Many health and wellness blogs this time of year focus solely on food – how to avoid it and what to eat. We know food is a central part of this season. Families gather around the table for a full feast. We attend back-to-back Christmas parties which, of course, have tons of food. Then don’t get me started on all the sugar that’s around this time of year! But this year, I want to give you 7 tips on staying healthy during the holidays that aren’t about food.
7 Tips on Staying Healthy During the Holidays
This wouldn’t be a Chelsie Ward Wellness blog if we didn’t talk about looking at health from a holistic approach. These 7 tips on staying healthy during the holidays focus on the whole body – mind, body, and spirit. Our goal is to coach you to honor your body during this Christmas season.
1. Get a Good Night’s Sleep To Better Handle Stress
There’s no doubt that with all the Christmas parties, errands, and family gatherings that the holiday season is exhausting. To add to that exhaustion, you are exposed to unhealthy foods, family stressors, and eating too much sugar. All of that impacts your energy levels. If staying healthy during the holidays is a priority of yours, then you need to get a good night’s sleep to better handle the stress.
While this tip is a short-term solution for the holiday season, getting sufficient sleep directly correlates to your health in the long run. According to the Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School, insufficient sleep has links to obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and decreased immune function.
2. Take a Walk Early In The Morning
Even if exercise is on the backburner during this season, your body still needs to move. Take a walk early in the morning before you travel or spend time with family. You’ll be less likely to indulge because your body has already been energized by the activity. You won’t be reaching for that extra piece of peppermint bark or the next cup of coffee to keep your energy levels high.
3. Focus On Low Intensity Exercise
If you want to continue your exercise regimen through the holidays, focus on low intensity exercise. High intensity exercise can actually add to the stress and cause more weight gain during the holidays.
4. Add Appropriate Supplements Into Your Diet
The holiday season can cause ruin on the body, especially with the average sugar intake spiking. We’re consuming foods that are causing imbalance in our gut. Supplement appropriately to suit your body’s needs.
There are a couple options to add appropriate supplements into your diet. First, you can take a full spore based probiotic and multi-vitamins to round out your diet and give your liver extra support for the toxic burden that holiday festivities may bring.
There’s no time to be sick! Boost your immune system by taking Ganoderma spores.
If you have any questions about getting started with these supplements, schedule a complimentary session with me to see what supplements would optimize your health and wellness.
5. Practice Deep Breathing or Meditation
Deep breathing and meditation is often overlooked because mental health often isn’t valued as much as physical health. But this practice can help you destress, stop anger or rage from turning into something you’ll regret, and ultimately make you happier.
Let’s practice right now!
Breathe in 4 counts. 1. 2. 3. 4.
Hold 4 counts. 1. 2. 3. 4.
Breathe out 4 counts. 1. 2. 3. 4.
Hold 4 counts. 1. 2. 3. 4.
Do this for a couple minutes. Feel free to stop reading right now and set a timer.
Feel better? You can do this for a couple minutes at a time and then work your way up to longer periods of times. This practice will help shift your nervous system into a relaxed state.
When can you do this? Just about anytime. To start, I suggest you practice deep breathing when you wake up, feel stressed, and/or before meals to help digest your food.
6. Spend Your Valuable Time With Positive Relationships
There’s a direct correlation between relationships and your health. When we’re surrounded by toxic people, we start thinking toxic thoughts. Toxic thoughts become actual toxins and impact us physically. We resort to coping mechanisms such as emotional eating or avoidance of supporting people.
Pick a few people that energize you and give you joy. Stick close to those people, especially when you’re going to be around those toxic people. If you need to step away for a few moments to practice your breathing, do so.
7. Declutter as You’re Cleaning
Christmas is now over, and you’re taking down all the decorations. This is a perfect time to declutter as you’re cleaning and repacking those Christmas decorations. Throw out anything broken or not serving a purpose anymore. When putting back your living space to the way it was before, evaluate if the way you had before stressed you out or brought you peace and comfort. As you bring in the new and put away the old, Marie Kondo your home. Get rid of things that no longer serve you or give you joy.
When we declutter our lives, we declutter our minds.
It’s Your Choice To Be Healthy
In conclusion, you have a choice to make. Are you going to settle into old, unhealthy habits over this holiday season? Or are you going to work towards staying healthy? It’s your choice.
Whether you are working full-time and responsible for your business, ministering to the lost, or raising your children, people are counting on you to be your best. It’s time to start focusing on your health – mind, body, and spirit. Take back control of your health so you can live your best life. Click here to schedule a complimentary session with me where I’ll reveal your biggest healing opportunities with you.
Stay happy, healthy, whole!
If you prefer video version, catch this 7 minute video with the same information.