Holidays brings out the best and the worst of us; ugly sweaters, warming hugs, gluttony, greed, sharing, and caring. Sometimes it feels overwhelming to keep ourselves in line and do the right thing like not eating aunties 500 calorie a slice pumpkin cheesecake, not making a scene when family drama surfaces, or keeping up with working out and taking care of our bodies.

Here are some basic guidelines to follow and things to just keep in mind so you don’t regret anything later on. These are all things that help me personally make healthy chooses throughout the day with people, food, my attitude, personal growth, and so much more.

1. Start your day by drinking a glass of water & filling up a water container so wherever you go you are staying hydrated. This will help the body to naturally cleanse and keep you from feeling light headed, moody, cloudy, lazy, and etc. Usually if I drink a few glasses of water at home before going out I keep drinking lots of water throughout the day.

2. Choose healthy habits (food, water, air, sun, relaxation, thinking before speaking, and positive thoughts/words).
3. Make sure you are doing at least one or two things YOU personally want to do and enjoy. Otherwise the holidays become a choir or your own personal nightmare. Many people over indulge or eat unhealthy foods when they are trying to “eat away” a feeling, making sure your day is truly merry will make a huge difference.

4. Sit, eat and travel with people you admire and want to be around. If you can’t do all of these at least make a point of doing one. Sometimes we do things just because someone else is doing it, surround yourself with people who will have a positive impact on you.

5. Accept yourself where you are now. Stop blaming yourself. The past is the past, the future is the future, but now we are in the present and this is when you can do something about what you want. Know what you want, who you are and keep in mind that you will survive the holidays. For some that means forgiving and letting go of what someone has done to you. May be a family member did some unforgivable. Let it go we all are creators and have a chance to fix things. No one is perfect, and no one should want to be someone else.

6. If you are trying out a new diet or if your family does not know for example that you are vegan or raw may be write them all an email explaining your diet. Let them know your story, how much it has helped you, why it is important to you and what they can do this holiday season to make things a little easier for you. May be that means putting the desserts on a completely different table so you are not tempted. Or keeping all of the meat at the opposite end and making sure there is some food there you can eat. I usually make my own food and make sure it’s okay that I bring it along. ALWAYS offer people to try food from your diet, may be they will like it and the next gathering they will make you something. I love hearing from friends how surprised they are that my food tastes food or how it tastes better than the cooked version.

7. If you are bringing your own food make sure you pack more instead of less. Just in case something goes wrong, someone ends up sharing food with you or an extreme situation occurs like a snow storm.

8. Bring plenty of super foods! Blueberries, Almonds, Grapefruits, Greens and so on. They will provide you will plenty of protein, energy and the vitamins you need to be in a good mood so it is easier to make the right decisions. Here’s a recipe for some simple Raw Almond Blueberry Bars.

9. If you have a work out routine make sure you complete it before head out of the house! No excuses!!!! Otherwise later on you may make excuses for yourself and not work out. After I do yoga I usually have the healthiest cravings and I can not eat as much. I’m not sure why, but I guess it’s that feel good adrenaline from working out.

10. Always KINDLY decline food if it is something you can not eat. Do not bark, “I can’t have that” or “You know I can’t eat that.” It’s the holidays, no one wants to be rude 😛 Sometimes it is a habit to ask even if they know it is something you do not even like to eat.

11. While eating do not focus on the TV in the background or how there is nothing there you can eat. Think about how lucky you are to have people around you, to enjoy their company, conversation and that none of you are going home with an empty belly.

12. If you know you are going to someone’s house where you will have to do a lot of sitting around and that’s when you tend to do bad things like eat even though you are full bring a book or magazine that will keep your eye on the prize. If you want to be vegan or stay vegan may be you can read The China Study or Skinny Bitch. May be you are doing the Weight Watchers program, bring a Weight Watchers cookbook or magazine with you. A book filled with your favorite word games or puzzles. Anything to help you stay focused and not thinking about caving in because you are sad, bored or etc.

13. Be merry instead of telling yourself you can not be, this goes with almost everything in life. Be strong so you can follow your diet. Be polite so you are polite to yourself.

I hope you all have a happy and healthy holiday with lots of hugs and warm greetings from those you love. The holidays can be a time of joy and a time where all our fears attack us. I know you all can find the strength to be the person you know you are even if others may not believe in you. Show them up and yours fears too.

xoxo

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