Dr. Dave’s Winter Holiday Survival Guide!

Holy moly, I cannot believe it’s THAT time of the year again!

Yes, the “holidays” are upon us!  

And no, it does not matter which, if any of the winter holidays you celebrate. The fact is the next couple of weeks can be incredibly stressful, irritating, and will very likely increase your waistline if you are not careful.

So here are my survival tips to keeping this a fun, light and easy time of the year. Trust me… I have been doing all of these for many years.

1. Recognize that saying NO to certain things is perfectly acceptable. You do not have to say yes to everything you are asked to do or attend.  Be selective and say YES to ONLY the things that are most important to you.
2. Plan your activity routine. It’s much easier to plan out where you need to go and then travel in a straight line. For example, if I need to go to the dry cleaners, bank, shoe repair, and natural food store, I will figure out which one is the farthest away, and which one is the closest. Then I “connect the dots” in-between. This way I do not feel like I am running around like a chicken with its head cut off.
3. Realize and be ok with the fact that these winter holidays are NOT about the biggest, most expensive gifts.  ALL of the winter holidays are about being with family, friends and enjoying the JOY of this season, NOT counting the gifts.  So instead of rushing out to purchase your loved one some gift that two months from now they will have forgotten, how about planning an afternoon together or fix them their favorite meal?
4. When attending holiday parties, always remember – if you can use a smaller plate, do so! If there is only one size plate available, please aim to only fill it up about halfway. A full sized dinner plate that is packed with food is simply too much. And while we are talking plates, try to go with the healthiest foods. No fried foods! Please try to avoid the sauced veggies. I know that the sweet potatoes covered in marshmallows look good but the marshmallows and other unhealthy ingredients take away all of the benefits from the sweet potatoes. The same applies to the green beans smothered in fried onions and cream of mushroom soup. But you know all that, right? Just use common sense. Fresh meats and unadulterated veggies are best. Beans and nuts are also good. As my good friend Terry, says – NOTHING IS EVER GOING TO TASTE AS GOOD AS BEING HEALTHY FEELS. She is so right.
5. New Years Eve is the night we celebrate the ending of one year and the beginning of the next – not the night we get as drunk as possible, eat everything in sight and wake up feeling horrible the next day. You all know that I do not drink alcohol. It is incredibly fattening and in my opinion, does not contribute to overall health no matter what the “studies” say. But if you feel the need and desire for a glass of wine or champagne to celebrate the New Year, I will not tell you no, but please limit it to one glass.

There are probably many more holiday tips I can give you, and maybe I will do so very soon. But if you follow just these simple guidelines, I am pretty certain that you will have a wonderful, fun and stress-free holiday season. Enjoy!

Happy Holidays

Dave

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