Women’s Health Blog: Here's an Idea for the Holidays:

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Give yourself the guilt-free gift of health

By January 1 are you anxiety ridden? Are you full of regret from eating too much? Are you tired but staying energized with coffee or energy shots? You are not alone. 

November and December are ridden with guilt, over indulgence and good intentions, especially for women who take on a bulk of the responsibility for holiday happiness.

I am as guilty as anyone with decorating the house, cooking, baking, gift buying and checking the RSVP-Yes box to every party invitation that shows up in my inbox. By default, this year is turning out a little different than past holidays.  I came down with a bad case of bronchitis just before the festivities began. Though Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday because I love to cook, I had to give in and unplug the holiday merry-go-round.

Despite the fact that I felt like hell, it was a welcome lifesaver. I had a house full of guests, all with their own amazing talents in the kitchen, so I delegated – pie baking to Mom, grocery shopping to Dad, turkey roasting to my husband, as well as mashing potatoes and buying wine to the grown kids. It was an amazing day of great food and above all, I was so grateful for everyone’s help.

Now that we are on to the second phase of the holidays, I am staying true to my promise to unplug. Rather than wait until the New Year to make my resolutions, I am giving myself the gift of a stress-free, healthy holiday. And since my budget is tight this year, ideas like a massage at the spa and expensive vacations are out. Instead, I am looking for low-cost ways to enjoy the holiday and get healthier.

Here is my budget-friendly holiday health promise list. I will –

1. Say no (politely of course) and decline all but the most necessary party invitations and instead schedule lunch or coffee in 2011 with friends whose parties I missed. Not only will it reduce my frantic pace, I can spend some quality time with friends when our schedules are more manageable.

2. Take charge of my health now. I signed up for the American Heart Association’s Heart 360 Cardiovascular Wellness Center dashboard. The AHA Heart 360 program is a free online tracking system to monitor my health and keep track of goals and changes in my health status, especially cardiovascular health. Go to www.heart360.org to sign up.

3. Schedule 180 minutes of exercise per week. My biggest excuse this time of year not to exercise is cold winter weather. No more excuses, I found free exercise programs at www.exercisetv.tv that I can follow in the comfort of my own home. No health-club membership dues, no waiting for the treadmill at the recreation center and no more excuses. Also as part of the AHA Heart 360 program, I can track my exercise minutes and request a daily reminder to get off the couch or get away from my computer, and start moving.

4. Be moderate about moderation. By eating 100 calories less per day, my caloric intake will add up to 36,500 fewer calories per year, or 10.4 pounds.  I can’t think of an easier way to lose 10 pounds.

5. Schedule “do not disturb” time for 30 minutes per day to read, meditate or nap. Enough said.

If you, too, are giving yourself the gift of health this year or next, please let us know what works for you! 

You can read Kimberly Lord Stewart’s first blog here. 

You can read all of Kimberly Lord Stewart’s health blogs here. 

You can find all of WellWise.org’s health bloggers here. 

You can return to WellWise.org’s home page here.