Hard to believe it’s upon us again, isn’t it?
Just when you thought you were finally getting into a rhythm with your lifestyle… BAM!! Here come the Holidays.
The real problem with the Holidays is not Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner!
It's not even this guy...
The real problem is people being sold on the idea that it’s a Holiday season, treating every day like it’s Thanksgiving or Christmas and abandoning any decent lifestyle habits they worked so hard to develop during the year.
Yes, I get that there will be candy canes, cakes, cookies and Grandma’s homemade chocolate-covered potato chips within arm’s reach everywhere you go until New Year’s Day; but does that mean you should throw your hands up and end the year with a 6-week all-out food binge??
Food is everywhere! It started with the buckets of candy your kids/you harvested at Halloween and it won’t let up until all that collective guilt sets in on January 2. From the office to the grocery store (never mind the endless parties and family gatherings that have you booked until 2012) it’s one long, tempting buffet of indulgence. Combine that with cold weather, booked schedules, crowded malls, and endless shopping lists and you’ve got the perfect storm of stressors poised to take a heavy toll on your health.
Be warned: This is NOT the time to get lazy with your health!
Your body is under more stress during the Holidays than at any other time of the year. More people admit to being under high stress this time of year than even during tax season!
To help keep you (and me) in line this Holiday, this post is chock-full of helpful tips & advice.
NOW is the time to take care of yourself… not January 1st! If you put these tips into practice, you’ll hit the New Year with momentum! Imagine making your resolutions to maintain your good habits instead of forcing new habits out of guilt from the way you behaved for the past 2 months.
Holiday Eating
I know what you’re thinking. “Oh boy… the ‘Wellness Doctor’ is about to tell me not to eat anything bad during the Holidays.” If so, you’ll love my first holiday survival tip:
Give In!! That’s right… I said that.
It’s OK to give yourself permission to indulge, as long as you limit it to special get-togethers or holiday feasts. Part of the fun this time of year is enjoying your favorite holiday dishes, family traditions, and social gatherings. My family can attest that when we all get together I definitely throw caution to the wind and let loose (figuratively & literally). Denying yourself that pleasure is just additional stress. And when you indulge, make it count by going after holiday-specific treats. Seriously, can’t you get a chocolate chip cookie anytime?
**But this is NOT a free pass to turn loose the rest of the time! If you indulge more than once a week, you go back on the Naughty list.
So how do you get through the rest of the time?
Before you do anything else, start here:
My first suggestion is always to add sufficiency first! You need a few critical supplements EVERY day, but especially around the holidays. They are:
- High-quality Omega 3s (fish oil)
- High-quality, multi-strain Probiotic
- Whole Food-Sourced Multi-Vitamin
- Vitamin D3 (more on that later)
If you do nothing else besides supplement your diet with these 4 nutrients (most people are severely deficient in each of them) you’re already at an advantage! But, since you know you’re going to be eating bad at times, it’s even more important that you make better choices between scheduled cheat meals.
Eat fresh fruits and vegetables before every meal. Limit your intake of grains, especially processed grains – studies show they cause inflammation and can tax your immune system. And drink water like an elf chugs egg nog!
Remember: Thanksgiving & Christmas dinners are not the culprits behind holiday weight gain; it’s the never-ending parties and dessert trays that can pack on 15 extra pounds by January.
Party Tips
- » Don’t skip meals before the party.
- » Eat something healthy beforehand, so good stuff is already in the belly.
- » Socialize away from the buffet table.
- » Grab the smallest plate size available.
- » Follow the supermodel’s mantra of “try everything, eat nothing.” Small portions!
- » If asked to bring food, take a dish you know is relatively good for you.
- » Don’t be afraid to say “no” to something you don’t want to eat, or that you know will take years off your life.
- » Finally, go easy on the “Christmas Cheer!” Alcohol is a sedative, and can drain you after just 2-3 drinks. This strategy will also keep you from getting dehydrated and save you from an embarrassing karaoke machine incident on Facebook. It also disrupts your sleep (more on that later).
Holiday Moving
You’re busy. You’re stressed. It’s cold. Working out is the last thing you have time to do. Why not just take a break from your routine until the New Year?
Wrong! This time of year, you can always come up with an excuse not to exercise. But slacking off on your fitness program during the holidays will only leave you with more stress – and more pounds – come New Year’s Day.
Keep fitness a top priority in your schedule. The Holidays are difficult for everybody who’s trying to stick to an exercise program, so you’re not alone. Here’s some suggestions to keep you motivated and disciplined.
The first step is acknowledging the holidays will affect your exercise program. Even the most dedicated gym rats still have extra priorities pulling them in all directions. Admitting that you’ll have other things chipping away at your time allows you to make adjustments that will help keep you moving.
Don’t mistake being “busy” for being active. Yes, walking through the mall, cleaning the house and hanging Christmas lights all burn energy, but there is NO substitute for dedicated exercise time.
Schedule It
Whether you have well-established fitness habits or not, make sure you actually schedule time into your day to work out. There’s nothing like having an entry in your Day Planner for exercise! Look at your schedule, and instead of trying to cram workouts into your day, look for less productive chunks of time to scratch out.
Make sure that everyone knows that this time is NOT to be compromised. It will reinforce in your mind (and those close to you) that your No. 1 objective is to stay healthy. It might even motivate them to exercise with you!
If you’re hitting the social scene pretty hard, I would even advise that you actually add an extra workout session wherever you’re able.
Get Moving!
People often ask me what I think the best workouts would be for them.
My answer is simple: The best workout for you is the one you’ll actually get up and do! It could be anything from walking, running, tennis, basketball, swimming, hiking, shadow-boxing, aerobics, or jumping rope. So long as it’s not one of those ridiculous late-night TV gadgets, go do it!
My favorite workouts are constantly-varied, functional movements, performed at a high intensity. A phenomenal fitness resource during this (or any) time of year is my own CrossFit gym, Iron Tribe Fitness, with endless examples of these workouts.
Mix it up! If you normally run/walk/elliptical why not do a strength workout? If you typically lift weights, why not go for a run or sign up for a spin class? The novelty of doing something new might just keep you from blowing off going to the gym today.
Here’s a sample workout you can do at home:
5 pushups – 10 situps – 15 squats – 20 lunges. Repeat this 4 times for a total of 5 rounds.
Not hard enough? Do as many rounds as possible in 20 minutes & see how you feel.
Besides the obvious health benefits, exercise is a major stress reducer that can help you cope with all those extra demands the season inherently brings. It also gives a powerful boost to your immune system, helping to keep any seasonal cold & flu outbreaks under control.
It doesn’t necessarily matter what activity you decide to do, just do something. After all, even going for a quick 30-minute walk is better than doing nothing, isn’t it?
Holiday Stress
It’s very real.
While this “most wonderful time of the year” is meant to be a season of happiness, love and good cheer; for many it can be a stressful, even depressing, struggle.
More than 80% of people in a recent survey said they experience high levels of stress during the Holidays. By comparison, 72% of respondents said they were stressed when asking for a raise!
What causes stress? 2 words: Excess or Lack.
Excess food. Lack of exercise. Excess drink. Lack of sleep. Excess spending. Lack of priorities. Excess obligations. Lack of time.
Small amounts of stress are actually a good thing, and necessary for our survival. But excessive stress negatively impacts your health in so many ways I could never sum them up in one post.
All things are typically best in moderation, and we rarely do anything in moderation around the Holidays!
As I mentioned earlier, we usually eat too much and drink too much. There is physiological stress on the body every time we do this, and the emotional stress behind the lingering weight gain can last long after the Holidays have passed.
Over-committing is another huge cause of stress. We feel obligated to send out Christmas cards, visit friends and family, attend every holiday party we’re invited to, and buy that perfect gift for everyone on our list. But too many activities, even if they seem enjoyable, can leave us feeling fatigued instead of fulfilled.
What to do about it?
With the Holidays, we all know it’s coming. The fact that it’s so predictable is precisely what makes it easy to plan for (and ultimately defeat).
Here are some tips to help keep you from becoming overwhelmed:
Prioritize. Before you get overwhelmed by too many activities, decide which Holiday traditions you really enjoy and offer the most positive impact. Do the things you like; eliminate the rest.
Set a schedule. Putting your plans on paper can give you a good idea of how you’re spending your time and where you can fit in extra activities. Be realistic and include drive time… and down time. And don’t forget to schedule time for exercise!
Keep it simple. Don’t spend excessive amounts of time making a holiday dinner, sending out Christmas cards, or decorating. Over-extending yourself causes you to miss out on the things you truly enjoy. You also need to understand that you may not be able to make every holiday party. Reasonable people won’t take offense.
Set boundaries. Make your intentions clear when you go to holiday parties or family gatherings just how long you plan to spend at each, and do it when you first get there. Even if you can only stay for an hour, the fact that you cared enough to show up is what should be sufficient.
Breathe. I realize this sounds ridiculous since we all have to breathe to live, but the majority of people don’t breathe deeply enough to let our brains or our bodies work as efficiently as they could. For the next 30 seconds, inhale as deeply as you can and then exhale all the way out. Repeat. Feel better?
Get Adjusted! Among the many benefits of chiropractic, it is also a phenomenal way to eliminate stress.
Holiday Rest
Just like exercise, sleep is a necessity if you want to have all the energy and focus for everything facing you this holiday season.
Everything is more manageable when you are rested, so place a priority on your sleep!
Adults require 7-9 hours of sleep per night in order to function optimally during the day. Plan for “winding-down” time of at least 30 minutes before you go to bed. You’ll fall asleep sooner, and sleep more soundly.
Lack of sleep not only leads to stress, it can also lead to weight gain. Studies have shown that losing sleep can affect your metabolism and the secretion of cortisol, one hormone that regulates appetite.
It’s not just the people pulling all-nighters or missing several hours of sleep who are feeling the negative effects of a lack of sleep. Sleeping just 1 hour less than normal leaves you drowsy and less able to handle any increased chaos.
Here’s a few tips to get some shut eye:
- Time-wasters like web browsing or checking Facebook have ZERO productive value. Put the computer to sleep… then you do the same.
- Turn the TV off and turn the lights down in the house a half-hour before bed. Reading keeps your brain just as active as TV, so no books are allowed in bed either.
- It’s normal to stir in the wee hours of night, it’s a primitive response that kept us alive back when we all lived outdoors. Don’t freak out, if you wake up during the night, chances are you’ll be back asleep in minutes.
- Don’t exercise 3 hours before bed. If you do, forget about sleeping any time soon.
- A small evening snack is OK, but any heavy meal after 8pm will have the opposite effect, keeping your body stirring for hours.
- Let the stress of the day go. There’s nothing you can do about it late at night anyway.
Shopping
This is the time of year when we not only over-extend ourselves physically and emotionally, but also financially.
Over 65% of respondents to a recent survey admitted they would be going into some form of debt this Holiday season.
Would your friends or loved ones really feel all warm and fuzzy about your gifts if they knew you went into debt because of them?
Know your budget. Set reasonable limits on what you will spend on during the holidays. This includes meals, presents, travel, etc. Remember that the thoughtful gifts don’t always have to be the most expensive.
Make your list. Who would you like to buy gifts for this year? Write down their names and any gift ideas. Divide your budget accordingly. This can serve as a checklist and will keep from spending too much, or too impulsively.
Be efficient. Look down your list of items and see how many things you can find at the same store, or in one trip to the mall. Shopping can be fun (for some… I still don’t get it) but crowded stores, long lines and rude patrons can turn a cheerful shopper into a grinch. Get it out of the way, and enjoy doing other things
Go early. Don’t put off holiday shopping until the last minute! Early shoppers enjoy a better selection and aren’t trapped in that last-minute rush at the mall. They also have less stress and typically spend less money than the procrastinators. Better yet, shop online to avoid crowds altogether and get your gifts delivered right to your door.
I hope you enjoyed this! If you found just one piece of advice in these pages that helps make your Holiday season a little more enjoyable, then I’ve done my job.
Try not to forget the true meaning behind this Holiday season.
If you have a home, clothes, family and friends… you are RICH!
Keep your life in perspective, and realize all the gifts you have been blessed with — not just now, but all year-round.
I wish you and your family Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year!
God Bless,
Dr. Matt Smith
