Post Christmas Recovery

Post Christmas Recovery

In 6 easy steps

I don't know about you, but I had a pretty relaxing break last month.  I did manage to eat vegetables every day and exercise a few times.  But a steady diet of holiday treats, chocolate and eating at coffee shops and wonderful bakeries while visiting friends in Seattle left my digestion and energy levels in the toilet.  I also didn't sleep that great.

Complain, complain

It's time for action.  But what?

CLEANSE???  

Hold off on the green juice a few more months.

Ummm....No.  

It is so tempting to jump into some kind of 'detox'.  It sort of makes you feel better to really ...DO SOMETHING. 

You might have the urge to cut out all the gluten.  Heck, eliminate an entire macronutrient!  Live on detox smoothies or fresh juices.  Really CLEANSE.  But I don't think that's going to work this time of year unless you live in San Diego.  If it's sunny and warm where you are... well... nice for you buddy.  Here's what I recommend for the rest of us.

1. Cut out the sugar

Ditching the sweets is probably the single best thing you could do if you've gone a bit crazy on it like I have.  It's so addictive.  I had to go cold turkey.  But to make it easier, I started making my delicious homemade herbal chai.  I sweeten it with a little bit of maple syrup, but not so much that it matters.  It gave me a little warm, sweet comfort when I would normally pop another piece of fudge into my mouth.  So sure, go ahead and put a little brown sugar on your oatmeal porridge and a pinch of it in a dressing to make it awesome.  But cut out the sweets for a week or two.

2. Drink water

Every morning, first thing, drink 12 ounces of water.  Before your coffee, before your breakfast, before you exercise, before you yell at your children.

3. Make your meal 50% Colorful Produce. 

Make half of your meal produce.  And remember, fruit is pretty much sugar, so let's not go too far down that road.  Make a big vegetable soup, add a salad with your meals (that includes lots of things like grated carrots, purple cabbage, sliced radishes, avocados, etc), get out your sheet pans and toss all your veggies with olive oil and salt and roast them so your family can pick out their favorites.  Roast up a pan of potatoes with rosemary and olive oil.  Bake some yams and slather them in butter.

Look at that... colorful produce AND protein.

4. Eat some protein with each meal.

Beans, meat, chicken, fish, nuts, seeds, tofu, peanut butter, eggs.  Choose one, add it to your meal.  All of your meals.  A croissant is not a good source of protein (I checked).

5. Exercise: 30-60 minutes per day.  

Every day.  Make 2-3 days really count.  On the others, just move the bod.  Go for a walk up and down the road, do some yoga, dance, whatever you like to do.  Do yoga with Adriene online for 30 days. Make a standing date with a friend for a swim, walk, Zumba.

6. Develop a set bedtime

Time to turn off Netflix and go to bed!

Set an alarm for when you're going to bed.

Seriously, I'm not kidding.

You do not need to keep binge watching Netflix, you need sleep.  Set it at least 1 hour before you want to shut the door so you have time to shut down screens. dim the lights, get your bedroom ready, prep breakfast, thaw something for dinner the next day, read someone a story, have sex and put your keys by the front door.  And remember, the door shutting time needs to be 8 1/2 hours before your alarm goes off in the morning.  Do the math.

This is real self-care

I know what you're all thinking now.  "But this is what you always say to do!  It's no different than any other time!"  (In your best whining voice).  I know.  It's not sexy.  Real self-care never is.  But you don't have to hit this with a sledgehammer.  This WILL work.  If you do most of these things at least half-heartedly, you'll feel magically better in 2 weeks.  Ready?  Go.