Tips from Local Experts
Tis the season to be jolly – and to feel overwhelmed. Maintaining diet, fitness, and self-care practices during the hectic holiday season is challenging. Local experts offer guidance on making the time leading up to Christmas and into the New Year a healthy and joyous one.
Holiday Foods and a Healthy Gut
Holiday foods look good, but are they good for you?
Being mindful of nutritional support and good eating habits can make a big difference during the holidays. Doug Ferner Jr. from Live Clean Nutrition in Rochester Hills suggests, “If you’re going to a holiday event, try eating one hour before you go to the event. Eating a meal composed of vegetables, protein, and healthy fats will keep you full for several hours and keep you from grabbing the unhealthy snacks and processed finger foods served at most holiday events.” Consuming a glass of water 30 minutes before a meal also aids in digestion.
Ferner adds, “If you’re having a tough holiday season with too much over-snacking and bad food choices, a juice cleanse can help reset your digestive process, giving your compromised gut time to heal from the bacterial imbalances that can be caused from the holiday eating.”
A large selection of quality supplements are available at Live Clean Nutrition – photo by Sonya Julie
Live Clean Nutrition offers high quality supplements that can be customized to your needs along with healthy snacks and a juice bar. Beverages are blended with organic, nutrient-dense, high quality ingredients. Live Clean Nutrition also offers circuit training with personal trainers who provide effective 25-minute workouts.
Tips and Tricks
Dr. Sara Whedon from A Place to Grow Chiropractic in Rochester thinks the two biggest challenges at the holidays are overindulging (or letting eating habits slip); and nonstop schedules and obligations.
“We convince ourselves that they are bad for us and that we don’t want one, or 25. The mental warfare that goes into not overeating is exhausting,” says Whedon. “Our biggest recommendation is never go to a holiday party starving. Eat before you go and if you find a goody at the party you will have one rather than several helpings. You will enjoy the cookie/meatball/cheese platter way more if you are eating it to enjoy it rather than because you are hungry.”
Holiday Desserts can be Temping
“The second biggest recommendation is acknowledging that the holidays are nutty.” explains Whedon. By acknowledging they are nutty, it takes the pressure and stress off you to try to make it different. Take that extra nap or enjoy that holiday movie. People appreciate when you set boundaries. It is okay to politely decline an event. Schedule some time after the holidays to catch up instead.”
“Good hydration, a proper sleep schedule of seven to eight hours per night, and deep breathing (helpful in unforeseen stressful situations) will go a long way.” says Whedon. “You’d be surprised on how far being pleasant and personable around the holidays can be as well.”
It’s All in the Spine
Anxiety, depression, and weight gain are all triggered by the holidays. “People seek out our office for a host of issues but all of them say they feel better equipped to handle stress after starting under Chiropractic care. Foundationally, if a person can handle stress better, their body feels less in crisis mode, and they will start to notice better digestion, clearer thinking, and better sleep.” says Whedon.
Take a break from the nonstop schedules and obligations during the Holidays
“We give patients tools to help give them the confidence to make better decisions when they aren’t in the office. Most people just need someone to help with education and who they feel comfortable to ask questions around.” Whedon explains that “Once someone realizes it is possible to feel great after starting under care, they start making the decisions they really want to in their careers, with their personal life, and are much more willing to put themselves outside their comfort zone.”
Whedon states, “Once you have a properly functioning nervous system and spine, the sky is the limit. People who feel good, do good. People report increased productivity, less sickness, better family time and better outlook on life.”
Live Clean Nutrition offers a Juice Bar, Workout Studio, and Supplements to help support healthy lifestyles – photo by Sonya Julie
For More Information:
A Place To Grow Chiropractic
328 East Street Rochester, MI 48307
248-652-1461
Live Clean Nutrition
121 South Livernois Rd, Rochester Hills, MI 48307
248-608-3959
Read Healthy Tips for the Holidays, Part Two
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