Healthy Holidays and How To Have ‘Em

By, Michelle Pfeninnghaus

It’s like a scene from a movie: Snow gently falling, family and friends gather joyfully to sing songs and exchange good wishes. There’s good food, good fun, and –

Wait a minute.

Let’s pull back the curtain here. Often behind every holiday gathering there’s someone totally stressed out trying to clean the house, dress the kids and prepare a meal. The phone rings, the dog barks, someone spills something. Guests arrive early, someone says something snippy after a long car ride, and things get tense between family members. Oh, and half of the party has a sniffle or a fever.

Or, perhaps there’s a lack of friends and family in our lives. Winter can be a lonely time that brings sadness and the false comfort of too much macaroni and cheese.

The fact of the matter is, the winter months can be some of the most difficult times of the year. No Black Friday Sales or Christmas Shops are going to make it all better. In fact, the need to shop and spend and go into debt is just another reason to stress out needlessly.

This year, do yourself a favor and take care of YOU, first.

It all begins with self care. That means sleeping enough, exercising enough, eating wholesome foods, and being true to yourself. When we get busy, self care is often the first thing to go. Then we do ourselves another disservice by getting made about gaining weight or getting sick. Why not set your intention this year to get through the holidays happy and healthy?

(And that formal New Year’s Eve party you’ve been dreading? Screw it.)

Here are my top 5 tips for staying happy and healthy all winter long:

1. Do unto others.

Wish there were fewer social obligations this holiday season? Make it a point to go easy on your own family and friends. Instead of hosting yet another cocktail party, bring homemade soup to a sick relative, or call a friend who lives far away just to say hi.

2. Use low tech solutions.

A stuffy nose can be treated with a neti pot, steam bath, or some hot chicken soup. Medicine is fine but can make you feel worse in the long run. Often, natural alternatives are best put to use preventatively – so don’t wait until a cold has blossomed to take good care of yourself.

3. Create your reality.

What do you really want to do this winter? Ski? Take a trip to Italy? Paint your bedroom lavender? It doesn’t matter what it is, but choose to do the things that will make you happy and satisfied. There’s no law that everyone has to spend the winter months exactly like everyone else. Bor-ing.

4. Enjoy your favorite foods.

But skip all that other nonsense – the party platters, the cheap chocolates, the generic corn chips. Why bother? That’s not the good stuff. Allow yourself to savor homemade lasagna or hot mulled wine while talking and enjoying the company of those around you. Differentiate between eating as nourishment and eating as a way to feel less awkward at a party.

5. Give yourself the best gift, ever.

New slippers are nice, diamond earrings are pretty, but what’s the gift that you’ll cherish most? Not being wiped out on January 1st! Join me for a teleseminar that will help support you through this crazy time of year and help make these tips a reality for you.

Happy Holidays & How To Have ‘em
Sunday, November 15, 2009
8pm Eastern Time
Get more info here
Registrants will receive the call-in number and passcode via email.