- 02
- Nov
- 2020
5 Tips to Reset Yourself Before The Holidays
I can hardly believe I’m making plans for Thanksgiving and have already started online holiday shopping. All this while navigating through a pandemic!
The holidays are going to be different this year. But one thing that isn’t likely to change is the yearly challenge of eating healthy during the holidays. I feel like it’s a downhill slide from Thanksgiving until New Year’s Day when it comes to overindulging. How can you feel calm, not gain an average of 5 pounds, and still have fun?
Move Your Body Daily
Whether you run, power walk, lift weights, do yoga, or play a sport, regular exercise is the key to keeping fit and keeping your waistline from growing during the holidays. All of these physical activities help relieve stress and promote healthy metabolism.
“Find an activity you truly enjoy,
and you’ll be more willing to keep doing it.”
Find an activity you truly enjoy, and you’ll be more willing to keep doing it. Don’t make it a big deal, or you may never get started.
Eat Healthy
It’s important to eat when you’re hungry, not out of habit. Choose whole foods, mostly veggies and some protein. Eat slowly and enjoy every bite. An effective weight loss strategy is to shorten the total hours of the day that you eat. This is called “intermittent fasting”, and is fairly simple. Basically, you either eat breakfast later or eat dinner earlier or both. In Chinese Medicine, the Stomach meridian is at its peak of energy for the whole day between 7-9 am. So, plan to make breakfast your biggest meal of the day, and time it closer to 9 am. Then eat an early dinner and have nothing afterward, to kick in the benefits of intermittent fasting.
“If you crave sweets, I recommend adding cinnamon to your
diet to curb your sweet tooth. Slice up an apple
and sprinkle it with plenty of organic cinnamon powder.”
If you crave sweets, I recommend adding cinnamon to your diet to curb your sweet tooth. Slice up an apple and sprinkle it with plenty of organic cinnamon powder. The supplement Chromium Picolinate and the herb Gymnema are good blood sugar balancers and will curb your sugar cravings.
If you have problems with digestion, take digestive enzymes. I recommend one called Pan 5X, available through our online store. You can also call us at (904) 296-9545 or let us know at your next appointment that you’d like to try Pan 5X. Our staff will assist you in placing your order.
- Order in November, and we’ll give you a 10% discount on Pan 5X. Just use or mention promo code 2DIGEST0.
Sleep Well
If your sleep has been a bit disturbed, I can recommend herbal and nutritional supplements that I use myself and have found to be very effective. One is Seriphos, and another is Magnesium Malate. They are both also available in my online store. Depending on your root problem, I also have others to recommend. If you’re not sure which will work best for you, just email me and we’ll figure it out.
Wondering how much sleep is the right amount of sleep? It’s more than most people get. Seven to nine hours is ideal. Many people are running around sleep deprived and using massive amounts of caffeine to make it through the day. Sleeping the right hours is also essential to balance.
You have an internal body clock that lets you know when the ideal time is to sleep, eat, have sex and have a bowel movement.Working in sync with your internal clock will help you feel well-rested, digest your food better and help your mood. Getting to bed around 10 pm is ideal. I recommend you start getting ready for bed an hour before you actually want to sleep. Have a wind-down routine, lower the lights and get off the electronics. If you’re a night owl, then just start by going to bed 15 minutes earlier per week. Make it a slow transition and you will reap the benefits of a restful night’s sleep.
Caffeine can take over 12 hours to be processed through your body. Keep the coffee consumption small (none is best) and definitely before 11 am. Get up around 6 am. Start your day with a cup of warm lemon water and that will get your bowels moving. Then have breakfast between 7-9 am, and dinner before 7 pm (even earlier is better). By the way, the ideal time for sex is 7-9 pm. I knew you were wondering.
“By the way, the ideal time for sex is 7-9 pm.
I knew you were wondering.”
BREATHE
To help your body and mind calm down, practice mindful breathing such as The 4:7:8 BREATH technique. It really works. Seriously. Do this 3-5 times and you will start to engage the parasympathetic (relaxing) nervous system. Breathe in through your nose to the count of 4, hold your breath for 7, and then exhale through our mouth for a count of 8. You’ll be feeling calmer immediately.
Meditation is another great tool for relaxation. I meditate every morning, and it starts my day off right. You can feel centered and calmer after just a few minutes of meditation. Don’t make a rule about how long you meditate. Just do it when you can set aside a few minutes. If you are new to meditation or unsure how to begin, attend one of my free monthly online Meditation
Get Balanced
There’s nothing better for a Pre-Holiday Reset than a Five Element acupuncture treatment. Balance your body while you harmonize your mind, emotions, and spirit with an energy “tune-up”. We tune-up our cars regularly after 3,000 miles or so. Don’t treat your body with any less care than you do your car. Remember this sage advice for living your life:
“Take care of yourself, so you can take care of others”.
We are carefully following all CDC guidelines in our office, including mandatory masks, so all our patients can be assured to safely and comfortably get acupuncture treatment. To make an appointment to get your Pre-Holiday Reset, call us at the Acupuncture & Holistic Health Center at (904) 296-9545. Start this holiday season happier and healthier!