Greetings 4am Fitness Crew.

The Challenge

We have waited twelve months to return to this magical place – The Holidays. Laughter, tears, hugs - the reconnections, the reconciliations, and the recollections. The added chair. The empty chair. A mystical, magical emotional mix to be embraced unreservedly. 

… and the Festive Feasting. A celebration of the delicious, the scrumptious, the yummy, and the succulent. ‘Tis the season when the saporous and the savory, with minimal effort, breach our (disciplined) dietary barracks with ambrosial seduction.

“How am I supposed to count calories in this aromatic nirvana?” You Don’t! Please take a few deep breaths, relax, live in the moment, and (let us) enjoy this seraphic season of heartwarming enchantment with loving family, friends, and good food - while weaving precious memories.  

As a Fitness and Wellness Coach, I have gifted my clients, family, and friends these seven simple self-care tips (with mantra-like insistence) over twenty-two Holiday Seasons, with much success. Why? Because we all have the right to harmony, wholeness, and well-being during the festive season and beyond.

The Solutions

Tip #1. Do not stress

Joyful season, stressful season: what’s behind the paradox? For me, there are too many social engagements. Suffocating! Additionally, I do not enjoy shopping, and traveling out of town can be a massive headache. However, every one of those negatives also results in immense joy. I absolutely enjoy parties once I have “settled in” – with the night ending with my wife gently pulling me away. While I am not fond of shopping. , nothing beats an appreciative hug from a loved one, and I have never regretted spending an out-of-town Christmas with cherished family and friends. In reality, our Holiday season fears usually don’t come to fruition. 

I am confident you have not forgotten to pack your stress-reduction techniques, including deep breathing, yoga, meditation, exercise, and others. These are powerful tools for managing stress and maintaining your emotional equilibrium. 

Exercise: 4-7-8 Breathing

Benefits: Creates a state of calm, and reduces the effects of stress on the body and mind ¹.

When: Your early morning quiet space, evening before bed, or whenever you are overwhelmed.

How:

• Find a comfortable, quiet place to sit.

• Close your mouth and inhale quietly through your nose for 4 seconds.

• Hold your breath for 7 seconds.

• Exhale audibly through your mouth for 8 seconds.

• Repeat the cycle 3 more times, for a total of 4 breaths.

Note: Initially avoid doing more than 4 breaths at a time, as this may result in lightheadedness.

Tip #2. Maintain your Exercise Routine

With careful planning, you do not have to fall off the fitness wagon. Most hotels have gyms, and many have pools. Plan to spend the holidays with family and friends or even at a vacation home? You will have access to parks, trails, gyms, and swimming pools. Many of these are community-based and are reasonably cost – even for out-of-state residents. 

Exercise: Jogging, cycling, strength training, walking … Just DO IT!

Benefits of Working out During the Holidays²:

• Weight control by burning calories and preventing excess gain or loss.

• Boost your immune system and combat health conditions and diseases.

• Stimulates brain chemicals that make you feel happier and less anxious.

• Boost energy.

• Promotes better sleep.

• Improves your sex life.

• Helps put the “Merry” back in Christmas!

 When: I cherish the early hours,  but you can choose a suitable time.

 The How:

• Do NOT wing it! Be intentional about your exercise routine.

• Create a Holiday fitness plan. Write, type, or use an App.

• Have an accountability system: Journal, fitness buddy, App.

• Set realistic goals. Do not compromise your goals.

Tip #3. Be Part of the Meal (or restaurant selection) Planning

Your mom really loves you and wants you to be happy. She is totally confused with your flexitarian, vegetarian, paleo lifestyle – but she is willing to work with you to ensure that everyone is happy at her Christmas dinner. 

You can send her a recipe or two in advance – perhaps even the ingredients. If you are like me and love to cook, you can join Mom in the kitchen to prepare the Christmas meal. She will be overjoyed. Nothing bonds mother and son like preparing Christmas dinner together. 

The easiest route might be to simply pre-order an entrée or a dish to add to the main course and dessert. I guarantee your meal contributions will turn skeptics (about your unique dietary path) into believers.

The  How: Whether traveling or at home, do not leave meal planning (or restaurant choosing) to chance.  Joining your family in planning holiday menus allows you to steer selections toward lighter, more nutritious choices that align with your dietary preferences and wellness goals. The Holidays demand pre-planning, or you will self-sabotage your best wellness intentions.  

Tip #4. Beware of the Snack Attack

Grazing is my #1 Holiday season wellness challenge. I control my portions, I exercise, I … “Really, I ate the whole can of cocktail peanuts in the first quarter?” Those added calories, along with sugar and salt, tend to pile up quickly, leading to holiday weight gain.

The How: Treat your snacks like your meals and follow the same portion guidelines. You might also want to bring along your preferred healthy snacks, …  snacks with less sugar, and salt, and a much shorter ingredient list.

Tip #5. Portion Moderation

Portion control applies to all dietary preferences. It is unhealthy to mountain pile your plate at serving #2 with tofu turkey, vegan-gluten-free mac & cheese, and lightly stir-fried brown rice. You are no healthier than your mountain-plate pile-high carnivorous siblings. You all are disgustingly greedy! Ok … “We.” 😊

The How:

• Color your plate with festive fruits and veggies – aim for half the plate, and the fiber will result in satiety pretty quickly - while decreasing calories consumed³.

• Listen to your body. Your body has a pretty good “fullness Warning Signal.”

• Eating slowly is (a big part of) healthy eating. Slow down and savor.

Tip #6. Eat a healthy breakfast

One of my Holiday rules is having control over one meal - usually breakfast. My focus for this meal is nutritious fiber-rich foods and meals such as fruits and vegetables, smoothies, oatmeal, and seeds. Flaxseeds, chia, sunflower, and pumpkin seeds are my favorites. I grind them, liberally adding these nutrient-dense super-seeds to my smoothies, crisp granola, and cozy and velvety oatmeal for breakfast. Check “The How” below.

Why fiber? Despite my best efforts (during the festive season), I consume more sugary foods, snack more, and even enjoy fried foods. Please Do not hate on me - I am a work in progress. 

Science has affirmed the nutritional benefits of fiber for those of us who missed the healthy eating mark during the holidays. Some (of the) benefits are a “lower risk of developing coronary heart disease, stroke, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and certain gastrointestinal diseases. Increasing fiber intake lowers blood pressure and serum cholesterol levels. Increased intake of soluble fiber improves glycemia and insulin sensitivity in non-diabetic and diabetic individuals. Fiber supplementation in obese individuals significantly enhances weight loss. Increased fiber intake benefits several gastrointestinal disorders including the following: gastroesophageal reflux disease, duodenal ulcer, diverticulitis, constipation, and hemorrhoids ⁴.”   

The How: Recipes

• So Easy So Healthy Oatmeal Vegan and Gluten-Free Breakfast Recipe.

• Sip Like Santa: 3 Festive Smoothies to Detox, Energize, and Uplift.

• After Holiday Green-Blueberry Smoothie Recipe.

Tip #7. Drink More Water and Less Alcohol

Drinking alcohol is detrimental to your liver – while drinking water is essential to your liver’s detoxification. Your holistic detoxification. Other than the liver negatives, alcohol also appears to open up our appetites, making even “moderate alcohol consumption a risk factor in obesity⁵.”    

Non-alcoholic seasonal drinks can also be disadvantageous to our health – adding copious amounts of sugar, added calories., and holiday weight gain. The good news is that there are many ways to enjoy the sweet and spicy tastes of the season without guilt. You can easily find a variety of low and no-sugar options that are delicious, festive, and compatible with your wellness goals. 

The How:

Drinking eight glasses of water still matters, but there is no definitive scientific consensus on whether this amount is optimal for everyone. While some of us may find eight glasses enough, others may require more or less water. The color of your urine might be a good measurement ⁶:  

• Clear or pale yellow: Well hydrated.

• Dark yellow or amber: In need of water.         

Add lemon to your water for a detox boost. “Lemon Water the Ultimate Mind-Body Wellness Portion.”

The Conclusion

If you have been a little “naughty” and not “nice” with the above seven or have been moderately compromised – ok, all of us – click here for my Bonus Tip, “After Holiday Season Detox Smoothie.”

These seven wellness tips, and the bonus tip, have served me well in attending to my nutritional, fitness, and self-care/emotional balance - my overall wellness goals - while enjoying the laughter and love of the holiday season. 

At 4am Fitness Crew, our Life and Wellness Coaches believe everyone is deserving of abundant emotional, physical, and relationship well-being. No one should have to “settle.” We are here to partner with you on this noblest of journeys – Your EMPOWERING DESERVING Wellness Journey.

Are you ready? Contact us for your FREE consultation, and let us take this first step together. 

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas to our DESERVING 4am Fitness Crew.

References

1. Six Best Breathing Techniques for Anxiety and Stress Relief, US News, Dec.4, 2023.

2. Benefits of Physical Activity, CDC.

3. Building a plan for healthy eating, Harvard Medical School, May 23, 2023.

4. Health benefits of dietary fiber, PubMed ((PMID: 19335713). 

5. Alcohol and food intake, PubMed  (PMID:14557794).

6. Water: How much should you drink every day? Mayo Clinic.

Image Credit

1. wallpapercave.com.

2. Askar Abayex pexels.com.

3. August De Richelieu pexels.com.

4. Matthias Copper pexels.com.

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