By: Laura Dalton
Some of you many think I’m crazy, but I love the holidays. LOVE THEM.
I’m all about eggnog and pumpkin pie, decorating trees, inflatables and lights.
I love to make peanut butter fudge while listening to Harry Connick Jr.’s holiday album.
I make my kids watch Rudolph, A Christmas Story, Elf and Frosty the Snowman – more than once.
Yet, like childbirth, I forget how incredibly tense and short-tempered I get this time of year, blaming my husband, my Dad, the kids, the weather, the lamppost – anyone in firing range, for my stress. What I need is a Mary Poppins size wallet, a full-time maid, 11 more hours in the day, children who behave exquisitely in the mall, a husband who share’s my glee about Santa’s impending arrival, and for calories not to “count” these next six weeks. (Did I mention the maid?)
Since none of the aforementioned wishes have been granted thus-far, I’m forced to look at some more realistic solutions. Remember that stress is extremely unhealthy. Managing your stress through the holidays goes hand-in-hand with staying healthy through the holidays. It’s with a bit of hypocrisy that I give my suggestions for helping maintain your sanity during the holidays:
Create realistic expectations: don’t try to make this the perfect holiday. That means to save your sanity, you need to learn how to say “no” to extra obligations that might add time to that ticking time bomb in your head. “Unfortunately, my calendar is already overbooked. You know how the holidays are!” Say it to yourself over and over whenever you’re alone.
TAKE YOUR VITAMINS! This includes omega 3’s (fish, flax, chia). Vitamin D and B-vitamins (also known as “Stress Vitamins”) can help with natural energy, and omega 3’s help balance mood (yes, husbands, you read that correctly). You need them now more than ever! Looking for EXTRA energy? Try a vitapack, which may have an extra kick of ginseng and guarana (a natural caffeine source) to help keep you alert and your immune system high.
Create a new holiday tradition that builds connections amongst those closest to you. Grab a bunch of friends, some hot cocoa and seek out a neighborhood decked out in lights. Caroling used to be so popular when I was growing up-it is often now reserved for churches or school groups. If you can find one, it will fill your heart more than you could ever imagine!
Set a goal for spending. Ummm…one that you can honestly keep within a certain range, my friends! This is the time of year we can rationalize maxing out our credit cards, telling ourselves, “It’s not for us, it’s for our beloved family and friends.”
To help with #4, tap into your creativity (or in my case, pinterest, since I was born with no creativity gene whatsoever) instead of your wallet and create a gift. I cannot draw a stick person well, but I have been able to create some pretty decent photobooks on shutterfly that the grandparents cherish. Nowadays, it is inexpensive, quick and the template does most of the work for you. Start looking for web coupons now!
Take 2 short 15 minute breaks to let go of tension. If you can go 1 step further and meditate, even better. Those of you with small children may have to do this in the bathroom or on the carpool line-just be mindful not to fall asleep at the wheel.
GRATITUDE and PAYING IT FORWARD works! Buy into it – donate to a charity – national or local. Just has to be a buck or two-or two hundred if you can afford it. Last year, a customer at our North Hills store purchased a smoothie and gave me $$ for two. I told him I didn’t accept tips, and he told me to buy the next customer a smoothie with the money. IT MADE HER DAY! So an hour later, I bought a Panera cookie for an employee who had never had one of their own cookies. There were several customers asking questions and joking with me. All because of a cookie. And it started with a man who bought a stranger a smoothie. Who knows what the smoothie lady did that day…Now for the waistline….
“Visions of sugarplums dance in my head…” Gorging on turkey and all the trimmings are short-terms delights, but come with some depressing repercussions. Before you sneak the tray of cookies to bed and prepare to get your “fat clothes” out of storage, here are a few things to keep in mind.
My gosh, don’t arrive at a holiday party starving! Most folks overeat when they skip meals, and when the next meals’ pickings are going to consist of fat , carbs and alcohol, you are setting yourself up for disaster. Eat something light 2 hours before; offer to bring a dish you like so you can be in charge of how it’s made.
Be a social butterfly! When you’re at a party or gathering, spend time chatting so you don’t feel as compelled to eat.
EAT YOUR FIBER! Found naturally in fruits, veggies and beans, fiber will make you feel full more quickly. Some folks find taking a fiber supplement (psyllium husk, glucomannan) before meals very helpful, because it expands in your stomach, causing you to eat less food. Drink PLENTY of water with it and it will work better. Plus, water helps blood flow to the brain and flushes out fat.
EXERCISE! If you run/walk, sign up for a race (Turkey Trot, Reindeer or Jingle Bell Runs are all over the triangle) to keep you training a bit during these weeks. On the other hand, don’t go overboard and start P90X for the first time 2 days before Thanksgiving, either! Know you have time constraints. Exercise will just help keep those endorphins coming and control appetite.
GARCINIA FOR APPETITE! The supplement, Garcinia Cambogia, has gotten lots of press this past year. This “superfruit” has been around for years and years, but has been recently impressing the scientific community with its promising findings from a study at the Georgetown University Medical Center, where they found that garcinia inhibited the production of fat in the body while retaining muscle mass. Add to it other effects, such as appetite control and mood-boosting, and you’ve got yourself a cocktail everyone is looking to drink!
For most people, THIS REALLY ISN’T THE TIME TO DIET! Trying to maintain your weight can be hard enough.
SLEEP! Less than 6-7 hours of sleep can affect your metabolism. Researchers studied how Leptin, the hormone that tells you to stop eating, decreases when you are sleep deprived. (Lack of sleep, however, may very well be unavoidable on Christmas Eve, so exercise an extra 30min that week to plan for the decreased leptin and extra stocking candy.)
Lastly, this is a time of year to be FORGIVING…of others and YOURSELF. You most likely have A LOT of responsibilities, places to go, lists to check off, and family harmony to maintain. Cut yourself some slack and enjoy the decorations. Life goes back to “normal”, for better of for worse, in a few short weeks….
By Laura & Carter Dalton, owner of GNC Holly Springs
