Are you ready for a mindful holiday challenge to bring in the New Year feeling good?
The holiday season does bring on many challenges which can impact your health. There’s too much food, lots of parties, lots of stress and limited time. You may feel sleep deprived or stressed about finding that perfect gift for a loved one. And deadlines at work are encroaching on your time. It’s easy to get caught up in everything and forget about health.
For me, along with Thanksgiving, Christmas and the New Year, we celebrate Chanukah and there are many family birthdays in December (my son, my sister, my nephew….). Sweets were always around and hard to resist. My grandmother’s famous homemade chocolate fudge, for just one example! Once I ate just one piece, there was no resisting a second or a third piece. And now that I’m being bad, what does it matter? I might as well throw in the towel and enjoy the other offerings for the season. Soon, all daily healthy habits are thrown out the window too. Workouts were replaced with shopping, preparing for parties or wrapping gifts. But come January, I would be left feeling depressed about the weight I gained and guilty about the food choices I made. I would be upset with myself for the lack of sleep and exercise during the month, too.
Did you know that what you eat has an impact on your emotions and your ability to handle stress? Sugar and refined carbohydrates mess with your blood sugar levels. It can leave you feeling like you are on an energy or emotional roller coaster. Sugar can be the source of anxiety, irritability, lack of energy and ability to deal with stress during the holidays. It’s why the ‘hangries’ appear and tantrums flare. When you eat lots of sugar, it also suppresses your immune system and makes you more susceptible to colds and flu.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. You don’t have to deprive yourself and eat only boring foods with a side of guilt. The holidays are also supposed to be a time of joy, peace and laughter.
To help you get through this holiday season feeling your best, please join me in the Mindful Holidays Challenge beginning December 1st.
Pledge with me to:
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be mindful of what you are eating, making conscious choices;
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strive to drink half your body weight in ounces each day;
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get at least 7 hours of sleep each night; and
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eat a salad (or vegetables) every day.
I’ll provide recipes for salads, holiday fare and treat alternatives along with motivation, tips and laughter to get you through the holiday season without gaining weight or feeling guilty. Join me! I can’t wait to support you on this journey!
