Enjoy the Season, Guilt Free - Part II
I believe in enjoying life and experiencing all it has to offer, I want to be able to eat some of those wonderful calorie packed treats and enjoy my holiday meal without guilt or regret. The trick is to balance it out. Eat healthy, whole foods most of the time. When it comes time to splurge, do it on dishes that really are worth it to you and enjoy those thoroughly and without regret. The stress that regret puts on your body is worse than the splurge!!
Exercise, or just plain movement, is really important as well. Exercise is not just good for the body, but also for the brain. And during the hectic holidays filled with stress, exercise is your friend for stress relief. Try to maintain your usual exercise regime, but if you can’t fit in your usual exercise routing, modify and use any opportunity you have to get in a few extra steps.
If you have a desk job, make an effort to stand up every 30 minutes, shake your body out, stretch and breathe deeply. Ttry adding a few squats by simply sitting and standing from your chair 10-15 times. This will work your leg muscles, circulate your blood, and raise your heart rate slightly. Get a little creative to add movement to your day. Stand up each time the phone rings, tighten your abdominal muscles every time you hit a red light, do 10 push-ups while watching the evening news, ALWAYS take the stairs, park in the furthest parking place, walk faster and further everywhere, or do some calf raises in the shower. See how creative you can be at sneaking in extra movement.
So eat, drink and be merry, but not too much! Enjoy the holidays now, if you fall victim to the season’s delights, there are always those New Year’s Resolutions to make later. Remember the spirit of the holidays is family and faith, not food and fat. So try not to add too much stress to your life during this busy time and keep your body moving. Happy Holidays!
