Usually this time of year, we are inundated with Holiday parties, sweets sitting around the office and outings with friends and family every other night. Unfortunately this year is looking differently with Work From Home orders and social distancing however the cravings for Holiday cheer and treats are still with us!
This time of year is special…we get to celebrate the year (even if we have to look harder for the positives) and share love with our friends and family. So, our first Holiday Health Hack is to enjoy. You don’t need to make unlimited excuses to skip workouts and eat junk, but sometimes missing a workout for a Christmas pancake breakfast and going over your macros one morning to enjoy a fun tradition with your family is just worth it! That includes no guilt or self-punishment afterwards either!
While there are special moments that deserved to be enjoyed freely, there are lots of other moments that we can choose to make better choices for our health and wellness goals. Our second Holiday Health Hack is finding healthier choices and alternatives to swap in recipes and for sweet treats. Using recipes that call for less sugar and less butter (or a healthier substitute) can help you still have fun baking every weekend without losing progress on your goals. Eating sugar leads to craving more sugar, so try to kick the craving by opting for natural sugar sources that provide more nutrients and fiber like fruits!
Our third, and last, Holiday Health Hack (for now!), is to find ways to be stress free! The Holidays can be stressful, this year especially!! Take a moment to sit and breath quietly, stay hydrated, get lots of sleep, and practice any other habits that help you feel calm. It’s also a great time to let go of routines that cause stress like challenging, restrictive diets or unrealistic expectations of workout routines. Take the season to practice intuitive eating (listening to your body for hunger cues and cravings, putting down the fork when you feel 80% full ect) and finding ways to really enjoy your workouts surrounded by people you enjoy being around (distanced…). 