December 24, 2024
Ah, the holidays!
That magical time of year when seemingly every fitness and health enthusiast (guilty as charged!) seems to get lost in a frozen wonderland of calorie-burning biohack holidays, frantic trips to the gym and competitive abstinence from alcohol in non-organic , GMO Egg Lemon—dusted with seed oils.
You know what I’m talking about: those 4 a.m. Christmas kettlebell swings to “offset” that second helping of prime rib, the high-protein, follistatin-inducing fruitcake (because according to TikTok, the serum isolate of milk belongs to everything, right? ), the 999 Christmas morning challenge (resulting in a back bent and twisted from high rewards, credit card holiday-shopping) and the ritual polar plunge—with a post-dive discussion about whether it counts as a proper cold thermogenesis session if you skip breathing and pre-dive black pepper extract with berberine.
And let’s not forget the culinary conundrum of Santa’s midnight arrival: you have to ditch the traditional cookies and milk for keto friendly almond flour cookies or leave out the gluten free protein bars to make sure he can push down the chimney without messing up his macros?
Oh, and who could overlook the DIY fitness equipment craze? Nothing screams “holiday spirit” like fashion a resistance zone from discarded gift wrapping ribbons or turning an empty gingerbread box into a balance training device because, well, the gyms are closed, those Scrooges.
But in this whirlwind of wellness, are we perhaps missing the point, especially those of us who are fed up with “how to stay healthy,” “not gain weight,” or “add a few inches to our telomeres” this holiday season?
Sure, it’s fun experimenting with the perfect blend of peppermint oil and nasal breathing for enhanced lung capacity for Christmas carols, or bragging about finding immune-friendly A2 camel milk for Santa’s annual offering (the only way you’ll smother the cardboard texture of an almond flour cookie), but maybe – maybe – there’s something deeper here – something that we should think before rushing into a snowshoe hike with a heavy jinglebell vest.
Once you peel away the tinsel and protein powder, Christmas isn’t about getting skinnier or grumpily fasting the colleague next to you at the office party. It’s not about getting the red light face mask you’ve been dreaming of. It’s certainly not about sneaking peeks into your continuous glucose monitor to see your blood glucose response to biting into the head of a gingerbread man.
Christmas is about something infinitely deeper.
At its core, Christmas is a celebration of the ultimate gift: the birth of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, sent by our Creator to offer salvation to the world. This story isn’t about retail sales or perfectly sculpted abs. it is about humility, love and grace. Born in an animal manger—not exactly a plush, mold-free, HBOT-cleaned luxury resort—Jesus’ arrival was a declaration of God’s desire to save the created humanity he so loves, to bring hope to the broken, and to offer light to a world overshadowed by sin.
God didn’t care if you were fit enough.
Or knowledgeable enough.
Or rich enough.
God certainly didn’t care if you had the longest telomeres, since he’s already figured out how to make them last forever.
God only cared—and still cares—that you were a unique human being that He created, and regardless of your scars, your trauma, your struggles, your sin, your shame, or your guilt, he loved you and loves you. , so unconditionally that He was willing to send His son, Jesus Christ, to planet Earth in the form of a tiny baby that could grow up to die for sins you, to defeat evil forever and give you the free gift of eternal life.
Christmas is a time to remember this incredible gift that God has given you and me. This is the meaning behind the hilarity. That’s why we’ve been celebrating this gift for over 2,000 years. That’s why the real meaning of Christmas is love. As John 3:16–17 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
Jesus’ birth was the ultimate gift: an invitation for you and me to experience peace, joy, and restoration—a peace that doesn’t depend on the variability of your VO2 max or heart rate, and a salvation with a promise of eternal, perfect life that it goes far beyond the life-enhancing or superhuman technologies so often lauded, glorified, even worshiped in the health and biohacking universe.
Christmas is a calendar long-awaited magical time to reflect on God’s love for us and the supernatural arrival of His perfect son, Jesus Christ. It’s time to put aside our grievances, embrace forgiveness, and recognize that the greatest gift we can give others is even the tiniest glimmer of imitation of God’s great love—not necessarily in the form of a beautifully bubble-wrapped jar of collagen peptides (though they’re still pretty great, especially when mixed with hot chocolate and stevia flavored mini-marshmallows), but instead in the form of deep, intentional, joyous human connection and a moment of grateful giving and receiving with our friends, family and loved ones.
So this year, instead of focusing on the perfect holiday health clinic, turn your attention to self-sacrificing love, time and presence for others. Put aside your carnal needs and fitness or health goals, and instead take some time to focus on and understand others who crave love, connection, and deeper meaning this holiday season. Sure, give your nephew the ugly sweater with the elf on it, but also give him a big hug, look him deep in the eye and say: “God loves you, no matter what, and that’s why we celebrate today.”
Besides, it’s easy to get caught up in the noise—the shopping, the planning, the endless meal prep, and the frantic Googling to make Aunt Edna a meatless tofu roast topped with turkey drippings. But the essence of Christmas is not in what we do but to whom we hectare: children of God called to live lives of generosity, compassion, and gratitude—and to celebrate and reflect the greatest gift humanity has ever received.
So take a moment this season to stop, re-evaluate your priorities and live a few minutes of your life for someone else who needs you more than you need yourself, even if that means skipping a workout or leaving a kale smoothie to warm up and soak on the bench. Spend time with loved ones, connect with a friend or relative you haven’t had a deep conversation with in a while, lend a helping hand to those in need, and leave plenty of room for joy and laughter.
As you and I embrace the true meaning of Christmas – faith, hope and love – let’s remember to spread this message to our friends and family. Give generously and share warmth and kindness, skip the 999 abs to give 9 hugs and avoid any judgmental glances at those sitting quietly with a grandchild while eating a third slice of blueberry cheesecake and gazing longingly at the soft snowfall outside!
After all, love, acceptance, and connection outweigh any high-protein, follistatin-activating fruit cake.
And my final gift to you in this short, light Christmas Eve musing? Allow me to introduce, without further ado, one of my favorite Christmas songs from one of my favorite Christmas albums. Enjoy with a smile and a hot cup of cocoa (customizing mushrooms optional), because that’s part of what Christmas is to me.
