How to avoid Holiday Stress
Avoid stress-causing foods and beverages that may cause the release of more cortisol to manage both stress and blood sugar levels of more cortisol which could lead to:
Sleep Depravation
Decreased Immune power (resulting in cold and flu)
Gas, belching, acid reflux, pain in the stomach
Headaches
Unusual food cravings
Fluctuating blood sugar that feels like stress
Avoid these foods and beverages
• White processed sugar (soft drinks, cookies, cakes, candy.....)
• Flavored and colored foods (an array of chemicals used in the process)
• Artificial sweeteners that could cause metabolic disease
• Fried and fast foods that cause your digestion to work harder and be stressed
• Processed carbohydrates, might taste good, but they are empty calories with no or very little nutritional value, which will cause your blood sugar to fluctuate and make you moody
• High sodium processed foods could cause your blood pressure to rise and make you feel bloated
• Alcohol you may feel relaxed after drinking a glass of wine but drinking alcohol also could increase your level of hormones, blood pressure, and increase your heart rate, giving you the same symptoms of stress and sometimes depression
1. Create Healthy Holiday Habits
Increasing healthy habits during the holiday season will be one of your best defenses against stress. This means getting enough sleep, eating well and not overeating at parties ( eat a salad before you leave your house), and staying physically active. Take walks early in the morning before eating breakfast to get rid of some of the stored energy that was not used the night before
Maintain your workouts. Just walk every day 30 minutes before breakfast, 30 minutes after dinner. Try to fit holiday duties into your everyday routine rather than letting them create more unnecessary stress in your life.
2. Be Realistic
The holiday season can be full of extra commitments, from parties to business meetings, to possible travel to visit family and friends. To help manage stress, make a list of what you expect from yourself, what others expect from you, and your responsibilities for the holidays. You may want to place them on a calendar to get a feel for all that needs to be done and avoid double booking. Try not to say yes to all invites to please everyone.
If you don’t have close family or live alone accept that you may get sad or lonely at times, and that’s okay. If you’re coping with mental health concerns, practice good mental health habits. Meditate, listen to relaxing happy music, eat foods that are full of nutrients not empty calories, and walk in a park where other people are walking so you won’t feel so alone. If you’re particularly overwhelmed, talk to your mental health counselor about how you feel and how to handle it.
3. Reach Out
Despite what may seem like an overabundance of social interaction (Gift shopping, big family dinners, overlapping holiday parties), feeling of loneliness can rise between Thanksgiving and January. Look for new ways of volunteering (nursing homes, soup kitchens, serving the homeless, delivering toys….), or simply reach out to the people you care about to give a helping hand to make their lives easier and more enjoyable.
If you are trying to have a beautiful party, ask your friends or family members for assistance so that you won’t accumulate more stress.
4. Winter walks are amazing for blood circulation and sleeping deeper. Remember your physical and mental help comes first
If you tonify and detox your body during the holidays, you won't end of with 10 to 20 pounds of excess weight after New Year’s to fight of. Here is a program to follow daily to stay on top your health and maintain good health
Stay Healthy, Stay on top of it
1: Every morning during the Holidays, drink one to three cups of
“Persian Green Rose Tea” or “Persian Green Yasmine Tea”
(Please alternate)
2: Mid-afternoon during the Holidays, drink one to two cups of “Crimson Zing” to boost your energy and immune power
3: After dinner drink (half an hour after) one to two cups of” Persian Euphoria” to boost your digestion, flush out physical toxins
4: Before bedtime (half an hour prior to bedtime) pour two to four tablespoons of “Tree Spirit” in a large cup of hot water to tonify all your organs and rid your body of accumulated oxidative stress and toxins.
In addition, “Tree Spirit” is a tonic, meaning it will increase the health of all your organs
5: If you are addicted to alcohol, cigarettes, or any other substances “Spirit of Joy” will support your body while you are trying not to overdo it during the holidays and in the new year to detox.
You can get all of these items HERE.