Enjoy The Season Without Sacrificing Your Health
With the arrival of the holiday season, our to-do list seems to get longer, and our social calendar gets even more crowded. We have decorating to do, gifts to purchase and wrap, travel to plan, parties to attend or host, and numerous family traditions to uphold. Do you view the holidays with eager anticipation, or do you feel a tinge of dread?
Holiday gatherings often involve food and drinks that hold emotional ties to our childhood memories or are presented to tempt your taste buds and offer a moment of decadent pleasure. Either way, it is difficult to pass up what is served. All too quickly, we manage to snack and sample our way to extra pounds, brain fog, and perhaps misery.
Despite what your experience has been, you can choose to change your path. I invite you to explore some strategies to bring you through this holiday season with a firmer footing.
Stay Hydrated
Did you know that dehydration can be masked as hunger? Yes, you can feel hungry, as opposed to dry-mouth thirsty, when your body is actually asking for water. Test it for yourself next time you are hungry away from a normal mealtime, drink a full glass of water, and wait 10 minutes.
An extra tip … throughout the day of a party, make a point of drinking 5 glasses of water. The added hydration will help to reduce your inclination to indulge.
Eat Before The Party
Just as it is risky to go grocery shopping with an empty stomach, arriving at a party that way can set you up for overload. I get it – you want to save room for that specialty your hostess is known for serving. You can still look forward to that treat without going overboard. Eat a small snack focused on high-fiber, raw vegetables with a glass of water to curb your appetite.
Plan Your Plate
We’ve all approached a buffet table, picked up a plate, and begun filling it with tasty morsels. By the time you reach the other end, your plate is piled with more food than you can comfortably eat. You can avoid that overload by strolling along the food table to plan your choices before you even grab a plate.
Socialize Away From The Table
We go to a party to visit with friends and meet new people. Do you find yourself mindlessly snacking when you stand near food – whether the buffet or a snack bowl – while you are talking? I certainly do. I find it much safer to choose a position away from the food where I can focus more on people.
Get More ZZZZs
Many have adopted the adage that “sleep is overrated” for the sake of having more hours to accomplish their many tasks. Yet medical studies have demonstrated that sleep is vital for wellness. Are you one who considers the time you sleep as “lost time”?
Your body is quite busy replenishing hormones, repairing damaged tissue, processing toxins, and often solving the problems you have puzzled over earlier in the day. Explore ways that you can prioritize sleep, and I believe you will be surprised at your increased productivity.
Choose Realistic Exercise
You may have been in the habit of taking classes at the gym, going out for a walk or run, or any number of approaches for working out. As the demand for your time increases during the holidays, it’s easy to skip these. Still, I encourage you to consider ways to incorporate movement in shorter spurts.
Whether I am shopping or going to work, I often park further out in the parking lot to get in more steps. If you work in a multi-story building, skip the elevator and take the stairs. When you go to the bathroom, go to one that is further from your desk. At home, you can get your kids outside for a family bike ride or brisk walk.
We can’t realistically expect to make major changes in our lives in the midst of the holiday season. Yet you may have found one or two of these strategies that you can incorporate to help you arrive at the first week of the new year without feeling defeated. Share your plans with a family member or a friend so they can encourage you along the way.
Your life – your health – is worth too much to simply fall into the holidays and how you come out in January without too much setback. What is the first step you will take to pursue wellness?
