Bounce Back to Health One Sip at a Time

Read time: 4 Minutes

Every January, the gym feels like I-25 during rush hour but typically by mid-February, that traffic starts to thin out. Setting New Year’s resolutions are as much a tradition as breaking them, especially after a holiday season filled with indulgence. Who can resist all those holiday sweets, rich meals, and tasty adult beverages?  But what if your resolution wasn’t about restriction or guilt, but about nourishing yourself back to health after the holiday season?

To help us navigate this post-holiday reset, we’re thrilled to introduce Rebecca Russell, a functional medicine registered dietitian, certified athletic trainer, and a gut & hormone health expert. Rebecca holds a Master’s degree in Applied Nutrition and has contributed to leading health publications such as Women’s Health, Forbes, Healthline and more. She’s passionate about demystifying nutrition and providing practical strategies that fit real life; whether you’re juggling work, family, or just trying to stick to your goals past January 15th. If you’re interested, check out her practice, The Social Nutritionist.

We're also excited to announce that Rebecca is officially partnering with Denver Bone Broth to consult on wellness practices that incorporate the many benefits of bone broth into your everyday routine.

In this article, she’ll guide us through the impact of holiday indulgence on the body and how small, intentional steps like incorporating nutrient-rich bone broth into your diet can set the tone for a healthier and more balanced year ahead.

Rebecca Russell from The Social Nutritionist

The Impact of Holiday Indulgence on Your Body

During the holiday season, many of us indulge in rich foods, alcohol, and sugary treats, but it's not all fun and games for our bodies. As Rebecca explains, "Stress, alcohol, and sweets have a somewhat similar negative reaction in the body... they can really propel inflammation in the body."

This combination of stress and indulgence isn’t great for our health. "When cortisol levels are dysregulated or really high, that itself can cause a lot of cell damage, oxidative stress, and again kind of that inflammation picture," says Rebecca. When our bodies are under stress, they can go into survival mode.

Rebecca also notes that alcohol can harm our gut health by "denaturing our gut bacteria.” The result? Our systems end up in a heightened state of repair, which is not always beneficial.

And while many people stress about the extra holiday calories, Rebecca puts it into perspective: "If you're stressed about the 'damage' that eating a bunch of cookies is going to do to your health, that stress is arguably worse for you than eating the cookies."

Integrating Bone Broth into Your January Back-to-Health Plan

Instead of diving into an overly restrictive diet this January, consider a simple, sustainable addition: one cup of bone broth a day. As Rebecca explains, “90% of New Year’s resolutions fail, largely because they are too restrictive or unattainable.” Bone broth is an easy, nourishing way to support your goals without the pressure to cut out entire food groups.

According to Rebecca, here’s how one cup of bone broth a day can help you hit your health goals:

• Protein Goals: Bone broth is a great source of protein with 7-8g of protein per serving in Denver Bone Broth. This can help meet workout goals as well. Click here to learn more about the role of bone broth in exercise.
• Immune Health: The nutrients in bone broth help support your immune system which is especially important during the winter months.
• Gut Health: Bone Broth’s benefits for digestion and gut lining make it foundational for overall wellness.
• Mineral Support: The process of simmering bones to create bone broth releases all sorts of beneficial nutrients into the final product.
• Hydration: Warm and comforting, bone broth is a flavorful way to stay hydrated and replace electrolytes. This is also important for people focusing on exercise goals.

By focusing on sustainable habits, like adding bone broth to your daily routine, you can stay on track with your resolutions and enjoy long-term benefits without the stress of restriction.

Integrating Denver Bone Broth into your daily routine is even easier with our subscription option, available at checkout online. Subscribing not only saves you money (up to 20%) but ensures you always have bone broth on hand to support your health goals. Having a steady supply delivered to your door can help hold you accountable to your New Year’s resolutions by making this nourishing habit effortless to maintain.

Click here to browse our products online and select a subscription option at checkout!

Beyond Bone Broth: Tips for a Successful New Year’s Back-to-Health Plan

Rebecca emphasizes that success with New Year’s resolutions comes from setting sustainable, enjoyable goals rather than chasing perfection. Here are her tips to help you create a plan that sticks:

• Eat a Variety of Plants: "Eating a variety of plants is one of my favorite tips," Rebecca shares. Pairing diverse plant-based foods with bone broth can boost gut health and provide a wide range of nutrients.
• Prioritize Sleep: After the chaos of the holidays, getting back into a solid sleep routine is essential. Rebecca suggests focusing on good sleep hygiene, like creating a consistent bedtime schedule and limiting screens before bed, to help your body recover.
• Stay Hydrated: Hydration might seem simple, but it’s often overlooked. Drinking plenty of water and adding hydrating options like bone broth can have a significant impact on your energy and overall health.
• Move Your Body in Ways You Enjoy: "You don’t want crazy, lofty fitness goals that don’t feel good or sound good," Rebecca says. Choose activities you genuinely enjoy, whether it’s yoga, hiking, or dancing in your living room, to make movement sustainable and fun.

In case you need more motivation to meet your goals, here are a couple quick tips from the Denver Bone Broth team to help you succeed:

• Forgive Yourself: As a small business, we are no strangers to making mistakes.  If you make one, the key is to learn and not beat yourself up for it.  Give yourself some grace and move on.  Nobody’s perfect.
• Start Small: Large, ambitious goals can be intimidating. Start with a small goal like one less cup of coffee a week and start working towards bigger goals once you meet the smaller ones.  It’s a marathon, not a sprint. 

By focusing on these approachable strategies, you can set yourself up for a healthier, happier year, without the burnout of overly ambitious or restrictive plans.

Cheers to your health and to a happy 2025.  Sip For Life!