It's Thanksgiving week and, man, do I have a storm of ideas to help you carve out a little space to feel (just a tad!) healthy and focus on feeling awesome this week.
Aside from the obvious advice to try to get active this week (go for walks, do even 5 minutes of strength work or stretching, etc.. (check my blog for some free workouts)), I wanted to give you a few simple rules to incorporate into your day to help you come away from your Thanksgiving celebration feeling like you've made some beautiful memories (and avoid feeling hungover, fluffy, and relieved you have a year to come up with safe topics to converse with kooky aunt Carol).
Let's start with the FOOD! Look, there are a lot of awesome and not-exactly-healthy foods coming your way pretty soon and I want you to feel great about that.
The food is not in control. You are. Come up with a plan of attack and know that in ANY given moment (on any day, but especially Thanksgiving), there are choices to make. If you find yourself fighting with yourself or speaking negatively to yourself about a choice you made, make a healthy choice next.
Maybe you grab a glass of water after you realize you just mindlessly mainlined 8 deviled eggs straight into your bloodstream instead of the wine (or at least before the wine) you were just about to chase it down with.
Maybe you grab someone you love and go for a walk when you realize you're just sitting around waiting for the next course.
Maybe you sneak off and take a few minutes alone to connect with yourself and remind yourself of your goals and your plan.
Here are some of my favorite Dos and Don'ts to help make your Thanksgiving feel a bit more awesome:
•Don’t starve yourself all day before your Thanksgiving meal.
•Do have small high protein snacks before or between the big meals and cocktails.
•Do indulge and enjoy it!
•Don’t drink too much alcohol before the meal starts. Alcohol reduces your reasoning ability so you will be more likely to give yourself bigger portions and eat less mindfully and end up with a FOOD COMA!
•Don’t avoid things you love just because “they are unhealthy.”
•Do be mindful about portions. If you choose to indulge in an unhealthy favorite, make sure you choose a smaller portion size and really sit and pay attention to enjoying your delicious treat.
•Do follow the 3 bite rule. If there is something you really want to eat but you know will make you feel bad either physically or mentally for eating it, allow yourself 3 bites. Bite 1: Taste it and enjoy it. Bite 2: Savor it. Bite 3: Say goodbye. That’s all you need. I’m pretty sure it’s science.
•Do drink a glass of water between every alcoholic drink. Bubbly water is a great option because you will sip on it longer and it actually looks and feels like a cocktail!
•Do choose one indulging cocktail if you want it, and then stick to wine or a liquor with no sugary mixer.
Food for Thought:
Especially given the current political climate, we are finding that there are more and more things that can polarize us and create barriers to meaningful connections. I encourage you all (challenge you all?) to find ways to connect with the people around you. So let's stay away from politics (obvi!) and cultivate some connections with the people around us, no matter how kooky!
Cultivating Connection
I came across Julian Treasure a few years ago and loved the simple way he was able to explain how to ensure a meaningful conversation.
Treasure uses the acronym HAIL: To hail means to greet or acclaim enthusiastically which is a great place to start!
H is for Honesty - Be straight and clean (absolute honesty is not necessary but when tempered with Love, it’s a wonderful thing!)
A is for Authenticity - Be yourself!
I is for Integrity - Be someone people can trust (keep the gossip and negative speak out of your conversations).
L is for Love - wishing people well. When you are truly wishing someone well, you can’t be simultaneously judging them, even in your own head.
If you try to follow these guidelines, you will create a comfortable and safe place for the people in your life to feel heard, loved and respected.
And FINALLY, let's focus on the GOOD!
On Thanksgiving, it's common to take turns speaking about what you are thankful for. I love this practice. We do it every night at dinner (or sometimes even in the car just for something to talk about other than "poo poo pee pee fart butts." (Remember, I'm a boy mom!).
THIS YEAR, I want to see if you can focus a bit more on each other. There is a lot going on and we have a lot to be thankful for. In a big group, some people get over shadowed and some people love the spot light. So in an effort to fill everyone's "cups" (we all know what I'm talking about here, right?!), try going around the table and, one at a time, say one thing you love or admire about each person in the room!
This exercise will give everyone a turn to speak with a pretty equal time limit, and will allow everyone to pour into others. AND, every person gets to hear how they've touched other's lives - something we don't get to hear about often enough. For people you may not know well or are just meeting for the first time, maybe you love their style or the way they introduced themselves to you. There’s always something!
Finding and communicating SOMETHING you love about everyone is as good for you as it is for them to hear.
Ok, Savages! You know what to do now. Go out and Live Healthy AND Be Happy!
Let me know how you're doing! I want to hear from YOU! How's it going? Working on any new goals? Any thoughts you'd like to share or ideas you'd like to see? Respond to this email and check in and let me know how you're doing!
If you're feeling ready for some healthy changes to stick! Hit me up this weekend! I will have Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday Sales for DAYYYYYYS (4 days). Different pop up deals coming up all weekend - bonus swag, goodies, and site wide %'s off. Whether you want to start now or get in on a deal to use later, now is the time!