Reflecting on the Year That Was – and Preparing Your Body, Mind, and Cells for 2026

Published on   Last Updated on  December 23, 2025

Pausing Before the Next Chapter

As the year draws to a close, I always encourage my clients—and myself—to pause before rushing into the next chapter of the new year. Reflection is not indulgent; it is essential. In naturopathic and functional medicine, we recognise that the body is constantly responding to inputs such as nutrition, stress, sleep, movement, thoughts, and environment.¹ The end of the year offers a powerful checkpoint to take stock of what has truly nourished us, what has depleted us, and what needs to change as we move forward gently.

In my clinic, I often see that when we slow down long enough to listen to the body's messages—fatigue, tension, digestive changes, sleep disturbances—we can start to understand what our cells have been trying to tell us all year long. Taking a moment now to reflect can turn 2026 into a year of more aligned, intelligent choices rather than quick-fix resolutions.

Taking Stock of the Year Gone By

Before setting intentions for 2026, it is worth asking yourself a few honest questions. Please sit with these, perhaps with a journal or a quiet cup of tea, and answer without judgment.

  • What habits supported my health this year?

  • Where did I feel stronger, clearer, and more resilient?

  • What patterns left me feeling inflamed, exhausted, or run down?

  • Did my lifestyle choices align with my long-term health goals—or just short-term gratification or survival?

True reflection is not about guilt or perfection; it is about awareness. And awareness is often the first step toward meaningful, sustainable change and more abundant health.

What to Leave Behind as You Move Into 2026

For many people in my practice, progress in health comes not from endlessly adding more, but from gently letting go. When we release patterns that keep our nervous system on high alert, our gut inflamed, or our hormones dysregulated, the body can finally redirect energy back into repair and resilience.²

As we move into 2026, consider leaving behind:

  • Reactive living, where stress dictates food choices, sleep patterns, movement, and even your boundaries. Chronic stress can dysregulate the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis and contribute to immune and mood imbalances over time.³

  • Inflammatory habits such as excessive sugar, alcohol, ultra-processed foods, and constant late-night screen exposure. These can promote oxidative stress, disturb circadian rhythms, and impair metabolic and immune health.²

  • Chronic over-restriction, especially of calories and healthy fats, which are essential for brain function, hormone production, immune function, and cellular repair.⁴ Gentle nourishment is far more sustainable than harsh restriction.

  • The "busy equals productive" mindset, which quietly erodes hormonal balance, immunity, and mitochondrial health when it is not balanced with rest and recovery.³

Health is not built in extremes—it is built in consistency and balance. Extending grace and self‑compassion is also key as you embrace wellness as a journey rather than a destination.

Diet & Lifestyle Foundations for 2026

Below are practical, evidence-informed strategies that I recommend both clinically and personally. These are not about perfection; they are about building daily rhythms that support your muscles, immune system, nervous system, and cellular health over time.¹⁻⁴

1. Eat for Muscle, Not Just Weight

Muscle is not just about aesthetics; it behaves like a metabolic and endocrine organ, influencing insulin sensitivity, inflammation, and overall longevity.¹˒² Maintaining healthy muscle mass is one of the most powerful ways to support blood sugar balance, mobility, and healthy ageing.¹˒⁶˒⁷

  • Prioritise high-quality protein at every meal (for many adults, around 25–40 g per meal is a useful target, depending on body size and activity).⁶˒⁷ I personally find it hard to reach my protein needs from food alone, so I often add a plant-based protein smoothie using our Peruvian chocolate rice protein, added-greens hemp protein, or natural pea-based protein as a simple daily support.

  • Include resistance training at least 3–4 times per week, adapted to your level—this might be bodyweight exercises at home, Pilates, or weight training. Regular muscle contractions improve insulin sensitivity and support long-term metabolic health.¹

  • Support recovery with adequate calories, micronutrients, and sleep so your muscles can repair, remodel, and grow stronger between sessions.¹˒⁶

Over time, healthy muscle helps stabilise blood sugar, supports detoxification pathways, and can reduce oxidative and inflammatory stress in the body.¹˒⁶

2. Build the Immune System Daily, Not Seasonally

Immune resilience is created quietly, long before cold or flu season arrives.² In psychoneuroimmunology, we recognise that immune function is closely intertwined with stress pathways, mood, sleep, and the gut–brain axis.³˒⁸

Key foundations I emphasise with my patients include:

  • A nutrient-dense, whole-food eating pattern rich in colourful plants, antioxidants, and polyphenols to help modulate inflammation and support immune cells.²

  • Adequate zinc, vitamin C–rich foods, selenium, B vitamins, and immune-supportive herbs, similar to those found in our gentle Immune Restore formula, which I reach for during periods of higher stress or exposure.

  • Daily movement to stimulate lymphatic flow, which does not have its own pump and relies on muscular contraction and breathing.

  • Consistent sleep and circadian rhythm support—aiming for regular sleep and wake times—to optimise immune signalling and tissue repair.²

The immune system thrives on rhythm and consistency, not last-minute interventions. Small daily practices truly add up to a more resilient you.

3. Actively Reduce Oxidative Stress

Oxidative stress sits at the centre of many age-related changes, including chronic inflammation, immune dysfunction, and metabolic disease.² When free radicals outpace the body's antioxidant defences, cellular structures and mitochondria can be affected.

To support redox balance at a practical, lifestyle level, I often recommend:

  • Prioritising colourful plant foods—berries, greens, herbs, spices—or using a whole-food–based antioxidant blend like our Acai Antioxidant Complex when life gets hectic, and I need an extra safety net.

  • Avoiding constant caloric excess and ultra-processed foods, which are linked with increased oxidative and inflammatory burden.²

  • Supporting gut health, as the gut microbiome and gut barrier integrity significantly influence systemic inflammation and mood through the gut–brain axis.³˒⁸

  • Managing psychological stress through practices such as breathwork, gentle movement, prayer, meditation, or time in nature, as chronic stress can increase inflammatory mediators and oxidative load.³˒⁹

Reducing oxidative stress is not about avoiding life; it is about increasing your cellular capacity to adapt to life's demands with more ease.

My Personal Health Focus for 2026

As the owner of Rejuv and a clinician deeply immersed in integrative and functional medicine, I believe in transparency about my own health journey. These are the top three health priorities I am carrying into 2026, grounded in both science and lived experience.

1. Getting Stronger and Gaining Lean Muscle

Strength is foundational for longevity, metabolic health, and resilience.¹˒⁶˒⁷ This year, my focus is progressive resistance training, consistent protein intake across the day, and respecting recovery as much as training itself—honouring rest, sleep, and nervous system regulation as non‑negotiable parts of "getting stronger," not signs of weakness.

2. Continuing to Support a Robust Immune System

My immune system is thankfully strong, but I am intentionally sowing into my gut–immune axis to support both mental and physical longevity.²˒³˒⁸ For me, this looks like fibre-rich, diverse plant foods, targeted probiotics when needed, micronutrient sufficiency, quality sleep, and nervous system practices to dial down chronic stress.

3. Reducing Oxidative Stress at a Cellular Level

My third focus is aligning nutrition, movement, stress management, and supplementation to support mitochondrial health, redox balance, and low-grade inflammation.² Because actual vitality starts at the cellular level, I am also refining our Antioxidant Complex, drawing on my PhD research in oxidative stress, and I am excited to share the upgraded formula with you in the New Year.

A Final Thought for the Year Ahead

2026 does not require a “new you.” It calls for a more aligned, compassionate, and balanced you.

Small, intentional shifts—repeated daily—reshape physiology and neurobiology over time.³ Choose habits that your future body, mind, and nervous system will thank you for. Reflect honestly, plan intelligently, and move forward with purpose, knowing that even tiny changes in your daily routine can translate into meaningful long-term transformation.

From all of us at Rejuv Wellness, we wish you a truly blessed Christmas and holiday season, and a strong, resilient, and deeply nourished year ahead.

References

  1. Hoffmann C, Weigert C. Skeletal muscle as an endocrine organ: The role of myokines in exercise adaptations. Cold Spring Harbour Perspectives in Medicine. 2017;7(11):a029793. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5666622/
  2. Severinsen MCK, Pedersen BK. Muscle–organ crosstalk: The emerging roles of myokines. Endocrine Reviews. 2020;41(4):594–609. https://academic.oup.com/edrv/article/41/4/594/5835999
  3. Doney E, Cadoret A, Dion-Albert L, et al. Inflammation-driven brain and gut barrier dysfunction in stress and mood disorders. European Journal of Neuroscience. 2022;55(10):2851–2892. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ejn.15239
  4. Baum JI, Kim IY, Wolfe RR. The link between dietary protein intake, skeletal muscle function and health in older adults. Nutrients. 2016;8(4):252. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4939566/
  5. Wahyuni AAS. Psychoneuroimmunology of depression and its relation to the gut–brain axis. International Journal of Research in Medical Sciences. 2021;9(6):1572–1577. https://media.neliti.com/media/publications/571855-psychoneuroimmunology-of-depression-and-a9749ab2.pdf
  6. Nowson C, O'Connell S. Protein requirements and recommendations for older people: A review. Nutrients. 2015;7(8):6874–6899. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4555150/
  7. Iizuka K, Machida T. Skeletal muscle is an endocrine organ. Journal of the Japan Diabetes Society. 2014;57(5):361–367. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1347861319301343
  8. Doney E, et al. Inflammation-driven brain and gut barrier dysfunction in stress and mood disorders. European Journal of Neuroscience. 2022;55(10):2851–2892. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ejn.15239
  9. Wahyuni AAS. Psychoneuroimmunology of depression and its relation to the gut–brain axis. International Journal of Research in Medical Sciences. 2021;9(6):1572–1577. https://media.neliti.com/media/publications/571855-psychoneuroimmunology-of-depression-and-a9749ab2.pdf
Dr Simone Laubscher, PhD, Clinical Nutritionist & Naturopath

By Dr Simone Laubscher, PhD, Clinical Nutritionist & Naturopath

Dr Simone Laubscher, PhD, is a clinical nutritionist, naturopath, and wellness formulator with over 25 years of experience. Her work combines integrated and functional naturopathic medicine principles with evidence‑based nutritional science and holistic approaches to support long‑term health. She has developed wellness protocols and products used globally, drawing on decades of client care, research, and product formulation. While not a medical doctor, Simone’s expertise lies in helping clients restore balance across the body systems through personalised nutrition, supplementation, and lifestyle strategies.

Recommended by Dr.Simoné
Rejuv Wellness
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Dhs. 142.00
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Dhs. 152.00

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FAQs

Why do the holidays often feel so exhausting, even when I am “on a break”?

The holidays can layer social expectations, family dynamics, travel, food changes, and financial stress onto an already tired nervous system. Even if you are technically on leave, your body may still be processing a year's worth of stress, which is why intentional rest, boundaries, and gentle nourishment matter so much at this time.
How does chronic stress actually affect my immune system?

Ongoing stress can overactivate the HPA axis and increase inflammatory signalling, which, over time, may weaken immune resilience and affect mood. Simple practices such as regular movement, breathwork, adequate sleep, and supportive relationships can help recalibrate your stress response.
What is the gut–brain or gut–immune axis, and why is it important?

The gut–brain axis refers to the two-way communication between your digestive system, nervous system, and immune system. When your gut lining and microbiome are well supported, they can positively influence mood, energy, and inflammatory balance; when they are disrupted, you are more likely to notice changes in digestion, mood, and immunity.
I feel overwhelmed by all the health advice—where should I start?

Start small and choose one or two foundations you can stick with, such as consistent bedtimes and adding a palm-sized portion of protein to each meal. Once those feel manageable, you can build layer by layer, rather than trying to change everything at once and burning out.
How can I support my muscles if I am not a “gym person”?

Muscle maintenance does not require a gym membership or intense workouts. Gentle bodyweight exercises, walking with intention, Pilates, or resistance bands at home can all help, especially when paired with regular protein intake and sufficient recovery.
Do I need supplements, or can I rely on food alone?

Food should always be your foundation, but there are seasons where targeted supplements can provide helpful backup—especially for immune, gut, or antioxidant support. Think of them as tools to fill gaps, not as a replacement for nourishing meals, movement, and rest.
What does a “balanced” approach to health look like in real life?

A balanced approach means you can enjoy celebrations, rest when you are tired, and still keep a few non‑negotiable habits such as moving daily, hydrating, prioritising sleep, and eating mostly whole foods. It allows room for joy and flexibility, while still honouring what your body needs to feel grounded and well.