Winter Blues

Sometimes winter can get a bad rap and can be referred to as the SAD season. Don’t let the early sunsets and cold temperatures affect your mood. There are things we can do to prevent the seasonal mood changes. 

Start by embracing the day and finding time to get outside at some point before sunset. As little as 10 minutes of sunshine can provide benefits of Vitamin D along with a mood lifter. With the holiday season, there are a lot of cookies and family recipes that often make their way into the workplace. It’s important to not cave into the carbohydrate cravings!  Enjoy a taste of it, but be sure to include energy packed vegetables and lean proteins as well. 

As always, keep moving! With the frigid temperatures, it can be a challenge to get out of bed early to work out, yet many studies show those who get their morning workout in before their work day, are more inclined to keep up their routine and have the added benefit of burning calories in the morning, essentially eating a larger breakfast, lighter lunch and a balanced dinner. If it’s a weight workout, you’ll have the added benefit of burning more calories throughout the day. 

It’s also a great time of year to try something outdoors that you don’t typically do. Gather some work out buddies and find an activity or two that you can experience together. Most importantly, get your sleep and take your vitamins. You can’t replace sleep with an energy drink or extra coffee. Take the time to reenergize your body by getting enough rest and the vitamins will ensure a strong immune system to stay healthy throughout the winter season.

Happy Holidays!

As the first weekend of December is upon us, keep in mind it’s important to prepare for the holiday parties and festivities beforehand.

A few tips to keep your waistline trim this holiday season.

-       Have a snack before the event. Be sure to have something with protein to help keep you full and satisfied. You don’t want to be munching too much on all of the appetizers. (A sampling is wonderful, but there’s nothing worse than starving while at an event) Try a handful of nuts, an apple with peanut butter, hummus and vegetables, or even a small protein shake.

-       Drink plenty of water throughout the day to ensure you’re hydrated for your event. This will help to prevent you from drinking too much too fast if you plan on having a few cocktails at the event.

-       Can you squeeze in an afternoon nap? This time of year we are go,go,go! To keep our body in balance, it’s so important to make sure we are getting 7-8 hours of sleep. We can use the weekends to play catch up, but with holiday shopping, cooking and spending time with loved ones, sleep can be the first thing to be eliminated- Try to make an effort to get your sleep!

-       Depending on the time of the event that you’re attending, it might be helpful to get moving before to get your blood circulating and help to get you ready to go!

-       Know ahead of time what you are wearing, so you’re not running out to the store at the last minute to grab it. This will be a huge stress reliever!

Most of all, take time to enjoy the holidays… After all, they only come around once a year.