My 8 Secrets To Holiday Health

8 Things I Do Over the Holidays To Better Health

Although Christmas is a magical time of year, I also find that it can be a very stressful and unhealthy time of year. In addition to our already busy lives, this time of year is compounded by the “busyness” of the season. This time of year results in additional shopping, buying gifts for family, visiting friends, going to more parties while still working and carrying on our regular lives. This leads to the added stress for many of us this time of year.

Don’t “Throw In The Towel”

In addition to the added stresses of this time of year, I also find that we generally get less sleep,  get tempted by more opportunities to eat unhealthily, and exercise falls off. I find that once people fall off track this time of year, they surrender or “throw in the towel” and once they go off track, they don’t do anything to try to get back on track. As I have said in past blogs, anything you do in a day that is healthy will take you towards a healthier result.

How About No New Years Resolutions This Year?

 I find many people accept the fact that they are off track and therefore don’t even try to engage in any healthy behaviours with the thought that they will get healthy in the New Year. This is why so many people set New Years Resolutions as they need to get healthy and get back on track. Wouldn’t it be nice if this year, you don’t need to set New Year’s resolutions as you have incorporated behaviours that have allowed you to live the “80% Rule (living healthy 80% of the time)? If you missed this blog on the 80% Rule, you can access it here:http://kevinbradyhealth.ca/the-80-rule-towards-balanced-health/

What to Do – Reset

First, let me say that by no means am I close to perfect this time of year. My goal is to try to at least live as healthy as I can.  I manage to go “off track” like anyone does however instead of surrendering and continuing those unhealthy temptations, I do a  “reset” and try to get back on track as quickly as I can. 

Here are the 8 things that I try to practice this time of year as much as possible that allows me to get through this fantastic time of year relatively healthy.

1.Breath

I find this time of year can be very stressful with all the demands of the season. One of the things I try to do many times during the day is take 5-10 deep long breaths with a 5 second inhale and exhale. I find that right away this helps the parasympathetic nervous system and reduces stress immediately. I often find it beneficial to do some deep breathing prior to falling asleep as I find it relaxes me and allows me to have a deep restful sleep.

2. Eat Healthy When Able

 I am tempted as much as anyone else when it comes to the food, drinks and treats this time of year. However, when I am not in those tempting situations, I try to eat as healthy as possible. This means I engage in my typical diet which is mainly plant based (vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, seeds, legumes and healthy fats). This time of year in particular, when I am not in those temping situations, I even go overboard on ensuring I get the right foods in my system the rest of the time. 

3. Exercise

I find that one of the first things to go by the wayside this time of year is exercise. This is largely due to how busy we are and also the fact that we rationalize that we will get back to working out in the gym in the New Year. What I try to do is continue on with my exercise even if it isn’t at my typical levels. I find that exercise is a great stress reliever at any time but in particular this time of year. The key is to keep up your exercise even if is less often or not as long. Remember, something is better than nothing.

4. Water Water Water

This time of year it is really important to stay well hydrated. This is because many of our activities this time of year (flying, alcohol, high sodium foods) lead to us being dehydrated. It is important to go overboard on water intake this time of year in order to offset this dehydration. In addition, water helps to detoxify the system and help our system rid itself of toxins. 

5. Sleep is King

This time of year, I find one of the other things that occurs is we  don’t get as much or as good quality sleep as the rest of the year. One of the things I do is track my sleep every night and in particular, this time of year I try to ensure I am keeping as close to my normal sleep patters as possible. We all know how great we feel after a good restful nights sleep and that is what my goal is. Of course, this doesn’t happen every night however when able I attempt to get to bed at a decent hour so I can try to get 7-8 hours of quality sleep. This is even more important at this time of year as good sleep is also a great stress reducer. 

6. Smart Drinking

As we know, this time of year is marked with many parties, family gatherings and festivities that involve alcohol. A few things that I personally try to do to counteract this behaviour is drink as much water as possible prior to going out to a party to ensure I stay well hydrated. I personally try to limit my alcohol consumption to beer and wine (not hard liquor) as I find I it easier to monitor my consumption and as well wake up feeling  “ok” the next day. Although I know the best way to avoid feeling this way is to avoid alcohol altogether however this time of year that can be difficult. 

7. The Morning Routine

For my regular blog readers, you know that I try to start each day with a detoxifying warm filtered lemon water and also have The Morning Shake. This time of year it is even more important as I want to ensure that I detoxify my body while also flooding my system with anti inflammatory and alkalinizing sources of fruits and vegetables. Therefore even with this busy time of year, I feel it is even more important to stick to my morning routine. To find out more on my morning secrets to a great day, you can access it here:http://kevinbradyhealth.ca/8-morning-secrets-to-a-great-day/ ‎

8. Get Outside

This time of year, people tend to avoid the outdoors due to the cooler and inclement weather. I find that being close to nature is a great stress relieve and good for the soul. Therefore, I think it is even more important this time of year with the shorter days to try to get outside. This could entail going for a walk, hike, ski or even a snowshoe. I try to do any exercise I can outside when I am able this time of year as I find nothing better than being close to nature.

Have fun and try to be healthy

As I mentioned earlier, this is one of my favourite times of year and is magical in many ways. It is a great way to reconnect with friends, be social and have amazing family times together. My goal this time of year is to enjoy the season to the fullest while still trying to remain as healthy as I can. Hopefully, this blog has helped you in some way and remember, any healthy behaviours you engage in are bringing you closer to better health.

To summarize, I encourage you to incorporate the following 8 “Hacks” to your best health this holiday season:

1. Deep Breath

2. Eat Healthy 

3. Exercise 

4. Hydrate through Water

5. Get ample sleep

6. Drink Smart 

7. Start the day with lemon water and The Morning Shake

8. Spend time outside

I personally wish you and your family all the best over the holiday season. I also wish you and your family a Happy, Very Healthy and Stress free 2019.

Kev