meals. Just try it.
I guarantee to deliver many posts about gut and skin health in the near future (hint: one affects the other, and bummer: they both affect me.), but essentially: smaller, more easily digestible portions equate to a healthier gut. For someone who has consumed a torso sized bowl of roughage three times daily for the past ten years... grazing does not come naturally to me. Not only that, but I have an aggressively averse reaction to any dietary advice that meddles with my love of enormous meals, e.g. my metabolism is FINE, are you implying it ISN'T?! This time, though, my badass Doctor of Chinese Medicine was the one to gently suggest that I give this new way of eating a try. And, duh, she was right. My digestive system is finding a new normal, my blood sugar levels are stable, and my skin looks clearer. All those results and the only adjustment I made was timing!

Start washing your face with oil.
This has been a seasonal game changer for me. Winter skin is barren and dusty (Ew.). Plump it up with a gentle oil cleanser. I alternate between this one from One Love Organics and this one from Scratch Goods. At night, I apply the oil all over my face, usually pausing to take a selfie of my mascara tears because I look just like a Lichtenstein girl, and then I apply a washcloth soaked in hot water to my face until said washcloth cools. I moisturize with, you guessed it, more oil... usually this one or jojoba oil. In the morning, I use my oil cleanser like a regular cleanser in the shower (rub and rinse), and moisturize with jojoba oil while the hot water is still running. So that's everything about me... but my oil cleansing practice has SAVED my absurdly sensitive, winter-hating skin. So yeah.

Embrace hibernation.
Where's Rose? Oh, she's in bed and will be for the next three months. We're mammals, and while I'm generally a rather social butterfly (as opposed to a hermit butterfly), we should be burrowing. I plan to make myself a nest and sit in it with all of my thoughts, books, and snacks for the rest of the season. As such, I will be checking in here. A lot.

Cook. Food.
I finally published a few recipes! Test them out, and while you're at it, learn a thing or two from the real masters: My New Roots, Oh Lady Cakes, YumUniverse, One Part Plant, and The Full Helping are perennial faves.

That's all for now, and man, I love a listicle. I'll be back soon with more tips and tricks to be the healthiest you this winter. Love you peeps!