How to stay healthy during the holidays

The holiday season is officially here! Bring celebrations and family events – I have a feeling this year is over, so I try to enjoy everything. It’s time for parties and entertainment, but it can also be a time of increased stress. It’s party planning, sophisticated meals and it’s easy to lose track of any health or fitness goals. Preparing for rest and stress can affect your health, but focusing on staying healthy all season long can help you enjoy the holidays MORE. In today’s post, I share some of my best tips for maintaining a balanced outlook and taking care of yourself during the turmoil at this time of year.

How to stay healthy during the holidays

To stay hydrated

I think it’s easy to forget to drink water during the colder months, so you need to constantly remind yourself to stay hydrated. Aim for about 11 glasses of water and if you are active, about 96 ounces. Maintaining hydration helps with digestion, skin, absorption of nutrients, fitness efficiency, hormonal function, energy, mood and SO MUCH more. Some of the things I do: I carry a bottle of water 24/7, I drink a big glass of water first thing in the morning and I have a “trigger” for water – something I do every day that reminds me to drink a bottle of water. For me, this is when Macy and I go for a morning walk. I carry a large bottle with me and finish it until we get home.

Stress management tips

The holidays are a wonderful season, but they can also be a little stressful with constant activities, activities for children, gifts, cooking, preparing for a party and potentially stressful interactions. To manage stress, I make a to-do list every day and give priority to each item on the list. Sometimes the list goes the next day, but first I take care of the most important things. I also try to make meditation a more regular habit during the holiday season. My tips for starting a meditation practice are here! I also avoid interactions that I know can be negative or stressful. One of the beautiful things about being an adult is that you have more control over the types of people you surround yourself with. If I know that being around a certain person upsets me, I don’t go.

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Taking time for exercises

Exercise is a great way to lift my spirits and relieve stress for me, so I stick to my workout routine during the holiday season, even though things are a little busier than usual. Divide your workout into smaller pieces throughout the day or try some online options so you don’t have to travel to work. Make a weight scheme that you can do on busy days, such as 3 rounds: squats, push-ups, burps, triceps, lunges and plank.

Instead of focusing on the amount of time you have to train try to count the time you have. Choose movements that make you feel good, such as restorative yoga, Pilates or bar, especially if you know you are stressed and cortisol is higher.

Making healthy food choices

During the holidays, I enjoy all the delicious food we can’t eat for the rest of the year, but I also try to remember how certain foods make me feel. The bout of sugar tastes delicious, but sometimes it’s not worth feeling like a nap 30 minutes later. (Sometimes it’s worth it!)

When I know we are going to enjoy richer foods and cocktails, I try to make healthy choices and eat more nutrient-rich foods throughout the day. That way I don’t go to the event on an empty stomach and I know that at least I ate fruits and vegetables at some point during the day. 😉 Focus on choosing foods that give you energy and nutrients, space and soul-embracing party foods. During the holidays you can also forget to eat, so make sure you recharge with everything that happens.

Eating carefully

This can be difficult if you are super busy, but taking the time to eat your food (instead of stuffing it in your face to continue the day) will make a difference in nutrient absorption, digestion and fullness levels. Take some time to sit with your food without distraction, whether it’s on your lunch break or at home with your family. (This has always been difficult for me – I used to eat all my meals standing above the sink – but it’s so nice to sit down and enjoy a meal.)

Delegation of responsibilities

This can be a huge help during the holiday season, especially if you are the type of person who does everything. Over time, I realized that it is good to ask for help, especially from your partner, who may want to help but is not sure how or what you need. See if you can ask your family to help you with tasks like wrapping gifts, tidying up their rooms (girls are great at cleaning the playroom!) Or other small chores, a post office or grocery store, and more. n. I’m also a believer in spending for convenience if you’re in trouble, such as grocery delivery (the best so far !!!) or buying some pre-made options (like cheese boards that are assembled and ready to go) .

Enough sleep

It’s tempting to stay up late to finish all the extra things you need to do, but I try to treat sleep as if it’s my job, especially for the benefits of boosting immunity. It has such an effect on mood, hormonal function, hunger levels, immune system function, fitness recovery, brain health, energy levels, etc. Have a solid bedtime routine every night and set an alarm when it’s time to go to bed. My bedtime routine: skin care, magnesium oil, reading a book, spray my pillow with this gorgeous spray and it goes out.

Receiving your supplements

Please note that I am not a medical professional and if you need a supplement and medical advice, contact your doctor. I think it’s important to keep this one on the list because the holidays are an easy time to forget about taking vitamins and supplements. I have mine with breakfast every day and if I forget them … I figured it out pretty quickly, haha. I also think it can make a huge difference in the fight against winter colds and other illnesses during the flu season.

Focus on family and more fun than food

This is the number 1 thing on this list! When you are at events with family and friends, take some time to really immerse yourself and enjoy the people around you. Do not sit and stress about mashed potatoes against sweet potatoes, carbohydrates in a casserole with green beans, if you eat too much sugar, if you “overeat your calories.” Enjoy these precious moments.

The holidays are such a magical time and now that we have lost some close family members, it has made me even more aware of the beautiful memories and the holidays we have enjoyed with them.

Make taking care of yourself a priority

While caring for everyone else, it can be very easy to forget yourself and the habits you know make you feel good. While it may not be time to have fun for a spa day or yoga retreat (uh, that sounds amazing right now), find small pockets to take care of yourself during the day. Maybe it’s a walk with the dog, a 5-minute meditation, a conversation with a good friend, a long bath, relaxation in the sauna blanket (my favorite ever) or something you personally love that charges you.

Focus on maintaining consistency – not upgrading

This way you really stay healthy during the holiday season. With everything that happens, I do not recommend focusing on new fitness goals, weight loss efforts or PR in December. Instead, focus on general movement, nutrition, which energizes you, and consistency, not building.

So tell me, friends: what are your tips to stay healthy during the holidays? What is a small act of self-care that you do for yourself?

xo

Gina