The holidays can be a stressful time for many of us. Time is short, money is short, your not eating the healthiest and probably not getting your regular exercise in. The kicker is, this is the most important time To take care of your health so that you can handle these additional stresses placed upon you. This is not the time to let the most important aspects of health go. Therefore, the impact of the holidays come down hard and your mental and physical health suffer. Unfortunately, this seems to be par for the course during the holidays.
Are you willing to let your health suffer this season?
There are great ways to keep stress from affecting your body & mind during the holidays to stay healthy!
1. Keep exercising! Even if the duration and intensity have to be decreased for a few weeks. It is crucial to keep your weight under control as you're eating food you normally don't. It will help relieve stress, detox your body and help you sleep better at night.
2. Keep getting your acupuncture, massages and doing your daily meditations! All of these help relieve stress and help your body be better prepared to handle the inevitable stress you'll be facing. These important activities increase circulation, detox your body too and enhance immune function.
3. Eat well when you can. Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah and other decadent holiday meals can really throw your body and digestive system off! Eat well before and after these special days to keep the delicate ecosystem in your gut balanced.
4. Remember your portion sizes! Go ahead and eat whatever you'd like! (As long as your not allergic to it.) Keep your portions small. If you want a bit of everything, it should be about the size of an egg. Yes! I know that's small but you'll be putting a lot of "eggs" on your plate!
5. Stay hydrated! It'll help remove toxins, facilitate digestion and bowl movements & keep you from getting too hung over. 64 or more ounces a day! Every day!
6. Lighten up your recipes. Use less salt, butter, sugar. You'll be surprised how tasty your food will be, even with reduced amounts of the above ingredients. In the days after, as you're trying to get back to healthy again but have all those leftovers, there will be less guilt in eating them as they've already been made healthier to begin with!
7. Get your sleep. Make a solid routine of when you wake up and when you go to bed and follow it! You can always allow yourself to have a few late nights and mornings to sleep in but in general, keep your sleep/wake cycle times, the same.
Doing all or even some of these things will allow you to have a healthy and stress free holiday season therefore, it can be enjoyed more it too!
Tips for healthier recipes!
1. Use less butter or cut the amount with applesauce.
2. Use raw turbinado or cane sugar instead of white table sugar.
3. Use almond or rice milk instead of regular milk, or use a combination.
4. Use less salt or substitute pink Himalayan salt (which has 84 essential, natural minerals & elements our bodies need).
5. Use less bread/bread crumbs in your stuffing & up the veggies.
6. Brine, bake or roast your bird of choice instead of frying them.
7. Make homemade whipped cream rather than using the "fake" stuff with all the not so cool artificial chemicals in it.
P.S. Like what you've read? Pass it on!
Happy Healthy Holidays!