Renewal of habit after the holidays

For many of us, the holidays are filled with sweet treats, heavy meals and maybe a drink or a dozen. Now that the holidays have come and gone, we may be feeling crappy or just that some of our health habits have fallen by the wayside. Maybe it’s time then for a refresher after the holidays to get back on track and hold ourselves accountable.

As you know, I am not a fan of the nutritional mindset and the work I do focuses on:

However, I recognize that at the beginning of the year people are extra motivated to create habits. Ultimately, a post-holiday habit refresh involves diet, lifestyle, movement and mindset. Since being in this field, I have learned that working on any one of these elements alone will be beneficial, however, if we are looking at overall and optimal health, we also need to look at how all of these things work together.

The result of a healthy lifestyle as a whole is much greater than the sum of its parts.

Here are some guidelines to get you started, or at least think about starting, to have a healthy year ahead.

Post-holiday habit Refresh: food and nutrition

Choose foods with a low glycemic index

Foods with a high glycemic index are those that are digested immediately and hit our bloodstream quickly, leading to highs and lows in our blood sugar. This can lead to some dire consequences, which I wrote about in more detail here.

Foods with a high glycemic index include:

processed and processed grains (white rice, white bread, packaged cereals, crackers, etc.)
foods low in protein, fat and/or fiber
sugary foods (sweets, refined sugars, candies, cookies, cakes, etc.)
sweet fruits, such as bananas

Focus on low glycemic index foods such as:

Lots of vegetables (dark leafy greens, broccoli, cabbage, onions, garlic, tomatoes, cucumber – basically, things that aren’t too sweet)
Whole grains, such as rice, wild rice, buckwheat, and quinoa
Fresh herbs and spices
Quality sources of protein, whether of animal or vegetable origin
Nutritious fats, such as ghee, coconut oil, avocado, nuts and seeds

Eliminate or Avoid Sugar

I have been sugar free for over four years now and it has made a huge difference in my life. I sleep better, have more energy, and feel like my brain is working at a more efficient level (allowing me to be more present with my family as well as all of you).

My 7 Day No Sugar Challenge is a great place to start. (In fact, that’s how I started when I quit sugar. My intention was to quit for a week, and then I just kept going and going.) Don’t think about what you’re going to eat in a month or six months—start with one week. You can cut out sugar for a week!

More resources on reducing, avoiding and replacing sugar:

Reduce or eliminate dairy products

Dairy was one of the first foods I completely cut out 15 years ago when I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease. There are many reasons why dairy is not a health-promoting food, including our inability to digest it, the allergenic properties of milk proteins, lack of support for bone health, and more. You can learn about it in depth here:

Dairy substitutes

Homemade will be optimal for the best health benefits!

Avoid alcohol

While there may be some health benefits to alcohol in some cases, when we are working to enhance our health, alcohol generally serves to break it down. For every alcoholic drink you consume, try increasing your water intake by two glasses. Those beer pitchers suddenly seem rather huge, don’t they?

Other non-alcoholic drinks you can enjoy include:

Increase raw and lightly steamed vegetables

Potatoes don’t count here! We want the dark leafy greens: kale, spinach, chard, romaine and mixed salad greens. Also add some of the brassica vegetables: broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and Brussels sprouts. All of these are rich in phytonutrients. keys to increasing energy production in cells and removing waste to enhance detoxification processes.

Increasing Protein Quality

Protein amino acids are the building blocks of our body systems and are essential for hormone and enzyme production, immunity, muscle growth and repair. So we need the best quality to build and repair any damage that may have been caused by our holiday cheer.

Plant-based proteins such as lentils, legumes, beans, peas, nuts and seeds are great choices. They are also rich in fiber. necessary to remove unnecessary waste.

For animal protein, choose the best quality meat, fish, poultry and eggs you can afford.

Post-Holiday Habit Renewal: Lifestyle Tips

Add or increase movement to your day

Daily movement helps:

increase energy levels
to get the blood and lymph flowing
improves digestion (helps us have bowel movements!)
enhances mental and emotional health
builds strength and endurance

There are very few things I’ve experienced in my life that I would call life-changing, but my Obé Fitness habit it was. These workouts are bespoke, short, full of variety and totally FUN. Most important to me, however, is the mental and emotional change I feel. I feel stronger and more mentally resilient.

I encourage you to find what works for you.

Nature and sunshine

Here in Canada, where I am, the new calendar year means snow, longer hours of darkness and freezing temperatures. We usually like to escape to California every winter. but that was not in the cards for the last two years.

To help me beat the winter blues, I like to get outside (weather permitting), even if it’s just to a park in town. This has had a huge impact on my health and wellbeing.

More on the benefits of nature and sunshine:

A breathing practice

Breathing is such a simple thing and yet we spend so much time with our shoulders up, our muscles tight and our breathing small and shallow.

Try a simple breathing technique that will help bring oxygen to your tissues, improve digestion, clear your mind and reduce stress. As a start, take five deep, slow breaths in bed when you wake up in the morning.

You can also try the 30 second coherence technique which has been a game changer for my brain and overall mental attitude.

You can increase the time you spend in awareness or meditation as you become more comfortable and patient with the process. This My 20 minute cohesion course is completely free.

Just think of it this way: everything we eat, think, and do can either help enhance our health or create disease. Once we begin to see and feel the positive results from our efforts, we may just find that what started as a habit of refreshing or cleaning after the holidays can soon become a way of life.

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