Princess Theodora

As the holidays are approaching today’s busy lifestyle leaves little room for feeling slow or sluggish.  We are constantly on the go, juggling responsibilities and schedules and stressing about holiday shopping and attending holiday parties. Meeting those demands requires extra energy.

Stress, excess weight, lack of exercise, lack of sleep and poor diet all undermine our levels of energy. Take a moment and look at the choices you make in your everyday life to switch your energy from fatigued to energized.  Attacking any of the areas mentioned will give you more energy. And since they are all interconnected once you find the key to one behavior you will quickly unlock the door to improving them all. Making time for more exercise, taking frequently moments to relax, getting enough sleep and avoiding a diet filled with caffeine and fast food are the basic steps to an overall healthier life style.

Nevertheless during the holidays we are allowed to have a special kind of approach with different kind of eating and we should be able to relax while having portion control in mind. After all who wants to go through November and December not being able to have the cookies they love! Practicing portion control – eating a little bit at a time – is the key to a happy and healthy holiday season – a gift of wellness that we can give to ourselves and others in addition to the following suggestions:

For the overall wellbeing of the body here a few easy steps to keep in mind:

1. Do the Math: Balance extra calories with exercise to burn them off, like taking an extra 30 –minute walk or run a day.
2. Protein first: Be sure to start your meal or event with starters high in protein like hummus or a mixture of almonds and walnuts.  Eating protein before a large meal can have a stabilizing effect on blood sugar.
3. Use a Small Plate: Smaller plates encourage smaller portions and that means you eat less.
4. Don’t stand by the Buffet Table: If you stand out there, you will consume more calories.
5. Eat Regular Meals: Skipping meals so you can splurge at the party will only cause you to overeat. Start your day with a healthy breakfast.
6. Stay Hydrated: If you think you are hungry, you may actually be thirsty. Many studies show that drinking two glasses of water before every meal will help you consume fewer calories.

For the overall wellbeing of the skin here a few simple tips:

1. Pamper Your Skin: Your skin functions differently in the cooler fall and winter seasons which cause dry skin that can become chopped and cracked. Your skin’s goal when it is cold outside should be to moisturize, exfoliate (gently) and moisturize again, while also using gentle toners and cleansers.
2. Exfoliate Your Skin: Exfoliate twice per week to remove dead skin cells and allow your skin to absorb the extra moisture you are lathering on.
3. Revitalize Your Skin: For a simple home hydrotherapy, start out your day with a hot steamy shower and just as you are finishing switch the water to cold for about fifteen seconds. Repeat the process for two minutes. This hydrotherapy technique will revitalize your skin by stimulation the flow of blood though the skin.

For the overall wellbeing of mind and soul recently I came across a beautiful quote which I would like to share with you and recommend as a holiday inspiration: “Live each day well, and you will have an extraordinary life!”

Wishing everyone a Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving!

Posted on November 24, 2010 to Beauty & Wellness Tips