Eat, Drink, and be Healthy.

It is officially November and with that we have changing leaves, cold mornings, crisp evenings and now snow! Dark nights creep in earlier and earlier. Some of our bodies are reeling from the sugar overload of Halloween and feeling the winter hibernation coming on. All of these things point to winter and the holiday season. 

The processed piles of sugar that represent halloween have passed, but this year they really weighed on me. I usually don't have candy around, and if I do I am not really tempted to eat it (I am more of a cake and pastries kind of girl) but this year, I couldn't resist the Snickers!

Halloween may not seem like it counts as part of the official "holiday" season, but I consider it the beginning of a very busy, intensely social and calorie laden few months. For me, the next few months are a time I dread for my body and crave for my spirit. 

I am angry at myself for even having candy in the house this year! I have been trying to focus on losing my baby weight and finding a post natal balance to my life.  Plus, I know how toxic sugar is to our bodies. So what the hell has gotten into me??

I am sure you can all relate in some way......

T

he upside to this frustration was my commitment to creating a game plan for the upcoming holidays so that I don't totally derail. I spent some time this morning to really acknowledge whats ahead and try to figure out a plan for enjoying the holiday season while still trying to focus on my personal goals. There are tons of ways to enjoy these festive times without losing too much ground, Because I tell you what, I am not going to listen, or contribute to the broken record that endlessly plays during the holiday

 season. The one that sings over and over about how much weight has been put on and how stressful the holiday season is. Not this year! 

That said, there are a lot of emotional ties to the holidays that trigger various cravings that are engrained in all of us. I get it.  It can be incredibly difficult to change what seems like an undeniable destiny. But I have been thinking that maybe to truly enjoy the holidays it is essential to learn how to enjoy them without crashing our systems. Think of your body as the newest coolest tech device. If we start downloading without thought or consideration to what we are putting in to this device, we may end up with a nasty virus that will slow down or wipe out our hard drive. It also possible that you think that you are making good choices, but you end up getting blind sided and taken out.

So make your own plan. It goes to say that the best way to stave off holiday weight creep is tho stick to an exercise routine. This will see you through more calorically turbulent waters. So, what did I do as part of my plan? I joined a gym. I have always loved exercise and been consistent with it. I love doing activities outside like running, biking, or snowboarding. But the past year has been hard to find the time and energy. And for me, doing those activities just wasn't realistic with a baby. I don't know, that is just me. So I did work out videos at home. I have hip hop abs down by memory! But I wasn't consistent. So, for me, getting to the gym is a crucial component of my plan. 

Photo via Pinterest

In the past one of my tactics was to just avoid anything and everything that might derail my diet. But I don't think that is the right solution. I don't believe any of us should cut out all the things that sound delicious because the truth is that all of us operates differently. In fact, I am sensitive to a couple of the "super foods" that are all the rage right now. They wreak havoc on my system. If I listened to just any old diet book, and continued to eat these "super foods" because they have so many incredible benefits to the body, my system would not function at peak performance and my hard drive would crash. 

My suggestion is to listen to your body, know yourself and how various food groups affect your system before you go wildly cutting them out of your life. 

One thing I can confidently say will wreak havoc on all of our bodies is processed foods. Quite frankly, they are the ultimate virus that can wipe out and destroy all of our hard drives. They cause stubborn weight gain, addiction, chronic inflammation, heart disease, cancer, dementia, neurological problems, brain fog (something that seems to visit me often when I am not eating clean), and another big one, infertility. They are also totally unnatural and unsympathetic to our bodies. These synthetic foods are loaded with pesticides. And these are NOT comfort foods!!  

There are far more delicious ways to find comfort in food, which is why I am kicking things off with a few of my favorite fall recipes that are to die for.  Maybe this will help give support you in creating a healthy plan for the holidays that doesn't involve sacrificing delicious food.  

My next post will feature a few recipes to get you in the holiday mood! Hopefully these support and excite you in creating your holiday survival game plan. But don't wait for me, get to work creating your plan now!