25 Ideas to help you get through the holidays without gaining weight
1. Start every day with an intention.
“When you’re connected to the power of intention, everywhere you go, and everyone you meet, is affected by you and the energy you radiate. As you become the power of intention, you’ll see your dreams being fulfilled almost magically, and you’ll see yourself creating huge ripples in the energy fields of others by your presence and nothing more.” – Wayne W. Dyer, The Power of Intention: Learning to Co-create Your World Your Way
Get yourself a deck of “My daily intention cards” – http://www.cravingsboss.com/my-daily-intention-cards/
These cards have been life changing for many people who were looking to improve the quality of their life, elevate their consciousness, get focused and accomplish more with their life.
2. Let go of guilt
Last year I read a great book “Power vs Force.” In it I learned that guilt puts us in a state of low vibration, which means it restricts you from thinking and acting clearly. The energy flow gets interrupted as feelings of guilt bury themselves in your gut, blocking your creative expression, as well as from reaching your ultimate potential and financial success.
This leads us to our next point: forgiveness
3. Practice forgiveness. According to an article from John Hopkins University, Studies have found that some people are just naturally more forgiving. Consequently, they tend to be more satisfied with their lives and to have less depression, anxiety, stress, anger and hostility. People who hang on to grudges, however, are more likely to experience severe depression and PTSD, as well as other health conditions. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/healthy_aging/healthy_connections/forgiveness-your-health-depends-on-it
This year I attended an incredible event – Afest by Mindvalley. The theme was about achieving higher states of consciousness. The founder, Vishen Lakhiani, talked about how during an experiment at 40 Years of Zen he was able to uncover the secret to increasing alpha waves in the brain (they are responsible for Deep Relaxation of Body and Mind – drifting away of stresses and worries) – it’s forgiveness. Learning forgiveness will allow you to stop carrying around the weight of what has happened in the past.
4 Plan your meals ahead of time with our beautifully designed mindful eating planner, download you FREE copy here: – https://healthyintent.lpages.co/mindful-eating-planner
5. Read the book “Cravings boss – the real reason you crave food and a 5-step plan to take back control” to help you gain an upper hand on managing your food cravings. Get it here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1504349946/ref=cm_sw_su_dp
6. Take our course – Stop Self-Sabotaging with Food – on Daily Om if you want to go deeper with self-sabotage; find out exactly why our bodies BEG for food (hint: it’s the connection between brain, environment and gut) and practical advice on what to do in specific situations, including travel and eating out. Pay what you want ($10, $25 or $40) https://www.dailyom.com/cgi-bin/courses/courseoverview.cgi?cid=783&aff=0
7. Learn to make healthy holiday/party platters. Check out my class: https://healthyintent.teachable.com/p/happy-entertaining-part-1-party-platters-from-simple-to-simply-extravagant
8. Pick up a new hobby – check out Skillshare, CreativeLive – just a couple of my favorite sites where you can learn some fun sills.
9. Get an accountability buddy – it’s always fun to have someone on standby to call or text and talk you out of making a bad decision. You can create a contest with a few friends.
10. Stay hydrated – spa water ideas
Watermelon + Rosemary
Grapefruit + Basil
Cucumber + Strawberry + Mint
Lemon + Lime + Orange
Pineapple + Mango
Blackberry + Honeydew
Raspberry + Goji Berry
Lavender + Vanilla
Rosehip + Black Currant
Apple + Kiwi + Pear
11. Look into IV therapy – it has the potential to restore optimum hydration, stimulate and support the immune system and get you feeling very refreshed.
12. Juice daily. What a great day to get a daily boost with all your fruits and veggies! Check out this carrot mojito juice: http://healthyintent.com/2016/08/carrot-mojito-juice/
13. Workout every day, even if it’s 10 minutes (you can always do 20 squats every time you use a restroom). When holiday shopping, find the furthest parking spot. Fast-walk to mall. Take stairs, not elevators.
14. Manage the temptations. ID the food that’s most tempting for you, and don’t have it in your house.
15. Be ready beforehand: eat a piece of fruit or raw vegetables or another healthy snack or a protein shake before going to holiday parties.
16. Drink a glass of Kombucha in the morning. Check out this article to learn about health properties: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/8-benefits-of-kombucha-tea#section2
17. Create a holiday playlist that will make you want to dance around like nobody is watching.
18. Take your probiotics. Overgrowth of bad bacteria in the gut that like sugar often contributes to cravings. While taking out processed sugar will certainly help, doctors recommend adding a high-quality probiotic supplement to create balance of gut bacteria.
19. Think healthy alcohol – check out our friend Leah’s Social Sparkling wine: http://socialsparklingwine.com
20. Practice meditation daily. In essence, meditation is a powerful tool for mental and physical healing capacities. It is no secret some of the most successful and powerful people use meditation techniques to advance their careers. Simply put, meditation is the practice of warriors. Fortune 500 executives, media warriors, professional athletes, musicians, best-selling authors and, yes, even comedians are on the mindful path of living a life of purpose through meditation. From the Beatles to Oprah to Russell Brand, all have used meditation as a means to stay balanced in the chaotic world of fame and infamy. This one interesting article sums up the benefits of meditation so well. Check it out: http://www.feelguide.com/2014/11/19/harvard-unveils-mri-study-proving-meditation-literally-rebuilds-the-brains-gray-matter-in-8-weeks/ With over 100 different meditation schools and various styles, it won’t be hard to find the right fit for you.
21. Carry a tiny bottle of essential oils with an invigorating scent that will redirect your senses when cravings hit. https://naturalon.com/best-12-essential-oils-to-lose-weight-stop-cravings-and-more/view-all/
22. Find the way to hold yourself accountable publicly. Does the idea of posting every meal you consume on social media intimidate you? Will it keep you from indulging? Several studies, albeit small ones, show that social networks like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram can help bolster weight loss.
23. Find some awesome healthy food bloggers on instagram or Pinterest to follow. Visual inspiration will create the desire to try new recipes.
24. Laugh more. “Your body cannot heal without play. Your mind cannot heal without laughter. Your soul cannot heal without joy.” – Catherine Rippenger Fenwick
On average, a child laughs 300 times a day while an adult laughs only 17 times a day. Laughing burns calories. In fact, laughing for 10 minutes each day can burn the same number of calories as a half-hour workout. It also can lower blood pressure, strengthen the immune system by increasing infection- fighting antibodies, stimulates both sides of the brain to enhance learning. It eases muscle tension and psychological stress, which keeps the brain alert and allows people to retain more information. How can you find ways to laugh more every day?
25. Have veggies at every meal. Read this blog post: http://healthyintent.com/2016/08/how-eating-more-veggies-will-help-you-curb-cravings/