2Inspire Health & Fitness Magazine #4 - November 2020

Happy, Healthy Holidays How Exercise Can Help Beat the “Winter Blues”

10 Ways To Keep Holiday Stress At Bay

Indoor Workout Alternatives for When It’s Just Too Cold to Go Outside

Beware of Liquid Calories to Avoid Weight Gain

2Inspirenutrition.com November 2020 FREE

INSIDE THIS MONTH’S ISSUE Happy, Healthy Holidays- pg. 3 Indoor Workout Alternatives for When It’s Just Too Cold to Go Outside- pg. 12 Beware of Liquid Calories to Avoid Weight Gain- pg. 14 10 Ways To Keep Holiday Stress At Bay pg.15 How Exercise Can Help Beat the “Winter Blues” - pg. 19

2

Happy, Healthy Holidays

Simple Ways to Prevent Holiday Weight Gain (but Still Have Fun!)

3

The holidays are tough for a number of reasons.

They can be stressful.

Many people travel for the holidays, and travel is almost always full of challenges, especially during the holiday season.

There are family issues, money concerns, and the endless amount of expectation from family, friends, and employers.

It’s enough to make many people want to hide from enough to move you up the month of December. an entire size in clothing and certainly enough to But it’s also a wonderful make your current clothes time when you can feel uncomfortable. choose to focus on love, family, gratitude, and The goal of this report is giving. to help you navigate this holiday season without Regardless of how you worrying so much about approach the holidays, one common challenge is gaining weight. The 31 tips provided, enough for a tip to maintain your weight.

The average person gains a day, will help you enjoy the season and great food eight pounds during the without feeling deprived, holiday season. That’s

worrying about weight gain, or letting holiday triggers get in the way of your weight management goals.

1. Eat Before You Party Before you head to a party or gathering, have a meal.

Make sure it’s a healthy meal. There are bound to be tempting treats at the party, and things that you simply should not eat. If

you arrive at a party with an empty stomach, it’s also quite easy to overeat.

And when you’re hungry it’s also difficult to avoid eating the rich, sugary, and fattening foods.

3. Veggies First, When Hitting the Appetizers or Party Food

Once you’re almost full of The goal is to maintain or healthy stuff, you might go even possibly lose weight back for one or two small during the holidays. treats.

The good news is that 4. Keep Track of What there are many delicious You’re Eating cocktails that don’t have to go straight to your It’s easy to lose track waistline. So skip the of how much you’ve eggnog and drink a vodka consumed, especially and pomegranate juice or when you’re laughing, mix together Prosecco and talking, and having fun raspberry sorbet. Enjoy with friends, family, and/ your cocktail and your or co-workers. One trip to plate of healthy food and the buffet or the appetizer stay looking and feeling table can lead to two or great all season long. three.

And if you just can’t Pay attention to how celebrate the holidays much you’re eating. Be without eggnog, here’s a conscious of it. If it helps, low fat low calorie recipe: and some people find that it does, track what you • 4 cups skim milk eat using a food journal.

• 1⁄2-1 cup Egg Beaters You can grab a pen and egg substitute notebook or you can use • 1⁄4 cup Splenda a mobile application; granular whatever works best for • 3 Tbsp. sugar-free you. instant vanilla pudding mix 5. Steer Clear of the High • 2 tsp vanilla extract Calorie Cocktails

Okay, you’re walking up to the table of party food. You see stuffed mushrooms, bacon wrapped dates, dips, chips, and enough sweets to make Willy Wonka’s teeth hurt. What do you fill up on first? Veggies. Enjoy the veggies, fruits, and any whole grain appetizers.

You may or may not be surprised to learn that many cocktails contain hundreds of calories.

Couple that cocktail, or two, with a plate of food and you may be consuming your day’s calories in one party. It’s a fast way to gaining weight, and that’s not the goal.

2. Carry Healthy Snacks to Avoid Temptation at Work The holiday workplace can be riddled with snacks, parties, and temptations.

It is much easier to avoid those temptations, or to at least minimize them, if you have your own stash of yummy and healthy snacks. Consider making your own meal bars, taking yogurt, or snack mix with a little dark chocolate.

Guacamole or hummus, for example, is something that you can enjoy without guilt.

4

• 1⁄2 tsp rum extract • 1⁄2 tsp brandy extract • 1⁄2 tsp ground nutmeg • Blend it all together and serve with a sprinkle of nutmeg on top.

Serves 10.

5

against anything so you can eat and eat. When you go out to holiday parties and events, consider wearing something a little more form-fitting.

Choose something that 6. Add Some Extra doesn’t allow you to go Activity to Your Day to the buffet three times.

A belt is another option.

Exercising or moving your You can belt a dress or body a little bit more wear pants with a belt. each day can accomplish Just don’t let the belt several things. One, it can out so that you can get help you feel focused on another plate. Conforming, staying healthy and it may fitting clothing will help give you more energy, you control yourself at which can strengthen mealtime and events so your resolve and ability to that you’re not tempted to avoid junk food during the indulge too much. holidays.

8. Chew Gum Two, it also gives you a little wiggle room in case Gum chewing can keep you do consume more your breath fresh. It can than you allotted for the also keep your mouth day. For example, if you busy and your taste buds burn an extra 100 calories happy so that you’re not a day, that’s 700 calories of tempted to eat more wiggle room for the week. than you should. If you’re On Saturday, you can eyeing the pastry table enjoy one more cookie at work, pop a piece of without feeling any guilt your favorite gum in your or worry. mouth instead and walk away. It really works.

7. Wear A Belt 9. Socialize Away from Consider how you feel The Buffet when you wear loose fitting clothing or pants Why do all parties end up with an elastic waist. in the kitchen or near the Anything goes, right? You food table? Well, because don’t have to worry about that’s where the food is. a full stomach pressing Be a leader and move the

crowd to a sitting room and away from the buffet.

When you socialize away from the buffet or spread, you’re able to focus on conversations and festivities instead of the food. And if the food isn’t in your line of sight, then it’s less likely to be on your mind.

10. Don’t Eat It Unless You Love It. This rule really should apply to life in general.

Don’t buy it unless you love it. Don’t do it unless you love it, and so on.

However, we’re talking about food and weight management so the tip is simple – don’t eat the food unless it’s something that you truly enjoy. So often we overeat, but half of the foods that we put into our body aren’t only not good for us, they don’t really taste that great. Evaluate your food. Is it worth consuming? Do you love it? If not, skip it.

11. Don’t Skip Meals Anytime you let your body get too hungry, your blood sugar may drop, cravings may ensue and then you’re more likely to end up consuming junk foods – foods that are high in fat, calories, and

sugar. Prevent this from happening.

First, don’t skip meals.

Eat when you normally eat or, better yet, when you begin to feel signs of hunger. Sometimes those signs can be subtle.

Stomach growling is usually a later sign of hunger. Start paying attention to your body and when you begin to feel them, enjoy something healthy and good for you.

12. Plan Ahead A little planning goes a long way. And let’s face it; you rarely get surprised by a holiday party. You usually know when they’re going to happen and they’re on your calendar. So you have enough time to plan ahead.

6

For example, if you have a party after work, have a lighter calorie lunch so that you have a little more wiggle room at the party, where there will certainly be high calorie foods. This way you don’t starve yourself, you don’t overeat, and you can still enjoy the party, the food, and the fun. Here’s the key for making this tip work: Make sure that you eat enough so that you don’t arrive at the party starving.

It’s about satisfying lowcalorie foods.

a meal, and want to enjoy the meal without guilt or worry, then skip 13. Sparkling Water Is the appetizers. Enjoy a Festive and Calorie Free nice cocktail or a glass of sparkling water and If you love a little sparkle the conversation and during the holiday season people you’re with. If you – and who doesn’t – try feel pressured to have sparkling water. It’s calorie- appetizers, then focus on free, bubbly, and a great the vegetables and the beverage to consume healthier options and eat between cocktails or just a few bites. before a meal.

15. Practice Willpower Water helps you feel fuller, and sparkling water comes Willpower is actually in a number of tasty something that you can flavors. There’s cranberry, strengthen. It’s like a berry, citrus and even good habit, and the more mango and other tropical you practice the habit, flavors. You won’t feel like the easier it is. Begin you’re being deprived practicing willpower right when you enjoy a glass or now before the holidays two of sparkling water. get here. Avoid tempting

foods that you know you 14. Skip The Appetizers really shouldn’t have. Resist If You’re Eating a Meal overindulging and get to the gym more often.

Appetizers are usually packed with calories Your willpower practice and fat. If you’re eating can extend to other areas

of your life too. Think about where you can improve and start applying this habit. When the holiday party season rolls around, your willpower will be so strong no one and nothing will be able to break you.

7

comparing the same daily weight.

Another tip: We tend to weigh the least in the morning after we’ve gone to the bathroom and before we eat.

prosciutto wrapped melon or a meatball. You’ll get more nutrients from the food and fewer calories.

19. Steer Clear of the Sauces

Cheese sauce, Alfredo 17. Exercise First Thing sauce, and rich gravies 16. Weigh Yourself More in The Morning are heavy. They have a lot Often of fat and calories. Steer Experts have shown that clear of them. There are Knowledge is power, people who exercise first many sauces that are right? If you want to work thing in the morning much healthier to add to to maintain your weight tend to work out harder; your holiday menu, and during the holiday season therefore they burn more they won’t cause you to then you have to know calories. You will also find gain unwanted weight. what you’re working that taking great care Consider chimichurri with and how you’re of yourself and being sauce, pesto sauce, or doing. The only real way proactive with your health even hollandaise sauce to accomplish that is to and fitness sets the tone is lower in calories than a weigh yourself. This is a bit for the day. You’ll feel more cheese sauce. of a balancing act because confident and able to you also don’t want to ignore the pastry table at 20. Scrutinize The Dips become obsessed with work, the eggnog at lunch, every pound. If you gain a and the bowl of candy at Earlier we mentioned pound on Friday, you may the front desk. On top of eating veggies at the very well lose that same that, it’s a great habit and holiday food table, and pound on Monday. a simple way to make sure focusing on those for your you exercise every day. appetizers instead of fatHowever, a daily weight heavy options. Many times can help you stay on 18. Avoid The Carbs these veggies come with track. Here’s a tip about an assortment of dips. weighing yourself every Carbohydrate heavy dishes Tread lightly here. Dips like day. Weigh yourself at the are where the bulk of fat, French onion dip, ranch same time every day. For calories, and sugar hide. dressing dip and cheese example, you might get Christmas cookies, pie, dips are packed with up in the morning and first cakes, and breads are all a fat and calories. Choose thing you do is step on the source of empty calories. wisely and go for pico, scale. Or you might weigh If you’re going to enjoy guacamole and hummus yourself at night before a treat at a holiday party, instead. They’re made with you go to bed. It doesn’t and you’ve had enough veggies and there’s no matter when you weigh veggies, skip the starchy added fat or sugar. yourself as long as you’re carbs and try a piece of

21. Three Appetizers That Are Low in Calories and Taste Great During the holiday season you’re often called upon to bring something to pass or share. The old veggie and dip tray or chips and salsa can get a little boring.

And let’s face it, you want to bring something that you’d be happy to eat and proud to serve. Low calorie appetizers can be tough to find. Here are a few ideas to help you get out of the pig in a blanket routine.

Black Bean Hummus: Place the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until smooth.

• 3 cloves garlic, peeled • 1-15 oz. can black beans (1¾ cups) • ¼ cup tahini • Juice from 1 lemon • 1 tsp cumin • ½ tsp salt Sprinkle a little chopped parsley on top for color and serve with pita chips and your choice of cut, raw veggies.

Or how about Sweet Potato Fries with Yogurt Dipping Sauce?

8

Yogurt Dipping Sauce: • 1 cup Greek yogurt • 3 tbsp. cilantro, minced • 1 tbsp. mint, minced

• Zest and juice of 1 lime • 2 tsp honey • 1/4 tsp salt

22. Moderation, Not Deprivation, Is The Answer

Whisk all the ingredients When people are trying together and set aside in a to lose weight or maintain small serving bowl. their weight through the holiday season, it can feel like an all-or-nothing endeavor. Either you starve yourself and munch unhappily on carrot sticks, or you eat an entire plate of cookies. Neither is an optimal approach.

Strive for moderation.

Sweet Potato Fries: Enjoy small bites of the • 1 tsp curry powder foods that you love. Don’t • Cooking spray deprive yourself of treats • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper during the holiday season.

• Salt and pepper Balance and advanced • 2 medium red-skinned planning will help you sweet potatoes or yams, successfully navigate cut into ½ inch fries holiday meals and parties without feeling left out or Toss spices together in a overindulged. small bowl. Spray sliced potatoes with cooking 23. Don’t Bring Home spray, toss with spices and Leftovers spread on a baking sheet.

Cook at 350 degrees for 10 It’s common for a host or minutes, flip fries and bake hostess to try to get rid for another 10 minutes of food and leftovers as a until crispy. Serve hot with party is ending. It makes the dipping sauce. sense. They probably can’t eat everything themselves, The list could go on and and many wise hosts on. With a little digging may be trying to remove and some advanced temptation by giving the planning, you can find food to others. delicious low-calorie appetizer recipes that will Don’t take it home with make everyone happy. you. You’re simply filling your own refrigerator

with temptation as well.

You don’t need it. Politely decline the leftovers, or “forget” to take them with you if you just can’t say no.

to go get more food to help fill that desire to taste.

25. Alternate Glasses of Water Between Cocktails

It’s okay to have a cocktail 24. Chew Slowly or two at an event.

However, it’s always a You’ve probably already good idea to spread them heard this tip, but it bears out. You’ll be less likely repeating. If you eat more to get buzzed or drunk if slowly you’ll feel full before you space your cocktails. you’ve consumed too One common problem many calories. It takes your with drinking a little too stomach about 20 minutes much too fast is that your to register fullness. When decision-making ability is you’re at a holiday event, hindered. it’s easy to eat quickly, as you may be trying to get After two martinis, every quick bites in between single appetizer on the sentences during lively table is going to look great conversations. and you’re going to have a difficult time resisting.

However, chewing slowly However, when you space will help you eat less and out your drinks, you’ll be manage your weight. able to stay clear-headed.

Additionally, when you Additionally, drinks can be take the time to chew your high in calories. food, you also taste it more fully. It’s more satisfying, so We’ve already talked about you may be less tempted that, so consuming fewer

alcoholic beverages will help you cut back on calories. One great way to space out your cocktails and to drink fewer cocktails is to drink a glass, or two, of water between each cocktail. Earlier we mentioned sparkling water, which is another great option.

26. Learn The Signs of Fullness Fullness can be a deceptive sensation. In fact, many people don’t feel it until it’s too late.

Then they’re overstuffed.

Signs of fullness include feeling: • Content • Peaceful • Satisfied • A loss of interest or focus on food • Signs of over-fullness are easy to identify.

They include: • Bloating • Feeling sleepy or lethargic • Discomfort • Abdominal pressure To learn the signs of fullness, start practicing the following tips: • Chew your food • Eat slowly • Take sips of water between bites

• Pause between bites • Put your fork down • Cut your food into smaller pieces • Talk during your meals or if you’re eating alone, read • Stop every five minutes or five bites and assess how you feel. Ask yourself, if you stopped now would you still be hungry?

You might be surprised how little you need to eat to feel full. Fullness also feels different with different foods. For example, a bowl of chili can make you feel full in a different way than a salad can. Once you learn what fullness feels like you can begin to pay more attention when you eat. You and your body will get used to eating to fullness without getting overstuffed.

10

exercise so that you’re able to maintain your weight and fit into your new outfit.

Don’t make the mistake of buying an outfit that’s a little small, one that you have to lose weight to get into. That’s too much pressure, and during the holidays no one needs any additional pressure. Find an outfit that you like and that you look good in and then maintain your weight so you look good in it for New Year’s Eve. 28. Stay Positive

The holiday season can be a time of tremendous pressure, expectations, and stress. It’s easy to turn to food to help you cope, and it’s certainly a common approach. Find ways to help reduce stress and stay positive. Exercise really does help, and the 27. Buy A New Year’s Eve holidays are the perfect Outfit That’s Form Fitting time to strengthen this habit. Adequate sleep Do you need motivation and good nutrition are and a goal? If that’s your important too. weight loss motivation personality, and it is the Equally important is case for many people, some time to yourself consider buying a New to do things that make Year’s outfit that’s form you feel happy, that fitting. make you smile. Get outside and enjoy some This way you’ll have to fresh air. Nature can be watch what you eat and rejuvenating. If you love

to read, find a great book and a quiet corner. If you love to dance, then head to your closest studio or event.

Celebrate the things that are important to you and try to let go of the rest.

The holidays should be a joyful time, not one that makes you so stressed you unconsciously eat to soothe yourself.

29. Make Holiday Events About More Than Food Let’s face it, many holiday events are centered on food. The holiday table is piled high with delights.

The work event positions the buffet front and center.

Everyone is baking and making and sharing.

You can change the trend and shift the focus of holiday events away from food. For example, a holiday caroling event can take everyone out walking the neighborhood streets and meeting new people.

Serving food at your local shelter or volunteering for a charity brings the meaning of the holidays back to the community.

Identify things that you can do to change your holiday traditions. Sure,

food can still play a role, but it doesn’t have to be the star of the show or the reason to get together.

30. Know Your Triggers and Plan How You’ll Manage Them

getting a New Year’s Eve outfit that you want to fit into for the celebration.

We also talked about tracking your food and calories and finding ways to be accountable.

Another method of staying motivated to manage your weight is to reward yourself. There are a number of ways to do this; massages, vacations, quiet time alone, or a new pair of shoes. You get to decide what the reward is and how you earn it.

We all have triggers. Some people get stressed by family, others by money.

Some people have food triggers. They may eat a piece of chocolate and suddenly their sweet tooth has started making decisions for them.

Alcohol is a trigger for many people. One drink Keep in mind that the and good eating decisions goal here isn’t necessarily go out the door. to lose weight during the holidays, but to manage Know yourself. Identify or maintain your weight. and/or learn your triggers. Create a reward scenario If you eat when you’re that supports you to stressed, then find ways to stay on track. You can set manage the stress. If you weight loss goals and eat a lot when you drink rewards once the New or when you’re nervous, Year rolls around. find ways to manage

that. You are in control.

You know yourself better Let this holiday season than anyone, and you be the one where you know what your personal break the pattern. No challenges are. Face them more holiday weight gain. and work to maintain your Identify the tips and tactics weight by managing your discussed in this report triggers. that will work for you, and begin embracing what 31. Reward Yourself you can right now.

11

Earlier we talked about Start with one tactic or different forms of tip at a time and make motivation. We mentioned them habits. You might

begin, for example, with learning signs of fullness, eating more slowly, and exercising daily. Learning your triggers is always good, and if you’re able to manage this before the holidays arrive, you’ll be able to avoid any unwanted response.

It’s also important to point out that gaining a pound or two during the holidays isn’t the end of the world.

It’s not ideal, but you can lose a pound or two quickly with a diligent and healthy weekend. What you want to avoid is the eight pound, or more, weight gain. This type of gain can be tricky to lose and requires more than a healthy weekend.

And chances are you have weight loss goals now and/or in the upcoming year. During the holidays allow yourself the ability to maintain your weight.

You’ll have a better and more enjoyable holiday season and can start the New Year with confidence and great new habits.

You don’t have to wait for the holidays to roll around.

They’re almost here anyway. Get started now and start developing good habits that will carry you through to New Year’s.

Indoor Workout Alternatives for When It’s Just Too Cold to Go Outside When the weather turns cold and blustery, it is hard to force yourself to go to the gym, but you don’t have to. You can still get a great workout in the comfort of your home.

Here are some cardio, strength training, core exercises and exercise routine suggestions that you can do with simple (if any) equipment.

Cardio If you have stairs in your house (or even if you don’t) stepping will get your heart pumping. Go up and down at a rate where it makes carrying on a conversation hard. If you don’t have stairs, you can substitute by putting a couple of thick hard cover books on the floor and stepping up and down on them while watching TV. Or buy a stepper from Amazon or your favorite fitness store for less than $25.00 USD. Another simple cardio exercise is jumping rope.

While it doesn’t work well 12

on carpeting, if you have any type of smooth floor, it works great. If you don’t have any smooth floors, substitute jumping jacks for jumping rope.

Strength Training Strength training can range from something as simple as doing bicep curls with a filled water bottle in each hand to having a small weight bench and a few dumbbells. Weights and a bench don’t take up much room and gives you the ability to do 18 different exercises. If you outgrow dumbbells, you can move up to barbells.

Core Planks are an allround great exercise for developing your abdominal core. There are so many different types that you never get bored.

Side, face-down, feet elevated, one leg raised or one arm raised are just some of the variations to the basic plank.

Abdominal crunches or presses are also good exercise for your core as are bridges. And none of the core exercises require any equipment at all!

Instructions on how to do all of the core exercises are found on YouTube.

Exercise Routines If you like a more structured program, there are hundreds of different exercise routines of all varieties available for purchase on DVDs or for free on YouTube.

Alternating between your own routines and a few of these adds creativity to your fitness program and prevents boredom from setting in.

All of these exercises will kick butt without leaving the comfort of your home. Don’t give up on exercising when the weather turns bad. Stay home and workout using the suggestions in this article.

DOWNLOAD TODAY 13

on

Amazon

Beware of Liquid Calories to Avoid Weight Gain If you are trying to lose weight, you may be recommended to drink more. In some cases (water), liquids deliver fewer calories and carbohydrates than solid foods. Unfortunately, some seemingly innocent beverages and other liquids can cause serious fat and weight gain because of the hidden ingredients they deliver.

Keep the following tips in mind or you may just be drinking on the pounds.

beverages you consume) to function properly.

Avoid diet soft drinks like the plague. These are most often packed full of sugar and artificial sweeteners. They are also intentionally loaded with addictive chemicals and other unhealthy additives and preservatives. Many important studies have pointed to fat and weight gain as a direct result of drinking diet soft drinks.

Energy drinks should Dr. Richard Mattes reminds be avoided entirely.

Not only do they put us that, “Fluid calories an unnecessary stress do not hold strong on your heart, but they satiety properties, don’t are extremely high suppress hunger and don’t elicit compensatory in carbohydrates. For instance, one small can dietary responses.” This of Red Bull delivers just means if you consume a 115 calories. However, lot of liquids which are a whopping 28.3 calorie-rich, you end up consuming more calories carbohydrates instantly stream into your body, in a day without even many of them converted realizing it. to fat.

There is one of liquid you Fruit juice is the sneaky can drink as much of as “healthy” beverage you you like ... water. Water helps cleanse your body of should limit in your diet. unhealthy and unneeded One cup of orange juice, for example, delivers waste. Water delivers 0 just 90 healthy calories. calories, and your body It also gives you a needs at least a gallon wonderful dose of vitamin a day (in the foods and 14

C. However, 20 grams of carbohydrates are included in this low fiber, high sugar beverage.

There is only one nutrient which delivers more calories per gram than alcohol ... and that’s fat!

Alcohol, found in beer, wine and mixed drinks, delivers a whopping 7 calories per gram. This means a huge dose of daily calories that are converted directly into body fat. Unfortunately, alcohol also suppresses your body’s ability to burn fat as fuel.

Don’t forget smart serving sizes. Beverage cans and bottles of 6 or 7 ounces were once commonplace.

Now it is tough to find retail beverages offered in anything less than 12, 16 or even 20 ounce containers. You don’t have to totally rid your life of tasty, delicious drinks and sodas. Just cut back on the quantities and the serving sizes, while ramping up your water intake.

10 Ways To Keep Holiday Stress At Bay You look forward to the holidays every year.

You are going to enjoy taking time off from work, and making wonderful memories with friends, family and loved ones.

At least, that’s the plan.

Unfortunately, as you are probably well too aware, the holiday season can be full of stress, anxiety and other negative emotions.

15

This is because people get caught up in the holiday process. They worry that their decorations and clothing must be perfect. Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners absolutely must be the best ever, each piece of food or dessert flavorful, delicious and mistake-free.

There are cards to mail, gifts to buy, vacations to plan and children to

ferry about here and there.

All of these considerations can lead to anything but an enjoyable holiday season.

If you want this holiday season to be panic attack-free, there are a few things you can do to remove stress from the holidays. The following 10 ideas promise a peaceful, stress-free good time

during your next holiday celebration.

1 - Exercise Several things happen when you exercise. Many physiological processes take place, one of which is a boost to your brain’s pleasure center. The ageold “fight or flight” process begins when your body detects stress. Physical stress from exercise means that your senses are heightened as well.

Feel-good chemicals in your brain are then released, rewarding you with clarity, focus and fewer feelings of stress and anxiety. An added holiday benefit of exercise regards your waistline.

Many people throw their diets out of the window when the holiday season rolls around. Exercising regularly allows you to “cheat”, eating delicious sweets and treats without packing on the pounds.

That’s enough by itself to keep you happy and stressfree throughout the holidays.

2 - Don’t Expect Perfection

16

David D. Burns is the celebrated author of the best-selling book

“Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy”. He is also Professor Emeritus in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Stanford University School of Medicine. Here’s what he has to say about perfection ...

each day creates all the vitamin D your body needs. Since most foods do not deliver very much vitamin D, this is a simple way to ensure you get enough of this important vitamin. As it turns out, vitamin D and the feel of the sun on your skin are peace boosters and anxiety busters.

“Perfection is man’s ultimate illusion. It simply does not exist in the universe. If you are 4 - Sniff Some Citrus a perfectionist, you are guaranteed to be a loser in Need an instant pickwhatever you do.” me-up? Battling stressful holiday preparations?

Pretty strong words, but Why not let the power it gets the point across of your nose sniff you perfectly. Aim for success, back to stress-free peace? not perfection, when Citrus smells have been planning your holiday get- used for centuries to togethers. This will reduce alleviate anxiety and your stress and allow you stress, while boosting to see the true rewards of your feeling of well-being. the holiday season.

Some citrus fragrances (like the aromas emitted 3 - Enjoy a Little Sunshine by oranges and lemons) increase your levels of Here is the part that the norepinephrine. This is sun plays in reducing a “feel-good” hormone stress and anxiety. When which picks up your mood your skin senses the sun’s and drops your stress ultraviolet B (UVB) rays, levels. You can go simply it begins a remarkable sniff a slice or wedge of process in your body. In lemon or orange. You response to direct sunlight can also benefit from an on your skin, you begin to aromatherapy diffuser produce healthy levels of which disperses lemon vitamin D. or orange essential oils throughout your Only 10 to 20 minutes of surrounding atmosphere direct exposure to the for hours. sun’s rays on your skin

5 - Stay Hydrated You should drink plenty of liquids to help combat stress. Eggnog and adult beverages are prevalent during many holiday celebrations. However, those are not the types of everages we are referring to here.

17

where your thumb and index finger meet. If you touch the points of your index finger and thumb and flex, a small muscle will bulge, indicating the correct spot. This is called your Hoku Point.

Pressed properly, it can relieve stress, anxiety and even physical pain.

and mental energy on upcoming holiday events that have yet to arrive. Do less and enjoy more. No one is guaranteed any amount of time on earth.

That’s why you should never miss an opportunity to create and enjoy quality holiday memories.

That means spending The human body needs more time with your to ingest approximately 1 Place your thumb on your friends and family gallon of water each day Hoku Point and your index members, and less time to function properly. Your finger on the palm of your running around like a mind and body are sharp hand, and press firmly. You chicken with your head and healthy when you can hold for a few seconds cut off planning, shopping drink enough water on a or a couple of minutes, and decorating. When daily basis. That 1 gallon until you feel your stress you are hosting a party, per day recommendation subsiding. take part in it. Don’t waste is a minimum, and your time in the kitchen includes water present in 7 - Be Honest with while all your party-goers the foods you eat. When Yourself are mixing, mingling and your body is functioning having a good time. When properly, it sends fewer Seriously, will the holidays you start stressing out stress signals to your brain. really be ruined if your about some holiday detail, snowman cookies don’t remind yourself what is 6 - Acupressure Your turn out perfect? Will your truly important at this very Stress Away entire celebration be a important time of year. failure if you burn the Did you know there are Christmas goose? To avoid 8 - Learn To Say No pressure points located stress during this very all over body which stressful time of year, you Seasonal holidays are can deliver very specific need to be honest with extremely busy times emotional and physical yourself about what is for many people. That health benefits? This is really important. means that your friends the basis of the ancient may be pressed for time, Chinese healing art of You should focus on just like you. Many times acupressure. You feel the wonderful times your time-saving help is When you feel holiday and experiences you requested. Someone may stress piling on, try this. are having with your ask you to swing by the loved ones. Bathe in the dry cleaners and pick up Locate the webbing on “now” and stop spending their holiday clothing, the back of your hand so much of your time bake some cookies for

them or even handle their holiday shopping.

The holidays are all about caring and giving. So you may feel that you should spend a lot of your personal time helping your friends and family.

That’s fine. You should want to assist the ones you love in any way you can, regardless what time of year it is.

But you must learn to say no in some situations if you are going to minimize the amount of stress in your life. Believe it or not, there are those in your life who understand that you are incapable of saying “no”.

They consciously, and sometimes unconsciously, take advantage of your largess and generosity.

Unfortunately, when you spend most of your time helping others rather than helping yourself, your holiday plans can suffer.

This naturally leads to anxiety and stress.

9 - Plan and Shop All Year Long

18

Holiday shopping can be very expensive. Financial troubles are one of the leading causes of stress in adults. You also have a

limited number of hours in Does mom need (or even want) another Christmas the day. sweater? Physical gifts are This means a lot of anxiety fine, but how about giving a memorable experience rushing around trying to instead? cram all of your required holiday duties into what Why not purchase a family seems like an impossible vacation? Buy tickets time period. for you and your friends to attend an important So why not plan and concert, movie, symphony shop for your holiday celebrations all year long? or opera. Focus on giving wonderful experiences as a gift, rather than a Keep your eyes open physical gift which is for bargain gift ideas often not appreciated, throughout the year. remembered or even used.

Purchase holiday wrapping paper in Remember, it’s about January, right after the the experience and holidays are over. This not the process when ensures you get a great the holiday season rolls deal and guarantees you around. This doesn’t don’t have to settle for mean ignoring traditional whatever happens to be available once the holiday holiday preparations season hits. Plan, shop and like decorating and gift giving. It simply means prepare for your holidays you should focus on this throughout the year and precious time you have you will minimize your to share with those that holiday stress. mean the most in your life, instead of getting 10 - Give Great Experiences Rather Than everything “just right”.

Physical Gifts The best gift you can give your friends and family Many holiday traditions around the world include during the holidays is a gift giving. And shopping stress-free enjoyment of this special time of year. is often times a fun part The above tips help you of the holidays. But how do exactly that. Happy many more ties does holidays to you and yours. your dad really need?

How Exercise Can Help Beat the “Winter Blues” With winter coming on, many people are afflicted with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) commonly called the “winter blues”.

Thought to be caused by a decrease in the hours of sunlight, typical symptoms of this mood disorder include a lack of energy, sleeping more, overeating, depression and a general overall lethargic feeling.

Increased metabolism Any exercise increases the rate at which your body burns calories, but cardio training tends to burn more than strength training. Because people afflicted with SAD tend to crave carbohydrates more in the winter, it is important to do exercises that give you the most calories burn per minute of exercise. However be sure to include at least a couple days per week (but not in a row) of strength training for toning and definition.

If you are one that suffers from SAD, you have to take control of it or it will take control of you. Otherwise all the hard work you put into looking and Increased oxygen to the feeling good across the other three seasons will be brain for naught with a gain in Exercising not only inweight as a result. creases blood flow to your muscles, but also to the Exercising works at beatbrain. As a result of the ing the winter blues for additional oxygen, brain these reasons… function increases making you more alert and cogniIncreased blood flow tive.

When exercising, your Improved mood heart rate increases thus pumping more blood Because the winter throughout your circulablues is a mood disortory system. More blood der, anything you can do over a given time means to counteract its affects more oxygen going into the cells and more wastes will make you feel better.

When exercising, a horcoming out. mone called serotonin is 19

released. In the running world, although it is not limited to just runners, the release of serotonin is known as a “runners high”.

This feel-good feeling can last for hours after exercising.

If it is too cold or blustery outside to exercise, your only option is to do it inside. Whether you choose to exercise at home or at a gym, the important part is that you force yourself to do it. With SAD, it is easy to talk yourself out of exercising, but don’t do it. You’ll feel better and be able to minimize weight gain, by continuing exercising during the winter.

If you live in an area where the winters are not too bad, take your exercising outdoors. You will feel better from the just breathing in the fresh air and soaking up the sunshine, let alone the benefits gained from exercising.

Indoors or outside; the point is to push through the effects of the winter blues and keep exercising.

You’ll thank yourself in the spring.