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It’s Wellness Wednesdays! We’ll talk about how to make time for physical health during the holiday season. During the holiday season, physical health often takes a back seat. We’re so busy with family and friends that we neglect our normal routine. That can leave you feeling run down, lethargic, and uninspired. The holidays are a time of good cheer and celebration. The good news is you can experience that joy and still manage to take care of your physical health.
Choose to make your physical health a priority during the holidays. Take the initiative because you’re worth it, and your enjoyment of the holidays depends on it. A commitment to your health will lead you to find the time, and the time spent will provide enough energy and self-confidence to get you through the stressful parts of your holiday season.
Get the exercise that your body is used to and that it craves, so you can stay feeling alive. In the midst of all the holiday shopping, get-togethers with friends, and obligations, your workout must be a priority for you to succeed. Be flexible about the days and times of your workouts, but remain firm that you will get your workout in.
Make Time for Your Needs
Even when the holidays are in full swing, family and friends are around one another for only part of every day. You’ll have some time to yourself. Use that time wisely and plan carefully to get the most out of your holidays. If you do, you’ll surely be able to find time for your workout.
Remind yourself that you’ll feel sluggish if you miss your workout. Constantly visualize yourself enjoying the success that awaits you for attaining your physical goals. Take care of your body, and your body will thank you with the energy to take care of everything else over the holidays.
Family and Friends May Follow Your Lead
If you stay consistent in your workouts and enjoy taking care of your physical health, others in your family may follow suit. You can help them get healthy by showing them your goals and how you’re working toward them. Consider working with them on:
- Eating better so they can maintain optimal weight for their height and activity levels
- Getting some exercise each day so they remain energetic
- Seeing that exercise can be fun and enjoyable so they’ll keep doing it in the long-term
- Finding activities they like so that they’re more likely to keep exercising in the future
After all, you probably had to do all of those things when you first started working out. You might have had someone to encourage you, or you may have been required to figure it out on your own. Either way, you have the opportunity to set a good example for others while still keeping yourself healthy over the holidays. Take advantage of that chance to help other people.
If you’re focused and dedicated to staying fit, you’ll find ways to work out during quiet times and schedule your exercise around family activities so that everyone wins.
Your body will thank you, your mind will be more alert, and the holidays will seem far less stressful when you take care of yourself first. Invest the time in your workouts to make the most of all the holidays have to offer you.
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I really wanted to talk about this topic today because your natural health and wellness is important. You can adopt healthy lifestyle practices that improve your health, your environment, and enrich your life, which can in turn improve the lives of those close to you. You have the power to break the cycle of poor health, including chronic disease, so that you can leave a legacy of health to your loved ones.
I use functional medicine and lifestyle medicine as the first line of treatment, before medications, to treat lifestyle-related chronic diseases. Lifestyle-related chronic diseases include diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and some cancers, just to name a few. Lifestyle practices, such as eating a whole-food plant-based diet and regular physical activity, can help you lose weight, reverse some chronic diseases (if you suffer from them), and can even help you with detoxification. In certain cases, these approaches may even outperform pharmaceutical therapy.
But I always tell my patients that conventional medications may be appropriate at this time to prevent catastrophic illness, but over time, you can work to make the necessary lifestyle changes to possibly reduce and/or eliminate medications. Please remember to always consult your physician for your particular needs and circumstances prior to making any decisions whatsoever.
Is Dietary Supplementation Right For You?
For some people, vitamin and mineral supplements offer important health benefits. Supplements are designed to fight deficiencies found in our diet and complement the food we eat regularly. Supplements are basically “helping hands” to our daily food.
If you suspect that you aren’t getting the nutrients you need, consider shifting your focus from supplements to eating better.
But it is very important to note that we are not eating the same foods we ate years ago because the soils have been depleted of critical nutrients through current industrial farming practices. And because the soil is not as good as it used to be, the food supply (grown from the depleted soil) is not as good as it used to be. For example, you are not getting the same levels of magnesium as you would have gotten 30 or even 50 years ago.
Second, much of the food has been genetically altered, which can impact the inherent and unique nutritional composition that each food possess. For example, ancient einkorn wheat has less gluten, more protein, more Vitamin A, and more beta carotene, than modern genetically modified wheat.
Third, the toxic load in the environment today is much higher than 100 years ago. We can see this with global warming, toxic landfills, polluted oceans and waterways, etc. Toxicity levels interfere with nutrient assimilation and absorption not just into the foods, but into our bodies as well.
So… if you are unable to eat better, the supplements in my MaxHealth Essentials Bundle may provide the extra boost you need.
These are my favorite Wellness and Immune-Boosting Supplements to use! This MaxHealth Essentials Bundle will ensure you have the intake of the important vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants to decrease inflammation and boost your innate wellness day and night. Taken together, it’s a solid plan for increasing your body’s natural resiliency.
For best results make sure you use the supplements with dietary changes including a whole food plant-based diet, regular exercise (at least 2-3x per week), regular sleep (8 hours per night), and intermittent fasting (at least 1-3x per week).
Weight Monitoring
Since weight management is very important in combatting chronic diseases, I recommend that you be mindful of your weight and its fluctuations, and that you monitor your weight AT LEAST on a weekly basis. I recommend a scale that includes a body composition monitor (*this scale cannot be used with a pacemaker or other implanted devices).
Physical Activity
Physical activity (or exercise) can improve your health and reduce the risk of developing several chronic diseases like high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and cancer, just to name a few. Physical activity can improve your mood, boost your immune system, help you maintain a healthy weight, and is a great way to detox your body!
I often recommend yoga and resistance training for physical activity, but as you are aware, there are plenty of forms of “movement” that you can do! But for the basics, especially if you’re just getting started, yoga and resistance training are where I would start.
Yoga
Yoga can be a great way to improve your strength and flexibility, manage your stress, improve your heart health, and lose weight! I recommend using a grounded yoga mat to connect yourself with the earth and reduce inflammation.
Resistance Training
Resistance training is the mainstay for overall health. It not only has beneficial effects on reducing body fat, it also increases muscle size and strength. Check out some basic dumbbells/free weights that I recommend to everyone.
Another alternative for dumbbells/free weights are resistance bands. They are great for physical therapy, yoga, strength training, and excellent for traveling.
Remember, living a healthy lifestyle including eating a whole foods plant-based diet, regular physical activity, and reducing stress are the best ways to maintain a healthy weight. Let me know what you think in the comment section below.
Dr. Nicolle Martin
Dr. Nicolle is double board-certified in Family Medicine and Preventive Medicine. As one of the nation’s most acclaimed primary care and public health physicians, she is a nationally recognized author, speaker, researcher, consultant and media personality. She is the Founder and Chief Medical Advisor of DrNicolleMD.com, where she discusses actionable ideas and real-world strategies to help people take control of their health using integrative therapies and lifestyle change.
Dr. Nicolle also shares her knowledge via her popular social media accounts “Maximize Health” to help people pursue a healthier life. Her motto is simple: Minimize Medications, Maximize Health. With her credentials and warm “bedside manner,” it’s no wonder that the doctor is renowned as “America’s Favorite Family Physician.”
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Last updated on January 28th, 2022 at 10:37 am
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