The holiday season is in full swing. With Halloween behind us, we are headed straight toward Thanksgiving and beyond. With so much to look forward to it’s hard not to get a little bit excited. Soon the air will be filled with the smell of turkey and stuffing and not too long after there will be all sorts of treats from cookies to fudge, and then, of course, we say goodbye to 2020 and hello to 2021 with New Years celebrations.
Whew, that’s a whole lot of celebrating. And, you know what? It’s also a whole lot of stress, especially on our bodies. All of this celebration and stress can really take a toll on our health if we are not careful.
So why does it feel like an uphill battle when it comes to maintaining our health during the holidays? Is it the food alone and what seems like the never-ending temptation to make poor decisions? Or is there more? Let’s find out.
There is no denying the fact that health habits change during the holidays. For some perspective, here are a few of the main derailers to keep an eye out for.
Parties
There are parties left, right, and center during the holiday season. Today you have Thanksgiving dinner and tomorrow you have an end-of-year work bash. This week it’s Christmas parties and the next it is a New Year’s rave.
With so much to keep up with on your social calendar, things like cooking healthy meals and going to the gym can lose priority on the to-do list.
Seasonal Treats
This is also a time of indulgence in terms of food. The problem is that they are just so dang good from the massive Thanksgiving spreads to those naughty but oh so nice Christmas candies and cookies.
Travel
The holiday season brings a great deal of travel including holiday vacations, family visits, and so on. And, this travel tends to disrupt routines which can often result in breaking healthy habits.
End of Year Work Crunch
Work can become stressful and demanding with holidays and vacations on the books. Yes, you’d like to be relaxing but there are deadlines to meet and numbers to hit. And soon, the early mornings and late nights working creep in, taking away from your otherwise healthy routine and stress management.
Moderation and Balance over the Holidays
Yes, there are several factors that could be working against you when it comes to maintaining your health over the holiday season but there are also several ways to offset them. And, it all comes down to moderation and balance.
You know what’s ahead of you, what temptations you just can’t resist, and what your schedule is likely to look like over the next few months. It’s time to plan ahead by focusing on a few simple habits.
- Meal prep. If life is about to speed up for you take time now to meal prep. You can make several freezer meals that are loaded with veggies, whole grains and clean protein for those evenings where making dinner seems impossible. Better yet, take it up a notch and carve out an hour or so on Sundays to chop up a bunch of veggies for the week as a quick grab and go snack. There are plenty of ways to meal prep and when you are in a time crunch you’ll be glad you did.
-
Watch your portions. Sometimes it can be very hard to say no to holiday meals. Imagine the shock and horror your host will have when you turn down that spread that they painstakingly made for their loved ones.
The best compromise is therefore simply watching your portions. You do not have to heap your plate full or go back for seconds and thirds. Remember, it’s all about moderation.
-
Ensure daily nutrients with supplements. Your body requires nutrients day in and out to function. And, with the busy holiday season, you may find yourself missing meals, accidentally eating a chocolate chip cookie for breakfast, or wrapped up in parties where the food options just aren’t all that healthy. A whole food based supplement or supplement packet like Essentials can not only fill the gaps but ensure your body is getting the nutrients and gut support it requires on a daily basis. Which in turn, will help keep you functioning at your best.
Essentials features gut-loving probiotics that seed your gut with beneficial bacteria, enzymes that help you break down and assimilate your food, and a rare yet highly nutritious blue-green algae that is loaded with micronutrients, vitamins, minerals, phytopigments, amino acids, essential fatty acids, and more!
- Sneak movement into your daily routine. If time constraints keep you from the gym simply add some extra movement into your day. You can set a reminder on your phone to walk around or do some air squats every hour, take short 10-15 minutes breaks and do a bodyweight HIIT routine, work from a standing desk, or exercise ball instead of your couch or desk chair...there are plenty of options here. All you need to do is set the reminder and do it.
- Stay hydrated. Whether you are shopping all day or trying to beat work deadlines, hydration is important. This makes a world of a difference when it comes to everything from energy levels and cognitive function to your gut health during the stressful season.
- Find healthy holiday recipe alternatives. A delicious Thanksgiving feast can be both delicious and nutritious. So, go ahead, throw out the old recipes loaded with processed sugars, pounds of butter, and prepackaged flavor packets. There are thousands of whole food recipes for everything from stuffing to that apple pie you’ve been looking forward to all year.
Live the #NewEarthLife
As you juggle responsibilities during the holiday season, take the time to give yourself the gift of vitality and wellness with high-quality supplements like Essentials. The packets are travel-friendly and diet flexible. The best part, Essentials comes with a 60-day money-back guarantee.