The holidays are upon us once again. It seems like it only took a year to recover from last year’s health problems that were born from terrible food, plenty of alcohol, no exercise and ridiculous amounts of stress. There’s no surprise that more heart attacks occur in December and January than any other months of the year.
Take the time this season to truly enjoy your family and friends, but follow these steps so you can live to tell about it!
- Decide you want to be healthy
The first step towards any positive change is making the decision you actually want it to happen.
- Have a vision
Plenty of people have dreams of being healthy, but without a detailed plan, it will never come to fruition. Add a well-thought-out plan based on correct principles to inspire and motivate you to achieving your vision.
- See your Chiropractor
Often seen as an intervention for aches and pains, chiropractic is a more significant part of the health process than you’d expect. Keeping a healthy spine and nerve system is a vital piece for staying healthy and handling the stress of the season.
- Schedule your holiday season
Create a schedule of your holiday season with all events, parties and even days off. See the future before it happens and plan accordingly. Be ready to adapt to any obstacles that may be in your path.
- Plan your meals
You are already going to be facing some “off-track” opportunities; make sure the rest of your meals fit all of the By Design principles. You can offset some of the negative effects by ensuring every other meal is built from high quality real food.
- Party survival basics
When you do make it to the party, focus on protein (meat, cheese, nuts) instead of crackers, breads and other treats. If you are drinking alcohol, choose red wine, potato vodka or cider.
- Regular movement
Be sure to continue with your regular exercise! Special tip: Always exercise on any day you may not be eating 100% By Design foods.
- Have fun
Enjoy yourself, don’t beat yourself up, and get right back on the wagon if you do fall off. Don’t allow one bad meal or day to become an entire month or more.
- Plan for next year before next year
It’s a big mistake to wait until the new year to plan your vision and action steps for success. Use December as a great time to start thinking about next year, what you want for your life, and how you plan on making it happen.
The team at Elmira Family Chiropractic wish you the best over the holiday season!