Winter mocktails to keep you on track during the holiday season

At this particularly snowy, cold, and indulgent, time of the year, it’s difficult to walk into any establishment without being offered some kind of beverage. Pumpkin spice lattes, free hot chocolate on the mountain, tea at wellness centers, bubbly at Christmas parties, and beer after beer at ski movie premiers and film festivals.

Between mulled wine and eggnog, hot toddies après-ski, and mimosas for breakfast at early family celebrations, we’re surrounded with opportunities to either hydrate, or dehydrate, in varying degrees of healthy ways.

So how best to make decisions so that we don’t overdose on sugar, artificial flavors, and headache-inducing alcohol? How do you find that balance while still hitting the sweet spot, loosening your inhibitions, and taking a break to relax?

What if you didn’t find yourself depleted by over consumption and instead felt clearheaded and healthier through your choices?

Set some holiday intentions:

It’s very easy to embrace the gluttonous nature of the season and make a vow to clean up in January, but imagine not having to reset, detox or go cold turkey in the new year.

Think ahead of time about how you want to feel over the next few weeks and then work through the potential scenarios you may find yourself in.

Go backward and identify what food and drink you should avoid to feel your best, decide how many or much you want to consume, and begin to embody those ideals.

As a bonus, share your intentions with a supportive friend who can keep a close eye on you.

Consider your options:

Don’t expect healthy alternatives waiting for you on the party table. Bring them with you!

Fill your glass with it as soon as you enter the room, allowing yourself time to break the unconscious response to being offered a beverage. Taking a more mindful approach can help prevent you drinking in excess. Adding some fruit and serving it in a cocktail glass can help you feel less out of place.

Stick to your daily routine:

It’s very easy for the practices you’ve created and stuck to all year to disappear as soon as holiday excess hits. If you can continue your healthy morning routine (green tea, meditation, stretching, breathing) you may find it easier to stay in that frame of mind come an evening event.

Give your body a helping hand with your daily vitamins, supplements, smoothies, or protein packed breakfast. If you can minimize any potential stressors through a grounding start to your day, you may find it easier to avoid drowning anxiety in alcohol come evening.

Try these mocktail alternatives this year to look and feel fresh next morning while boosting your immunity as you go:

Ginger Fire Cider Spritz

Serves 1.

Ingredients:

1⁄4 cup organic apple cider

1⁄4 cup ginger kombucha

Soda water

Fire Cider*

Fresh lemon slices

Ice cubes

Pour apple cider and ginger kombucha over ice and stir to combine.

Add 2-3 teaspoons of fire cider.

Top with soda water and lemon slices.

*Ohana Medicinals Fire Cider available at Elevate Wellness Center.

Dairy Free Spiced Egg Nog

12 ounce coconut, or other dairy free milk 6 whole cloves

3 egg yolks

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