59. Ayurvedic Holiday Guide: Eat, Drink, And Actually Feel Good

Kate is a self-described holiday dork who loves parties, cookies, cocktails and a good stuffing situation. She also remembers what it felt like to stagger out of Thanksgiving week bloated, gassy, constipated and anxious for days. In this solo episode, she downloads her personal Holiday Health Guide, honed over two decades of living Ayurveda, healing her gut from parasites, and still saying yes to celebration.

You will learn the one shift that made the biggest difference in her digestion during feast season, how she navigates appetizers, cocktails and desserts without deprivation, and the simple kitchen and travel tools she never shows up to a party without. From meal spacing and spritzers, to CCFT in a thermos and fennel seeds in a mint tin, this is a realistic Ayurvedic survival guide for Thanksgiving and the winter holidays.

If you want to enjoy the cheese board and the pumpkin pie and still feel like yourself the next day, this episode is for you.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why feasting in winter actually makes sense from an Ayurvedic and seasonal perspective
• The number one way people disrupt their digestion during the holidays
• How to use meal spacing as your secret weapon, even on a feast day
• How to handle appetizers, cheese boards and snack tables without going into a sugar spiral
• Ways to enjoy wine and cocktails while respecting your inflammation and sleep
• How to work with CCFT, ginger, fennel and hot water before, during and after big meals
• Movement and “run about” strategies that help your body metabolize richer foods
• How to bring your own dishes so you feel included and supported at every table
• Gentle post holiday reset ideas so you can come back to balance without a crash diet

Key topics and practices Kate covers

1. Why we feast in winter

Kate explains why heavier, fattier, sweeter foods make sense in colder seasons from an Ayurvedic lens. Root vegetables, meats, fats and harvest feasts can be supportive when digestion is strong and timing is thoughtful.

2. The biggest holiday digestion mistake

The main problem is not necessarily eating “too much” but eating too often. Constant grazing on treats, candies and cookies between meals means the previous meal never fully digests, building ama and weakening agni.

Kate’s simple focus:

• Aim for a 3 to 4 hour window with no food between meals
• Prioritize at least one 4 hour food free stretch on feast days
• Use hot water or tea during that window to support peristalsis and enzymatic activity

3. How Kate handles appetizer tables

Appetizers used to be a major trigger. Now she:

• Goes light on cheese, nuts, crackers and crostini
• Treats appetizers as a bridge, not the main event
• Waits until her 3 to 4 hour window has passed before nibbling
• Keeps a thermos of hot water or CCFT nearby to sip regularly

4. CCFT and fennel: simple herbal support

Kate shares her go to supportive blend: equal parts cumin, coriander and fennel seeds simmered in water, then strained into a thermos.

She uses it to:

• Sip in small amounts throughout parties
• Support digestion between meals
• Bring warmth and all six tastes to help her body feel satisfied

She also chews fennel seeds after meals to calm indigestion, gas and heaviness, often carrying them in a small mint tin.

5. Alcohol, spritzers and savoring

Kate still enjoys a party and usually has around two drinks across an event. She:

• Mixes wine with bubbly water in a spritzer so three glasses equal roughly two drinks
• Adds a single piece of fruit or an ice cube to stretch the experience
• Avoids martinis and very strong drinks, or nurses one with extra ice all night
• Tries to enjoy cocktails earlier with a little food, then focuses on dinner later

A big part of her success is presence. She closes her eyes for a sip, or quietly steps aside to savor a favorite cheese or dessert so her senses register the pleasure. That presence helps her feel satisfied with less.

6. Savoring as a