Every year I hear patients, friends, family, complete strangers and even myself say, “My resolution is to really be healthier this year!” Of course, it comes in all sorts of variations, “start using that gym membership”, “start eating better”, “start meditating.” Those are all great resolutions, yet it can get so hard after the endless stress of holiday shopping, family travel, sleep deprivation, numerous feasts, parties and toasts to really begin implementing those healthy habits.
Which is why I am writing this post.
I challenge you to start your resolution early, start today, –start Now.
But …how? See below.
1. When you’re at holiday parties become a professional dessert connoisseur. You know, connoisseurs take the teeniest portion and savor the flavors of whatever they’re sampling. You can see the focus and determination and pure enjoyment they get from tasting foods. Take tiny portions of dessert and really, truly taste the flavors and textures of the dessert. You don’t need an entire slice of pie or 2 of grandmas cookies to really enjoy holiday sweets.
2. Exercise = Love! Spending time with family over the holidays tends to mean feasting and drinking and being merry.. Make plans for other activities with your friends and family that involve movement. Go on a walk around your favorite lake, gather everyone for bowling, ice skating or start a ping pong tournament. Play games with the kids or animals of the family. Impromptu dance parties are WONDERFUL for family reunions.
3. LAUGH happiness is so important to our health. Tell jokes, share awkward stories about work, play charades, watch your favorite comedian- whatever you can do to get yourself laughing.
4. Sleep Sleep is so important to our health and metabolism. Try and get 8 hours a night if you can! And if you can’t, sleep extra on the days you can. Studies show that it is possible to make up for sleep debt. Studies also show that sleep deprivation has been linked to insulin resistance & type II diabetes.
5. Drink My brother and I started this tradition of “hydration parties” after our mother, who is a nurse, pointed out that 99% of the time when we would feel tired, we would actually just be dehydrated. A couple of times a day we would pause and get everyone in the room water and just sit and drink water together.
6. Eat a balanced breakfast and lunch. It’s never good to fast before feasts, your blood sugar levels can go crazy and you can get super tired or irritable or have intense carbohydrate and sugar cravings.
And there it is, there you have it! If you’d like more individualized recommendations for this new year, please contact Dr. Virdee for a health consultation. Happy holidays!
**Disclaimer** This blog is for purely educational purposes and any information provided should not be construed as medical advice. Please consult with a licensed medical provider before making any diet or lifestyle changes.
Step 1: Believe.. Step 2: Become 