Holiday Season... Traditions... Food.

Ah... the holiday season. Traditions. Family. It is one of the most stressful times of the year for many people. Juggling family, friends, work, and more. Money issues rear up as we think we have to make the season "the best", make people "happy", not disappoint anyone... We tend to put pressure and stress on ourselves. Doesn't make much sense but that is what happens. People during this time of the year get more depressed, drink more, fall off the wagon, over-eat, and over-spend. It doesn't sound so jolly to me.

Why do it? Why? I don't get it. You make the choices, you live them. The people I know who are happiest during the holidays are the ones who have tossed away all the "shoulds" and do what they want to do. Take out Chinese for Thanksgiving dinner, playing scrabble and hanging out with friends laughing and being goofy. Going on a romantic trip for Christmas. A movie-thon of sequels of some great flick everyone loves. Perhaps a long hike in a beautiful spot and a picnic. Cross country skiing. Monopoly or Risk night.

I gave up all the holiday "shoulds" 9 years ago. My life is much better for it. This year for Thanksgiving, I'm having Thanksgiving breakfast for my three children and husband. I'm thinking fruit crepes to start. Later a big bowl of assorted fruit salad (pears, figs, apples, pomegranate, citrus, banana, something else fun I find). I get a delivery of farm fresh veggies the day before, so I'll make a meal out of that selection. Easy. Healthy. More time to spend and enjoy my family. Later on that day, a romantic walk on the beach with my husband. 

My Christmas is focused on family. No gifts. My children get gifts from me on their birthdays, when I find something that they will absolutely love and when they need something, not because society tells me I "have to" buy them "stuff"- they all ready have enough "stuff". So it is getting together, eating healthy food from the farms. No stress. No pressure. Perhaps another walk on the beach  =)

Food. Food. Traditional food. I was never partial to it. I was called a 'picky eater' my whole childhood. It's funny now, because the foods I would eat are very healthy. But I was teased, I was a problem to feed... which confused me. Raw veggies needed nothing to prepare, a green salad was easy, raw fruit is again easy, rice or a plain baked potato- easy. Family holiday meal times were a trial for me. All that food, and nothing I cared to consume. Nothing even drew me to try it. It wasn't until I was an adult I had my first piece of pie (why cook and sweeten fruit I wondered?), still haven't had a jam or jelly (eww), I tried sweet potato casserole for the first and last time about 6 years ago, and I still can't believe that people eat it as part of their meal and not as a dessert.  I'd rather you bake a sweet potato and eat it plain. I've never had mayo or mustard- it is gross and unnecessary. Creamy salad dressings or Thousand Island... just looked gross to me, couldn't bring myself to try. Meat was disgusting as well. All that chewing- is it gum or food? I couldn't swallow, my throat would close up. I found 101 ways to hide the meat on my plate. I told everyone, "Animals are my friends and I don't eat my friends." The beets in a can-shape? Soggy limp green beans, the weird stuff that they stuffed into a birds cooter? Really?! No, I wasn't drawn. My mouth did not water. I was hungry all day. I preferred simple foods, don't even mash my potatoes and put milk in it- that is just weird... again eww. Is it any wonder I became vegetarian... and then vegan? Healthy, simple, fresh food. This is what my body has told me is right for me from the get-go. 

The point is, you can do anything you want. You don't have to do what everyone else does. Why? Why be like everyone else? Is everyone else happier? Healthier? More relaxed? Make some changes, ease up on the pressure. Make the day have some bits of you sprinkled in... not what some people thought would be nice over 100 years ago.

 

 

Jennifer Michaels is a holistic health coach and the Chief Wellness Hero at Maui Health & Wellness Coaching. She helps her clients take the overwhelm and confusion out of their health journeys.

Surviving the Holidays

I read the following and it resonated within me, plus I love the no BS stand. It is to the point, blunt and true.

"The holiday season can be a joyous time when we celebrate with our family and friends. However, with unhealthy foods everywhere, I take bad nutrition seriously because people die from it. Food addiction is powerful for sure, but think about if that junk food (white flour, white rice and white sugar are dangerous junk) is worth a cancer diagnosis or open heart surgery. When junk food is eaten, including the traditional, disease-promoting foods served at the holidays, you may get momentary pleasure as it passes the lips, but the results continue on to compromise your health now, and many years in the future. For some reason people do not realize that they aren’t granted a new body after they harm the one they have. We pay a price, usually later in life for our dietary indiscretions. As we get older, the more years one remains overweight and the more times you indulge in cancer-causing foods, the more difficult it becomes to assure protection against a tragic life-threatening cancer when you finally do decide to eat healthfully. Now is the time to throw your cigarettes away, not next year. Now is the time to get off your soft drinks and sugar addiction, not after the holidays. 

 Since everyone can use great (healthy) recipes to make delicious desserts and main dishes, I do not see the reason to eat white flour and sugar-filled garbage that creates cancer. Just because the world has gone crazy, and has become addicted to dangerous refined foods and factory farmed junk-food chicken and meats (factory-farmed meats are junk-food too) doesn’t mean you should join the self-destructive insanity.

Remember how eating unhealthful and overeating while celebrating the holidays left you feeling ill and regretful in the past? (And it wasn’t likely that pleasurable either.) I doubt pigging out on junk is that pleasurable compared to cocaine or heroin. Not that I would know that, but I do know that food addiction kills a thousand times more people each year than cocaine addiction. Plus, not having good health magnifies every emotional problem plaguing your life and is a contributory cause of depression. Now is the time to change things. Make the effort, set the example and do not let the holidays derail your commitment. Giving up addictive and harmful habits are tough, but you have to be tough on yourself to succeed. Accept no excuses. It will be well worth it. Do it now. Make the commitment.

Fast forward to next holiday season: you will make the best choices; the ones that will allow you to achieve overall health and quality of life. You'll be celebrating your health instead of simply indulging in the “traditional” destructive foods. As you eat for optimal health and vitality, you’ll be able to more fully enjoy the special times with family and friends. You will flourish and it will be the most enjoyable holiday season you've ever had. There will be no need to “start over” next January 1st. You will already be committed to your health, and feel pleased with yourself for maintaining your healthy habits over the holidays." -Joel Fuhrman, M.D.

Growing Babies- Healthy Pregnancy Equals Healthy Baby

One of the most important things we do is bring children into this world. It is huge. It is amazing.

Many do not think about the health of the mother and father BEFORE they conceive. Having a healthy father and a healthy mother is the foundation of growing a healthy baby.

Once you are pregnant, you should be very conscious of growing a healthy baby. This includes the foods you eat, as well as your environment and your thoughts. A healthy pregnancy benefits not only the baby but the mother, to insure a healthy, easy birth without complications.

You are a mother as soon as you are carrying a baby within you, and that baby is depending on you for it's health and well being.

I'm sure you want a healthy happy baby. No parent dreams of having a child with: autism, physical disabilities, mental disabilities, complications, disfigured, premature, etc. These are our fears.

Eating right and living a healthy lifestyle can give your baby the best start he/she can have.

I will guide you to growing a healthy baby. I will support you and ease your fears and concerns. I will give you information on concerns you may have so you can make the right decisions for you and your family.

I was told I couldn't conceive. I changed my diet and added herbs and supplements, and other lifestyle changes... nine months later I was pregnant. I went on to have three healthy beautiful easy pregnancies and now have three amazing children. I was very focused on growing healthy children, before pregnancy, during and after birth in regards to the quality of my breast milk and their lifestyle (lighting, noise, clothing, toys, touch).

Talk with me today about scheduling a FREE consultation and see how my program can support you and your growing family. 808-269-2701. I see people in person on Maui and over the phone all over the world.

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