The holidays are quickly approaching and between the sugar overload and the non-stop work and social events you might become more stressed than relaxed this holiday season, and that is no way to enjoy the holidays. Instead of feeling tired, bloated and run down if you can incorporate these simple healthy habits now you can have a stress free, more relaxed and healthier holiday this year.
Reduce Sugar
Did you know that the average American consumes an estimated 130 pounds of sugar a year? You might think that you you don’t eat that much sugar but it is in everything and is everywhere. We all crave sweets from time to time especially now during the holidays when the sweet treats are more readily available.
Our body craves sugar when we are tired but sugar creates an imbalance in our body where our blood sugar rises rapidly and then falls fast leaving our body craving more sugar. Try to avoid the candy bowl at work and have some healthy treats at your desk like energy balls, hummus with veggies or an apple. Some other simple tips to reduce sugar cravings is to drink at least a cup of water an hour, incorporate greens into more of your meals and aim for at least 8 hours of quality sleep.
Movement
Now that the days are getting shorter, you might have noticed that your body wants to rest more than it did this Summer. Please get enough sleep but still make time to move your body. Moving your body gives your body energy and helps your stay focused and productive during the busy holiday season. It also helps us stay away from sugar! I encourage you to stay away from intense workouts if you are feeling overwhelmed and stressed. Instead take a long walk during lunch or take a yoga class to help your body and mind relax.
Plan Ahead
Before your schedule gets out of control I encourage you to plan ahead and schedule health and self care time into your calendar. Schedule in your movement, meal prepping, holiday shopping and down time. I encourage you to find one day out of the week where you can go grocery shopping and prep meals for the week so that you always have healthy food with you. Be sure to check out some of my favorite and healthy recipes here. If you know that you are going to be traveling a lot this holiday season schedule massages and even take a day off in the middle of the week to get holiday shopping done so you can avoid the busy weekend crowds.
Immune Boosters
There are so many different foods and herbs that we can add into our diet to keep us feeling healthy. Fermented foods help to keep our belly healthy and adding them in gives us more energy, helps with digestion and our sugar cravings. I like to have Kombucha, Kimchee, fermented chopped veggies and ginger. During this time of the year it is also important to get outside, even when it is cold out and get some fresh air, and check your Vitamin D levels. Most of us are low in Vitamin D and adding Vitamin D3 into your life will help maintain your immunity and overall health.
Big Hugs & Health,
Katie
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