Discover balance and joy this holiday
season by aligning your mind, body, and spirit. If this seems like too much of
a challenge to you, you’re not alone. According to a study from Weight
Watchers, the average American gains around 7-10 lbs. between Thanksgiving and
New Year’s.
The holiday blues and seasonal
affective disorder plague others. Learn what Maude Purcell LCSW, CEAP suggests
to help you outsmart the holiday blues at Beat the Holiday Blues
Are you one of the those people who
have unrealistic expectations of yourself and others or a preconceived notion of how the
holidays should turn out? Has entertaining, party going, gift shopping, and life on
the run become a drudge or thrown you off center? There is help for you.
Here
are 4 ways you may
wander off from a healthy course and 4 remedies to fix them.
Excuse # 1: Everyone strays from their
routine, especially since it’s a stressful and “so much happening” season.
Remedy #1: Talk about feelings as they
come up, rather than stuff feelings with foods, over-spending, or a frenzy of
activity. Limit commitments, holiday events, or preparations to things you
really want to do and only add extra things if they won’t tax your sense of
well-being. Choose to be with the people who matter the most to you and bow out
of situations with people, functions, or customs that have less meaning for
you. If you feel bent out of shape or anxious, meditate or do deep breathing
exercises to bring you back to your center.
Excuse #2: I have no time or energy for
exercise.
Remedy #2: Fit exercise into holiday
activities, by parking your car as far away from stores as possible and use the
stairs instead of escalator or elevator at the mall. When you can, walk to
shops, post office, or food shopping instead of driving. Stretch at your
computer, on line at the bank or farmers’ market, or in bed before you get out
of it in the morning. Include the playground, park, roller or ice skating ring,
biking, skiing, and walking in family fun activities for the holidays. Give
exercise gifts like a spa day or gym membership to yourself or others.
Excuse #3: I’m too pooped to cook. This
excuse may create a dangerous situation, because you’re likely to grab snack or
junk foods instead of real food or overeat in a restaurant. Most foods sold
commercially include ingredients like soy oil (unless it’s organic it’s likely
to be GMO), artificial sweeteners, high sodium, and heavy sauces and dressings.
Remedy # 3: Shop for holiday presents
throughout the year. That way there's no last minute rush. Cook up batches of food
and freeze to use when you’re too tired to whip up something that day. If you
go to a restaurant instead of cooking, make sure to eat smart when you eat out.
Here’s a link to a blog post that will help you do just that. Eat Out Eat Smart
Excuse # 4: I’ll start to diet in
the New Year. In days gone by, I've said this to myself in hopes that it would
postpone the pain I'd feel from disciplining myself to push away from the table
and stop eating unhealthful foods. I also thought
stalling with a start date gave me permission to gobble down that basket of
bread right now. But I did feel the pain, as I patted my middle section and felt
where all that bread went. That’s not all. The day after a holiday party and
three cups of Eggnog, I felt bloated, unattractive, lethargic, and cranky from
sugar and simple carb overload.
Remedy # 4: Change your mindset to
change your behavior around food. Look at what you eat, when you eat, why you
eat, and perhaps you’ll conclude that prevention is more effective than cure.
Researchers have found that it’s advantageous to make a lifestyle change the
minute you realize you need to clean up your food eating act. You won’t have
regrets for maintaining a bad habit or guilt from procrastinating. I have
noticed when my awareness level and motivation is at a peak, the momentum
keeps me going longer and stronger. Be gentle with yourself if you have a food
slip, but start anew to notice what foods you crave or gorge on. Ask yourself when, where, and under what circumstances do you eat unhealthily? Set a health improvement goal rather than weight loss
or gain. This way you can be a winner over and over again.
Here are 2 Websites
that address emotional eating...
Keep in mind the
winter holiday season coincides with cold and flu season. That’s why it's
important to ward off illness and energy drain by eating nourishing foods and filling
yourself up with the love, peace, brotherhood, and light that Hanukkah,
Christmas, and Kwanzaa holidays convey.
Be well. Live well.
Lead a colorful life. Happy Holidays Everyone!
The
quotation for today comes from Geneen Roth, Author of Women, Food, and God:
An Unexpected Path to Almost Everything. “Freedom from obsession is not about something
you do; it's about knowing who you are. It's about recognizing what sustains
you and what exhausts you. What you love and what you think you love because
you believe you can't have it.”
Don't forget to order a copy or two of my woman's self-care journal,
Colors of Joy: A Woman's Guide for Self-Discovery, Balance, and Bliss. It offers many tips and ideas to help women readers feel a greater sense of well-being and joy in daily living.
Colors of Joy on My Website
This post has been shared at Special
Holiday Edition: Celebrate the Season at the Healthy, Happy, Green and Natural
Party Blog Hop 2014.
