Healthy and Helpful Holiday Tips

Healthy Tips for the Holidays

It’s Holiday Crunch Time and I don’t mean time spent munching on peppermint bark, though that’s tempting. This time of year, I know that I often find myself over-indulging without any conscious thought. I was just at my annual book club pot-luck and while everyone else was finding a comfy spot to sit down, I was perusing the buffet table. I had been so busy that day, that I forgot to eat lunch and then before you could say New York Times Bestseller, I had helped myself to 1/2 of the remaining baked brie and was searching for toothpicks for the spiced shrimp. Swedish meatballs, yum!, They’re small and so I can pop a few in while loading up on other goodies. Gosh, before I knew it, I had a stomach ache and could barely concentrate on the book exchange.

In the world of healthy eating, this is what’s known as Unconscious Indulgence and complete and utter lack of awareness. Guilty as charged! I completely ignored all the healthy advice I give to my patients this time of year, because, well…..I’m human and make mistakes. So instead of beating myself up and polishing off a carton of ice cream, I took a deep breath and tried to forgive myself, so that I could make better choices the next day. I knew that it was time for me to take a step back away from the buffet and be more conscious about all my choices surrounding food and exercise.

I know and we all know what to do this time of year to make healthy choices and yet sometimes it’s good to get a nice reminder. Well, if you’re looking for healthy tips this holiday, I’ve got good news for you! El Camino Hospital’s Free Health Perks provides you with healthy tips and resources all year round and right now, by signing up, you can also download their free Healthy Holiday Tips. 

Emotional Balance

It sounds counter-intuitive, however getting some down-time and rest this holiday season will actually help you enjoy it more. I’ve been practicing what I’m learning from Renée Trudeau and it’s working!  Taking time to breathe deeply and notice everything that I’m grateful for has been a lovely reminder of what’s really important. This weekend, I actually slowed down and did less, resulting in exponentially more enjoyment!

Dealing with Difficult People

This time of year with a sleigh full of added pressure to create a meaningful and memorable holiday, many people’s emotional reserves wind up on empty. This season can bring out the best or the worst in people, and sometimes in the same day. Gail Gaspar, MA, ACC, CPCC, a professional coach, has some good advice about dealing withPushy relatives, the My Way or the Highway friend and Narcissists.

Trying to please everyone, reacting without thought and thinking that if we just try a different approach, someone will magically change a destructive behavior are all common traps to avoid.

Your Health is the Best Gift of All

This time of year, as anyone who is battling an illness or taking care of a family member will tell you, the most important gift you can give yourself is better health, so please take a moment to join El Camino Hospital’s Free Health Perks Program and download these Free Holiday Health Tips.

Disclosure: I am working with El Camino Hospital  to help spread the word about all the life-saving services available to people not only here in Silicon Valley but around the globe.