Christmas time brings so many fun times and ways where you may have added opportunities to either practice self control or a few extra 'lbs' to the scale. Between cookie exchanges, work parties, holiday gatherings, and even the “one more drink” while listening to Christmas music with friends, these festivities can make you want to not jump on that scale all month long! I totally get it and there are ways to maneuver the enjoyment while also watching the calories and celebrating a joyful morning!
Here are the top 5 things to practice to survive the Christmas and holiday season.
1- Surviving Christmas Season with Great Nutritional Intake–Macronutrients
First and foremost, check out your nutritional intake. Where are you consuming your macro and micronutrients? Macronutrients are the proteins, fats, and carbohydrates whereas micronutrients are all the vitamins and minerals that your body needs to fully maintain proper function. These are literally the nutrients that keep your heart beating & your cells being the powerhouse that they are (think energy). Knowing your protein needs are critical to feeling satiated or full. For a deeper dive on your macronutrients, check out my posts on protein, fats and sugar. Ideally you want to fuel your body with protein regularly throughout the day to achieve your daily needs. Some have three meals a day, others have two meals with 2-3 snacks, for those weight lifters and high intensity exercise/elite athletes, your protein and calories may be much higher and holiday festivities are joyfully celebrated (and your physic the envy of most–-but seriously, keep up the good work!!!). If you need help understanding what your nutritional needs are, schedule a quick consult with me and I can assess your needs while also helping identify areas of focus.
2 - Surviving Christmas Season with Great Nutritional Intake-Micronutrients
Okay…micronutrients are so very important. As mentioned above, these nutrients, e.g. B vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin K, magnesium, calcium, sodium, and so forth, are critical for the proper function on a cellular level. You may not see the reward but oh boy…you feel it! There is a reason when eating, combining a salad, vegetables, and fruits with protein is necessary for your macronutrient intake…these nutrients help not only absorb the protein, but they complete the meal for your body to truly function properly. Meaning, all these nutrients that you find in fruits, vegetables, and even vitamins and electrolytes are necessary for living and functioning. If you extract just protein and consumed that solely…your body would eventually shut down. So, having fruit and vegetables are a big part of the equation to any meal and snack.
For all my clients and family, I always will recommend some type of supplement because our food supply just isn’t what it used to be. The soil the food is grown in, is really depleted of nutrients and this eventually leads to depleted produce and animals (because our meat supply eats plants which are grown from depleted soil). Sure, if you are growing and using compost to your soil and/or know the farmers, this may not be the reality. But, even organic produce has less nutrients than it did 20 years ago…so let that sink in and check out other areas where you may be able to start including more nutrients into your daily routine. I’m actually creating a package where I assess your nutritional requirements which includes your nutritional needs calculation, recommended labs and routine supplements. However, since it’s Christmas time and making life a little more joyful (especially waking up), here’s a quick pro tip…have an electrolyte before bedtime. Here’s my go-to…Redmond Re-Lyte.
3 - Surviving Christmas Season with Conservative Alcohol Consumption
Oh, alcohol and I have a love-hate relationship. I enjoy having a beverage (or two 😉) at the end of a long day as it helps set my evening up for a relaxing one and/or is fun to share with friends and family in celebrations…but, the body and brain don’t love it. 😑 There are many reasons why drinking is frowned upon in science, it messes with the gut barrier by damaging the intestinal mucosa, interfering with the tight junctions which can lead to gut dysbiosis, and in turn, causes further disruptions such as IBS, IBD, anxiety, and so forth. There definitely is a series of downward cascading steps that can really mess with the body (especially the gut and more systems). I’m not going to be on a soap box of telling you not to drink this festive season (I’ll save that for January….ahem…dry January 😆). But, during this month it is super easy to get into the spirit of the moment and have a few extra beverages that may wreck havoc on your body, especially in the morning, and with long-term consumption. So, some tips to keep in mind when you decide to either have another alcoholic beverage or pause and enjoy a cup of tea, yummy filtered water. Check below for the USDA's Current Alcoholic Guidelines.
Ideally limit alcohol intake: For men - 2 or less drinks a day and for women - 1 or less drinks a day
Binge drinking = 5 or more drinks within 2 hours for men or 4 drinks for women.
Heavy or chronic drinking = For men - more than 4 drinks a day, or more than 14 drinks a week and for women 3 drinks a day or more than 7 drinks a week.
Enjoy your meals and/or appetizers or snacks WITH alcohol because food slows down alcohol absorption by staying in your stomach a little longer, therefore taking longer to enter your small intestine and then bloodstream. There is also some protection to your gut lining by having food slow down the process of over stimulating the gut.
Red wine has been shown to have some positive effect on the bacteria already in your gut microbiome.
You can also enjoy a lovely capsule or two of probiotics while you are drinking red wine! These are my favorite two probiotics, Essential Stacks Smart Probiotics and Pure S Boulardii! And if you purchase from their website, you can use the promo code richelle10 for 10%, with no affiliate links.
If you reach for the ibuprofen in the AM, try the electrolyte instead and another capsule of probiotics. If you still feel horrible a few hours later…maybe the night will bring a yummy tea to your evening instead 😄.
4- Surviving Christmas Season with Nature, Go for a Walk
Being in nature does SO much for the body and mind. In the PNW, it’s a little easier to be in the forest or at least smell some evergreens, but at this time of year, if you have a live evergreen tree, wreath, garland, etc. you can still benefit from the lovely aroma that they provide. These greens actually are known to boost the serotonin or good mood feelings simply by smelling them as well as boosting natural killer immune cells or NK cells by smelling these “aromatic volatile substances!” These aromatic substances are also the amazing “tree smells…sometimes called phytoncides. These are the turpenes, pinenes, limonenes and other essential oils emitted by evergreens and many other trees. Scientists have identified over a hundred of these phytoncides in the Japanese countryside, and virtually none in city air that’s not directly above a park.” Check out Japan’s Forest Therapy or shinrin-yoku (森林浴) in Japanese for additional ways you can seek an alternative to healing the body through nature. But, if you are outside, you are also getting fresh air to help reinvigorate your body and mind. Sunshine, which depending on your location, you may also be receiving some vitamin D, regardless, being outside, breathing the fresh air, and connecting with the sunshine definitely helps your body connect to these natural elements and your circadian rhythm.
5 - Surviving Christmas Season with Giving the Gift of Gratitude
Yeah, I know, it’s a little quiche, but hear me out…we all have love languages and some may be much stronger than others…but in this VERY commercialized and material world (cue Madonna here), harness the act of giving…thanks. Change your 'tude' (common phrase I tell my kids), and say thank you to at least 1 if not 10 people each day. Look into the person’s eyes and say, “thank you” and you can always expand on what you are specifically saying thanks to. For example:
Barista at the coffee shop, “Thank you for making this drink so beautiful and tasty. I can always count on you to make it just the way I like it and I appreciate you working here. It really makes my day and I’ll be thinking of you and your sweet smile every time I take a sip.”
Teller at the grocery store, “Thank you for scanning all my groceries and bagging them so nicely. I really enjoy the detail you are taking to make sure all my goods are in order, it makes this process of my meal so fun and the start to a delicious dinner I can share with my family and friends. I especially like how you help me if I miss a deal or there is a broken egg. It’s always a pleasure to see you when I need to check out.”
Parent at the school, “Thank you for being present at school. You have shown me ways I can be a better parent with my child and I just love the way you interact with your sweet kid. It makes being at school so much more enjoyable seeing the love others have with their child/children.”
Coworker, “Thank you for showing up and being someone I can depend on, even if I don’t ask. It is so nice to know that if I need anything, I can turn to you and be able to ask you for help even if it is seeing your lovely smile.”
Spouse, “Thank you for supporting me and loving me even when I am a mess. I often struggle with making it through the day and I feel so blessed to have you by my side in the good times and bad, and it makes the struggle just easier. I may forget to tell you thank you, but I am so very grateful that you love me and that I can just be me. I love you!”
Parent, “Thank you for all your sacrifices that have been done for me which is consistent even today. You made sure I was fed, loved, and taken care of. You gave me more than I needed and I probably never said thank you nearly enough, but I want you to know that I am grateful that I had you as a parent. You taught me how to be who I am today and I am so honored to have you as a role model. Thank you, I love you!”
Of course, you can totally add more details and specific reasons why you are grateful to any and all those in your life…but just some ideas to get the juices flowing! Telling 'thank you' to others really is powerful not just to the one receiving the praise, but in giving them. The connection may be quick or deep, and the effect of the gesture can truly change the day for the betterment of everyone involved!
So to recap, here are some 5 tips for surviving this season and enjoying some holiday magic. Eat your meals, add some fruits and vegetables, enjoy electrolytes daily, be mindful of the alcohol intake, enjoy a walk, and don't be a scrooge…say thank you to all those around.
Need a Health Consult this Season?
If you need some help with these or other ways to add some health to your day, please reach out to me, I’d love to help you achieve your goals. Merry Christmas!
The tools, resources and information do not provide medical advice. It is intended for informational purposes only, not advice or guarantee of outcome. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Never ignore professional medical advice in seeking treatment because of something you have read on Health-Crush Website or the links connected to the website, downloaded resources and/or educational material, or misinterpreted the information/context/educational sessions. If you think you may have a medical emergency, immediately call your doctor or dial 911. Health Crush and its members are not responsible for errors and omissions in reporting or explanation. No individuals, including those under our active care, should use the information, resources or tools contained within to self-diagnosis or self-treat any health-related condition. Health Crush gives no assurance or warranty regarding the accuracy, timeliness or applicability or the content.
References:
Chen G, Shi F, Yin W, Guo Y, Liu A, Shuai J, Sun J. Gut microbiota dysbiosis: The potential mechanisms by which alcohol disrupts gut and brain functions. Front Microbiol. 2022 Jul 29;13:916765. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.916765. PMID: 35966709; PMCID: PMC9372561.
Bishehsari F, Magno E, Swanson G, Desai V, Voigt RM, Forsyth CB, Keshavarzian A. Alcohol and Gut-Derived Inflammation. Alcohol Res. 2017;38(2):163-171. PMID: 28988571; PMCID: PMC5513683.
Ames NJ, Barb JJ, Schuebel K, Mudra S, Meeks BK, Tuason RTS, Brooks AT, Kazmi N, Yang S, Ratteree K, Diazgranados N, Krumlauf M, Wallen GR, Goldman D. Longitudinal gut microbiome changes in alcohol use disorder are influenced by abstinence and drinking quantity. Gut Microbes. 2020 Nov 1;11(6):1608-1631. doi: 10.1080/19490976.2020.1758010. PMID: 32615913; PMCID: PMC7527072.
Qing Li. “Effect of Forest Bathing Trips on Human Immune Function,” Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine, vol. 15, no. | (2010): pp. 9-17
Yoshifumi Miyazaki, “Science of Nature Therapy,” p. 8, http:/www.fc.chibau.jp/research/miyazaki/assets/images/natural%20therapy(07.06)_e.pdf, accessed June 2015.
As Miyazaki explained it: See Yoshifumi Miyazaki, “Science of Nature Therapy” (above) and Juyoung Lee et al., “Nature Therapy and Preventive Medicine,” in Public Health—Social and Behavioral Health, ed. Jay Maddock (Rijeka, Croatia: InTech, 2012); and Miyazaki et al. “Preventive Medical Effects of Nature Therapy,” Nihon eiseigaku zasshi/Japanese Journal of Hygiene, vol. 66, no. 4 (2011): pp. 65156.
Qing Li et al., “Effect of Phytoncide from Trees on Human Natural Killer Cell Function.” International Journal of Immunopathology and Pharmacology, vol. 22, no. 4 (2009): pp. 951-59.
Williams, Florence, 1967- author. The Nature Fix : Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative. New York, NY :W.W. Norton & Company, 2017.
https://www.kanpai-japan.com/yoshino-forest-therapy-nara-shinrin-yoku
Yorumlar