Easing Holiday Stress, Plus a Warming Squash Soup

The holidays bring good things: time with family and friends, good food and gifts. They can also bring travel, too many commitments, and more rich food and drink than usual. By January, many people feel worn out.

The key is not to overcommit and not to overindulge. If you can keep a reasonable balance between work, family and rest, and practice moderation, the season is much easier on your body. You are also less likely to start the new year with a holiday hangover.

Three ways to stay steady

Don’t overbook yourself. Try not to say yes to every invitation. Listen to your body and get enough rest. In Chinese medicine, early winter is a yin time of year, a season for slowing down and replenishing.

Keep your routines. If you can, keep up your regular exercise through the holidays. Keep up the care that helps you unwind, too, whether that is a long walk, a massage or an acupuncture session.

Practice moderation. The holidays are full of special treats and an extra glass of wine or two. Enjoy them, but pay attention to what you eat and make healthy choices where you can.

A warming soup for the season

This butternut squash, carrot and corn soup is one of Robert’s favorite healthy holiday recipes. It makes a good first course for a holiday meal, or a simple meal on its own.

It is warming, nourishing and rich in carotenoids, the antioxidant pigments that give squash and carrots their color. In Chinese medicine, yellow and orange are the colors of the Spleen, the system most closely tied to digestion. A soup like this is traditionally seen as a tonic for the Spleen that helps strengthen digestive qi.

Serves 4 to 6.

Ingredients

• 1 butternut squash
• 4 to 5 carrots
• 1 bag of frozen corn, or fresh corn in season
• 1 small white onion or shallot
• Several green onions
• 1 to 2 zucchini
• A little oil for the pan
• Salt and pepper
• Optional: fresh goat cheese

Instructions

1. Peel and seed the squash. Cut the squash and carrots into small to medium pieces.
2. Put them in a pot, cover with water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, mashing the vegetables as they soften.
3. While they simmer, mince the onion or shallot and sauté it in a little oil until golden brown. Slice the zucchini.
4. Mash the squash and carrots into a smooth, almost puréed broth. Stir in the onion.
5. Add the corn and zucchini and simmer for another 15 minutes.
6. Add finely minced green onion, and salt and pepper to taste.
7. Let the soup sit for about an hour so the flavors can blend. Serve with crumbled goat cheese on top, if you like.

If the season leaves you run down

Stress, rich food and short winter days can show up as poor sleep, low energy or an unsettled stomach. Acupuncture is one way to rest and reset. You can read more about stress and relaxation, fatigue, insomnia and digestive problems.