Warning! Holidays Ahead.
Thanksgiving is next week and kicks off the holiday season. And while I love the holidays, they often mean overindulging in food and drink, more stress from family togetherness, disrupted sleep due to travel and late nights, eating later than usual, hosting guests, and more social obligations. All of this has me asking, “How do I navigate the next 6 weeks so that I get to January 1st without extra pounds, feeling bloated, exhausted, and in need of a vacation?”
I am guessing this might resonate with you too and so I pulled together a few thoughts and strategies which might be helpful. I also share some information on cravings which I learned about while participating in BeingBrigid’s 10-Day Blood Sugar Reset program. I wanted to include this information as understanding what drives cravings might help you meet your healthy eating goals over the holidays.
Lastly, please email me at karyn@holos50.com to share any strategies or tips you use!
Survival Strategies
Don’t give in to FOMO by overcommitting to social or family obligations. If you try and do it all, you will crash! This year as I consider commitments, I am going to pause before saying yes and sticking it in my calendar. Reasons to say yes: spending time with good friends, sharing a great experience with my kids, and supporting my husband at work. Otherwise, I will probably say no and try to remember my time is a precious commodity!
Look at your to-do list. Ask yourself, “What doesn’t need to be done between now and the end of the year?” “What can be delegated?” “What can be pushed to January (or maybe never)?” I have 2 small projects that ideally would have been done by now…they are not. Instead, I am pushing them off to January. And once again, I think the Flynn family is passing on sending out a holiday card.
Take your vitamin D! It helps support your immune system and helps protect against anxiety and stress.
Don’t undermine your self-control when it comes to eating well, as we only have a limited amount of willpower.
Don’t go to a party hungry. Have a small snack with some protein before you head out.
Balance your meals: protein, fat, carbohydrates, fiber.
Don’t skip meals.
Don’t stand next to the food table or bar…you will eat and drink less!
Stay hydrated. Being hungry can be mistaken for being thirsty.
Don’t keep junk food or sweets in the house.
Have a glass of water as your first drink and in between drinks. And if you overindulge, try the Anytime Your Drink vitamin. I swear they work!
Don’t give up on sleep and exercise.
If you are asked to bring something to a party, volunteer to bring an appetizer (crab salad in endive), a salad (spinach pomegranate salad), or a veggie side dish (savory delicata squash). Bring something healthy to ensure you will have something delicious to eat.
Keep your stress levels in check. Spend a few minutes considering what is stressful for you about the holidays. Then think about how you might mitigate these situations in advance. And you can always try 1-2 minutes of box breathing in an emergency.
Don’t forget about selfcare. The greatest gift you can give others is a relaxed, calm, happy version of yourself. This might mean scheduling some down time. What are the things which make you feel relaxed? Is it a 20 minute nap on the weekend, getting your nails done (I love this as I always tack on a 10 minute shoulder massage – best $10 ever), or getting out for a walk with a friend? Whatever it is, schedule it into your calendar now and make it non-negotiable!
And if you are hosting, remember it doesn’t have to be perfect, and you don’t have to do it all yourself😊
Rally the troops for a post-prandial walk after your Thanksgiving or holiday meal. It will help keep your blood sugar under control and therefore your mood more stable. In addition, the faster food moves from your stomach into the small intestine, the less likely you are to experience bloating, gas, acid reflux, or constipation. Plus, it sneaks in a little exercise or if you go by yourself, you will get a little peace and quiet.
Something Else to Consider, Cravings
All the thoughts above on eating well are fine but eating well in general and around the holidays can often mean not giving into cravings. As I mentioned above, I am finishing up BeingBrigid’s 10 day Blood Sugar Reset program, and one of the things I learned which I found most interesting is what causes cravings.
On a side note, this program has been informative, easy to follow, and I have had stable, consistent energy throughout my day with NO cravings! I highly recommend signing up for her newsletter in order to get notified the next time the Blood Sugar Reset is offered. While the program is free while it runs, you can purchase it after the fact for $59.
6 Causes Cravings of Cravings:
1. Blood sugar imbalances. Imbalances in blood sugar alter your hunger hormones and can make you feel like you have no control. Eating sugar causes you to crave even more sugar.
2. Changes in your gut microbiome and gut microbiome imbalances. Different bacteria can cause you to crave certain foods as bad bacteria thrive on a high sugar diet. Stool tests are the best way to check on the health of your gut.
3. Your relationship with food. Having an all or nothing mindset about what food you can or cannot eat can work against you. A healthy, non-judgmental approach to food can help stave off cravings.
4. Nutrient deficiencies. These are a common cause of ongoing cravings. This is one reason why you need to focus on a whole foods diet which incorporates a variety of foods.
5. Stress. Imbalances in cortisol levels may make you feel you need to eat something to calm yourself down. Stress can also increase blood sugar imbalances.
6. Poor sleep. Research has proven that not getting enough sleep or poor quality sleep will negatively impact hunger and appetite hormones. See here for tips on getting a good night of sleep.
Parting Thought
Last week I had the privilege of being interviewed on Pivot on Purpose with Anne Pillsbury. It was a fun conversation about how career pivots can be part of living a fulfilling and impactful life on one’s own terms. You can find the interview here, In addition, Ann has a great resource called 10 Clues To Clarify Your Pivot On Purpose which you can find here .
I hope you have a wonderful start to the holidays next week as our country celebrates Thanksgiving. Holos will be taking a holiday next week, but I will be back the following week. Thank you for subscribing and being a part of the Holos community.
To be continued…
