12 Ways to Stay Healthy During the Holidays
12 Ways to Stay Healthy During the Holidays
by Holly Anne Shelowitz, Certified Nutrition Counselor
Do you often get sick in January or February? If so, what you do or don't do in December can help. This is a time of festivities- parties, great food, late nights, cold weather, and lots of sugar, candy, cookies and more.
Here are some tips to keep yourself healthy:
1. Eating a nourishing breakfast gives your body good fuel for the day, and even helps to keep you warm. This does not have to take long at all- most of these take 5 minutes- you can take it with you and eat on the way.
Examples: Eggs- (a perfect food)- especially if you can buy organic free range)Oatmeal- (the real rolled oats- not the sugar filled package) add your own sunflower seeds, walnuts, maple syrup, butter and cream)
Soup- (Don't laugh) This makes a warming, nourishing breakfast in winter. Eating non-breakfast foods in the morning can give us more nutritional value than the cold sugar filled cereals so typical in our Standard American Diet (read SAD)
Melted cheese on whole grain toast or a wrap
If you are really in a pinch you can grab a few almonds and a banana
2. Drink lots of water- especially warm water with lemona. This helps to keep your system moving
3. Bring healthy snacks with you to work, and make healthy sweets to share. Eating healthfully does not mean giving up desserts. Check out the recipe on this site for amazingly sinful desserts made with natural sweeteners like fruit, agave nectar and maple syrup.
4. Do some gentle stretching when you can each day. Exercise is often the first thing to go during busy times, and of course one of the most important. Even if your exercise routine does go out the window, stretching is a simple way to stay in touch with your body. Also be sure to dance!!
5. Remember that just because you ate everything at the company holiday party, doesn't mean that it's all over now. You can go back to your healthy routine tomorrow- or even with the next meal.
6. Create the practice of taking a deep breath before eating to bring your attention to what you are doing. It is so common to eat unconsciously. You know the experience of eating in front of the television with a full plate of food... You look down and suddenly the plate is empty and you have no experience of eating! If you are eating chocolate, be sure to enjoy it completely! Many clients report that creating that focus makes them aware of when they are satisfied, or that they are not even enjoying what they are eating!
7. When you have overindulged in sweets, eating plenty of protein and veggies the next day helps to balance out your blood sugar and energy level.
8. Keep your neck and head warm. In chinese medicine, they say that a cold enters the body in the back of the neck.
9. Take some Vitamin C each day. (acerola and full C Complex is best because it is from a whole food)
10. Get extra rest when you can. (tricky I know) If staying home, being cozy and going to sleep early sounds great to you, say no to an invitation. Often it is this very thing that makes us vulnerable to getting sick. Feeling tired for days on end puts a lot of stress on our immune system.
11. Take time to appreciate and enjoy the activities you are participating in. Taking time to slow down and feel grateful for all the abundance that you have is a very important aspect to health.
12. Do some kind of service. There are groups in every community that need support- be it serving food at a soup kitchen, donating some of your canned food, giving away some winter coats or warm clothes, or bringing gifts to needy families.
by Holly Anne Shelowitz, Certified Nutrition Counselor
Do you often get sick in January or February? If so, what you do or don't do in December can help. This is a time of festivities- parties, great food, late nights, cold weather, and lots of sugar, candy, cookies and more.
Here are some tips to keep yourself healthy:
1. Eating a nourishing breakfast gives your body good fuel for the day, and even helps to keep you warm. This does not have to take long at all- most of these take 5 minutes- you can take it with you and eat on the way.
Examples: Eggs- (a perfect food)- especially if you can buy organic free range)Oatmeal- (the real rolled oats- not the sugar filled package) add your own sunflower seeds, walnuts, maple syrup, butter and cream)
Soup- (Don't laugh) This makes a warming, nourishing breakfast in winter. Eating non-breakfast foods in the morning can give us more nutritional value than the cold sugar filled cereals so typical in our Standard American Diet (read SAD)
Melted cheese on whole grain toast or a wrap
If you are really in a pinch you can grab a few almonds and a banana
2. Drink lots of water- especially warm water with lemona. This helps to keep your system moving
3. Bring healthy snacks with you to work, and make healthy sweets to share. Eating healthfully does not mean giving up desserts. Check out the recipe on this site for amazingly sinful desserts made with natural sweeteners like fruit, agave nectar and maple syrup.
4. Do some gentle stretching when you can each day. Exercise is often the first thing to go during busy times, and of course one of the most important. Even if your exercise routine does go out the window, stretching is a simple way to stay in touch with your body. Also be sure to dance!!
5. Remember that just because you ate everything at the company holiday party, doesn't mean that it's all over now. You can go back to your healthy routine tomorrow- or even with the next meal.
6. Create the practice of taking a deep breath before eating to bring your attention to what you are doing. It is so common to eat unconsciously. You know the experience of eating in front of the television with a full plate of food... You look down and suddenly the plate is empty and you have no experience of eating! If you are eating chocolate, be sure to enjoy it completely! Many clients report that creating that focus makes them aware of when they are satisfied, or that they are not even enjoying what they are eating!
7. When you have overindulged in sweets, eating plenty of protein and veggies the next day helps to balance out your blood sugar and energy level.
8. Keep your neck and head warm. In chinese medicine, they say that a cold enters the body in the back of the neck.
9. Take some Vitamin C each day. (acerola and full C Complex is best because it is from a whole food)
10. Get extra rest when you can. (tricky I know) If staying home, being cozy and going to sleep early sounds great to you, say no to an invitation. Often it is this very thing that makes us vulnerable to getting sick. Feeling tired for days on end puts a lot of stress on our immune system.
11. Take time to appreciate and enjoy the activities you are participating in. Taking time to slow down and feel grateful for all the abundance that you have is a very important aspect to health.
12. Do some kind of service. There are groups in every community that need support- be it serving food at a soup kitchen, donating some of your canned food, giving away some winter coats or warm clothes, or bringing gifts to needy families.
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