Prevent autoimmune flares by effectively managing festive stress

Between all the shopping, gift wrapping, and family gatherings, the festive season doesn’t leave us much time left over for ourselves — especially when we’re working, caring for loved ones, and managing an autoimmune disease. Plus, since the Christmas season is said to be one of the most stressful times of the year — and stress is a known trigger for autoimmune symptoms — those of us with autoimmune diseases and other chronic health conditions need to be particularly mindful of how we’re managing festive stress and caring for our bodies during this time.

Though stress can’t be avoided altogether (after all, some stress is actually beneficial to our health and well-being), there are several things we can do to manage holiday stress, keep these added stressors from exacerbating our autoimmune symptoms, and prevent stress-related weight gain. Everything from ensuring we’re getting plenty of sleep at night to stepping outside for some fresh air and sunshine each day can make a huge difference as we navigate the ever-chaotic holiday season! 

Here are a few holiday stress tips to keep in mind this month to prevent a sudden onset of autoimmune symptoms and give your body the care it needs to thrive well into the new year. 

Incorporate self-care into each day

As the owner of Anna Pinnock Nutrition, I understand firsthand how challenging it can be to prioritize self-care on top of running a business, coaching clients, and managing an autoimmune disease. However, because of my professional training in nutrition and lifestyle medicine and my own autoimmune battle with Hashimoto’s disease, I also understand just how important it is to make time for self-care — even when doing so seems impossible. 

The Christmas season may be jam-packed with family gatherings, office parties, food preparations, and gift wrapping, but there are a number of different ways to slip a bit of self-care into each day! Here are a few of them:

Go to bed an hour earlier than usual

Though you may be tempted to stay up later to tackle everything on your to-do list, a huge part of managing stress and preventing autoimmune disease flare-ups comes down to getting enough sleep. Sleep deprivation negatively affects the immune system — which not only worsens autoimmune symptoms and increases systemic inflammation — but also makes you more susceptible to other viruses and infections. 

Rather than staying up later than usual during Christmas time, try getting into bed an hour earlier than you normally would. Use this quiet time to meditate, practice diaphragmatic breathing, read a book, write in a journal, or listen to relaxing sleep sounds like ocean waves or raindrops. 

Stack your self-care activities

For many of us, it can be difficult (or downright impossible) to incorporate all of our favourite self-care activities into each day; this is where “stacking” comes in. When we “stack” multiple self-care activities on top of one another, we reap the benefits of each one without having to set aside time for all of our favourite activities. Some examples include:

• Wearing a castor oil pack while working out or sitting in a sauna.
• Meditating while soaking in an Epsom salts bath.
• Listening to podcasts or audiobooks while eating meals or cleaning the house.   

Sneak fruits and veggies into every meal

Good nutrition counts as self-care, especially when you’re getting your “5 A Day”. Here are five easy ways to ensure you’re eating at least five portions of fruits and veggies every single day. 

Make sure to get enough vitamin D

Because we get less exposure to sunlight during the cold winter months, our vitamin D levels tend to drop between autumn and spring. And low vitamin D levels aren’t just harmful to our mental and emotional health: vitamin D insufficiency is associated with increased disease activity and an exacerbation of autoimmune disease symptoms. Plus, since psychological stress can deplete the body of micronutrients, the many stressors of the holiday season further increase our risk of vitamin D insufficiency or deficiency. 

Fortunately, we can get sufficient amounts of vitamin D each day by eating foods such as salmon, sardines, tuna, beef liver, and mushrooms exposed to UV light. Vitamin D supplementation is also necessary in many cases; however, it’s important to test blood levels beforehand to prevent vitamin D toxicity. 

Bring your own food to Christmas gatherings

If you’re following the AIP diet or another elimination protocol over the festive season, gathering for meals with friends, coworkers, and family members can be a major source of stress. This alone may tempt you to reintroduce the foods you’ve eliminated sooner than recommended, which could potentially trigger an autoimmune flare or reverse some of the progress you’ve made thus far. 

To ensure that you’ll stay on the Autoimmune Protocol and resist the temptation to consume foods that could trigger an autoimmune flare during the holidays, I recommend bringing your own food to gatherings and notifying the host in advance of your dietary restrictions. This will help you to resist food temptations, manage stress, and in turn, control your autoimmune condition. 

Make my tiger nut pecan brownie 

My tiger nut pecan brownie is the perfect dessert to bring along to festive gatherings, as it’s AIP-friendly and packed with magnesium, potassium, fibre, and vitamin E! The brownies can also be made egg-free and/or vegan if you’re avoiding eggs, dairy, or will be sharing them with someone who is. 

Managing festive stress is crucial to your health

Managing festive stress is incredibly important when living with one or more chronic health conditions, as those of us with autoimmune diseases such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, and Raynaud’s phenomenon are already more susceptible to symptom flares as the temperatures drop. Plus, the lack of sun exposure during the winter months can lead to vitamin D insufficiency, a worsening of autoimmune symptoms, and increased stress and anxiety. 

A huge part of managing an autoimmune disease comes down to keeping stress levels in check, and it’s just one of the many lifestyle factors I aim to help each of my clients with. Book a free 20-minute inquiry call with me to learn more about how I can help you manage the stress in your life, modify your diet and lifestyle, to improve your quality of life.