Polar Plunge Lunch
When you get home invigorated from your polar bear dip, a hearty, healthy sandwich hits just right. To be honest, I grew up kind of hating sandwiches, until I discovered they could be as gourmet as I ...
"Brrr"-ing on a New Year
Start the new year off with a cold water dip and a healthy mindset
It was New Year’s Eve 2020, but the date lacked the sparkle and shine of years before. The pandemic had restricted the usual midnight gatherings of celebration, so instead, my husband and I sat alone in our quiet living room, scrolling social media in what seemed like an impossible quest to find hope about the new year—one where we would be allowed to attend a party, a wedding, a funeral.
At a half hour to midnight, I’d had enough of despondently sitting in the gloom of the year and waiting for the depression of a new one. I put my phone down and asked my husband if he’d do a midnight polar plunge with me, to “wash away” the stress of 2020. Three minutes and one phone call to our two best friends later, who had also been sitting in the anticlimactic despair of the evening, and we were yanking on swimsuits and grabbing towels to head to the beach.
The weather that night seemed to have been spurred on by the frustrations of the people below, the wind howling, the rain pounding and the waves crashing. We sat in our cars and watched the minutes tick by; at ten seconds to midnight, we sprang open the doors and ran for the water, our headlights keeping watch as we dove into the dark, frigid surf.
Although 2021 continued with many of the same difficult precedents set by 2020, when I look back on the two years of the pandemic, I consider this “polar bear plunge” moment a highlight. And it’s not just me who enjoys a cold dip to ring in the new year; polar dips have been a popular activity on this date for decades. Often occurring the morning of January 1st, communities gather at the edges of a freezing cold body of water (sometimes literally frozen, with just a chunk of ice removed to leave a hole you can quickly dip in and out of) and take on the adrenaline and excitement of the activity together.
The symbolic washing away of the past year is both a physical and mental reset, and while I’m not a big proponent of “New Year, new me,” I do believe January 1st is as good a time as any to set new goals and start fresh. For many of us, that includes setting goals about our health. After the rich and heavy food we all enjoy so much over the holidays, we often look forward to lighter options as we return to our schedules and routines. A new year is the perfect time to become more intentional about the ingredients we use to fuel our bodies and minds.
There are so many food information resources available at the click of a button or the turn of a page, and all of that information can become overwhelming. But I’ve found holding just three tenets of healthy eating creates a solid foundation for success:
1) Choosing whole foods provides the most nutritional value.
2) Shopping local generally gives you higher quality products and cuts down on preservatives.
3) Balancing protein with carbs and fats ensures you feel both satisfied and satiated.
Diets can be restrictive and difficult to hold to, whereas creating meals based on these simple ideas can lead to health-forward, long-lasting mindset and lifestyle changes, which naturally lead to positive benefits physically, mentally and emotionally.
Looking ahead to the new year, consider the ways you’ll fuel your body and mind as you set your intentions for 2024. And while you're at it, why not find a local polar plunge event or convince your friends to join you in the chilly tradition? Maybe I’ll see you on January 1st, standing [read: shivering] next to the ocean, preparing for an exhilarating dash into the water to usher in a new chapter of possibilities—before heading home to a nourishing meal that will energize us to work toward all of our new year goals.
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