Happy Holiday's
1. Keep up you renewal routines.
Take the time to nourish yourself with
exercise, whether it is walking, running, yoga, meditation, biking etc? It is as important if not more important
during the busy holiday season. Exercise
provides fresh oxygen, blood and nutrients to all the joints, organs and the
brain. It also stabilizes blood sugar
and is a big stress reliever. Time
strapped do the 7 minute workout.
2. Make breakfast high energy
Make a high
Protein shake or smoothie. It must have clean high quality protein powder, good
fat, (flax seed oil, nuts and seeds) leafy greens and a small amount of fruit.
3. Cut the Carbs on Turkey Day.
3. Cut the Carbs on Turkey Day.
Stuff your turkey
with celery, onions, herbs and spices instead of the high fat high carb loaded
version. Switch high carb pumpkin pie
for pumpkin soup with a dollop of yogurt and skip the bread roll.
4. Make new Traditions
Most holiday
dinners are upwards of 2500/3000 calories and that does not include alcohol or
eggnog. Old Traditions have made us fat
and put a huge load on the digestive system and the heart. It is time for new healthier traditions.
5. Give the Gift of Love
One of the best
gifts one can give a loved one is the gift of positive and loving behavior and
words. If you see all the wonderful
things in your spouse, kids family members, friends etc. just imagine how great
that would be and it is guaranteed to improve your relationships. The photo is my best friend Graeme and his family in 2012.
6. Use a minimalistic approach to Decorations
and the Table.
We do not need
more stuff and we all have tons of Holiday décor and the thing is that most of
your guests don’t notice as much as we think they do. What they notice is the energy and feeling of
your home. So skip the extra running
around and stress and light candles.
Make a pact with
your friends and family to put phones and iPads etc. away during dinners and
outings. Spend some quality time together really listening and engaging with
each other.
8. Connect with Community and Give Back
Giving to others
during the holidays helps us help others and in turn helps us. We like to do a
turkey trot and move our feet before we eat. It is something that whole family
can do that is fun and good for you. The
proceeds go to charities. We also
collect bears for the local children’s hospital. Pick a couple of community
events that match you giving philosophy.
9. Go Grain Free, Gluten Free and Zero
Refined Sugar
If you need tasty
ideas go to www.hemsleyandhemsley.com. These two sisters also have a great
cookbook called The Art of Eating Well. Perhaps a good holiday gift for someone
you know.
10. Listen to your Body
Are you aware of
your stress levels? How often do you
pretend to be fine? Pay attention to the clues your body gives and nurture
yourself.
11. Keep your Immune system strong
Sugar and stress
depresses you immune system leading to colds, flu, coughs, allergies and stuffy
nose. Load up on antioxidants and decrease your sugar intake.
12. Preserve Sleep
The body rests
and repairs during quality sleep. It
makes no rational sense to pull an all-nighter just to get a couple of dollars
off on Black Friday. A better idea is to go to bed at 10pm and get up at 5am if
you have to have those door busters. Aim
for at least 7 hours
13. Choose a different response
How you respond
to stress is what matters. Step out of the situation and view it from the
outside. Take a few breaths before you
respond or don’t react at all.
14. Eat
your Veggies
This is a great
time to enjoy all those fabulous root vegetables. They are high in fiber and loaded with
nutrients. Chew them well.
15.
Drink your Veggies
If you don’t get
your adequate servings of veggies per day, drink them. Enjoy a green drink.
16. Hydrate
Aim to drink a
minimum of 64 ounces of water a day. Not
only will your digestive system thank you but your skin will too. If you are flying during the holiday season
drink more… I know it is a hassle to go to the bathroom when you fly, however
the benefits outweigh the discomfort of dehydration.
17. Take it Easy on the High Calorie Beverages
Alcohol, Eggnog
and a Pumpkin Spice Latte count as non-nutrient dense calories. We have a mind set that what we drink does
not count as part of our consumption however it has a huge impact on weight
gain, sleep quality and depresses the immune system.
18. Beware of the Buffett
Be consciously
selective when it comes to the buffet table. If you know that the choices
available will not be healthy then try to eat good for you food before go to
your event.
Bonus Tips
19. Stress can be good for us
Our bodies are
designed to handle stress in appropriate amounts. Some stress can kick us into gear to get
things done, provide focus, clear thinking and take action.
It is when stress
is too much for too long that problems arise.
20. Don’t sweat the small stuff.
Put on bright red
lipstick and a sparkly top and you are good to go…. When you look good you feel
good. When you feel good you look good!
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