You and I both know that this time- from Thanksgiving to New Years- is a boozing, stress filled, face-stuffing, exercise-skipping, weight-gaining time of year. Albeit fun, recovering from this is not. And it takes longer to regain our composure than it did to lose sight of it, often times never really getting back to the point where we started. Sound familiar?
I’m pulling out all the stops and giving you my recipe for success, my top tips to surviving this Holiday season. You don’t have to go down without a fight and you don’t have to give up ALL the indulgences, but you can come out stronger than you have before.
Use my top tips to help create a recipe that works for you.
When traveling:
- Pack a snack so you aren’t tempted to eat fast food at the airport
- Most airports are stocking fresh fruit, veggies and salads, grab something for the flight to keep you comfortable
- Download a calming meditation or mindfulness app to listen to on the plane; you’ll feel refreshed and ready to go at the end of the flight
- Drink more water than normal – airplanes are dryer than the desert, leaving you ripe for fatigue, viruses and aging skin
Daily:Leafy Greens-460
- Get your greens in- have a big, leafy green salad or a smoothie every day
- Find 10 minutes to breath. Even if meditation isn’t your thing, sitting still and just focusing on your breath will help to calm your mind and nervous system
- The few nights you do find yourself at home instead of at a party, have a very light dinner (think fish and salad or a homemade bone broth) and go to bed early
- Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! Even if you take nothing else from this post, adding more water to your day will keep your skin softer, smoother and more flexible as well as helping to keep your digestive tract running smoothly. Drink water away from meals, it will dilute what your system is trying to do for you
At the office:
- Do chair yoga at your desk- make it a group thing. Sounds weird right? But when you get your whole pod to stand up and stretch with you, everyone’s day goes better
- Before you head to the break room for another cookie, have a glass of water or an apple first. Check in with yourself and see if you still really want the sweet?
- Stock your desk with a few healthier snacks so you have a go to when hunger arises or when you see others munching on that cookie tray
- Imagine all the dirty, grubby, unwashed hands touching that cookie tray; did your co-worker just sneeze over it too? You definitely don’t want any of it after imagining that
At parties:
When it comes to drinking:
- Resist holding your cocktail, set it down between sips. It’s too easy to drink more when you hold it, and it becomes a clutch when you’re nervous
- Have a glass of water in between each drink
- Skip the sugary juice and soda drinks (one margarita can have up to 800 calories!). Go for a vodka with soda water and a lemon
About gift giving: Stop stressing about gifts! It really is the thought that counts. But when you need to, try these nifty gift-certificates-progift ideas:
- Give tickets to a charitable event (twice the good deed!)
- Make something from scratch (try my super delicious Wild Rice Pilaf in a Jar)
- A basket of fruit and nuts is always welcomed
- Donate a gift or meal to someone in need under your recievee’s name
- How about a gift certificate to your favorite Health Coach for cooking classes or coaching session (yes, a little shameless self promotion there, but who doesn’t want to feel just a little better!)
Remember, I’m here when you need a little help to get things back on track through health coaching, cooking classes or simple mindful email reminders.
Happy Holidays,
Monique