Return to Healthy Lifestyles After the Holidays Helps Chase the Blues Away

If you’re looking for post-holiday motivation to get back in to the healthy living game, look no further than the mirror. Our skin will show signs of what we’ve eaten or what we’re feeling often before our brains process it.

That’s because our skin has a physiological response to stress, anxiety, environmental factors, and yes - our diet.

Skin is the largest organ on our body so while our motivation is often rooted in vanity (just being honest), taking care of it is actually essential for your overall health and wellness. It is the best thing you can do for your health and emotional wellbeing - and doing so will help make you feel better and keep anxiety, stress and depression at arms length.

The effects of your hard work and dedication to well being will show on your face - in the form of healthy, glowing skin. 

With the post-holiday letdown, let’s get started with baby steps and build slowly till you’re back to practicing healthy habits on the daily. 

Follow these suggestions and do the best you can to set achievable goals. Be kind to yourself - no one needs to be dealing with sugar withdrawals and hunger pangs on the first day! So be realistic and back off slowly. You’ll find that smaller increments will help you stay consistent until you’re feeling so good and glowing you won't need to think about it.

Let's begin.

Drink water to flush out your system.

Get started with 8 glasses of water spaced out through the day. The actual quantity you need varies by weight and takes in to account your lifestyle (like, obviously if you’re exercising you need more).

Eat colorful vegetables and raw foods (not just salad).
Vary your diet with colorful, plant based foods. Eating the rainbow helps ensure you're getting the various vitamins and nutrients your body needs to feel good. To know what to eat and why, check out this list here.

Try to mix it up between cooked and raw.
Try this recipe for quick sautéd green veggies - it's savory, fast and healthy. Perfect for the after work dinner rush or a quick lunch if you work from home.

The best thing about eating raw foods like berries and salads is that they’re faster to prep. We’re not talking about your mother’s version of raw (just celery sticks) there are all kinds of raw foods that benefit gut health. Add a splash of fermented, raw foods like apple cider vinegar to your salad, sprinkle on a few raw, sprouted seeds or try sauerkraut - all excellent choices that help detox your system and bring your gut biome into optimized balance.

Go for whole grains and avoid processed or white foods (like rice, pasta, bread).

Sweat it out.

Get rid of those toxins through exercise. Yep, it sounds really gnarly but it’s true. If you’re short on time, start with ten jumping jacks or burpees and build from there till you crack a sweat. An added benefit to detox is you’ll get your heart rate up, too.

The benefits of eating well will make your skin glow and boost your mood. A necessary step to keep the blues at bay.

Boost your metabolism.

Start with small, intentional steps and build up to regular aerobic exercise. Just be consistent.

Eat spicy foods.
Particularly foods spiced with cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, chilis and peppers that contain 

capsaicinoids like red pepper flakes and other hot peppers are known to help give your metabolism a boost.

Eat smaller meals evenly spaced through the day.

Try to eat protein rich, plant based foods including legumes, nuts and seeds which also help keep you feeling satiated.

Eat as soon as you wake up in the morning.
Even coffee and green tea as part of a healthy breakfast are wonderful metabolism boosters.

(Bonus, green tea also detoxes your system and contains antioxidants)

Don’t eat after 8pm.

Acknowledging this is a bit of a challenge particularly if you have teens, and requires more willpower. Just try.

Do high intensity workouts.
High intensity will rev up your metabolism by elevating your heart rate and helps to burn calories.

Do resistance training (lifting weights).
If you don't have weights or the space for weights, try resistance bands which fold up small and will fit in a drawer. They come in different thicknesses. 
The more repetitions you do, despite the weight you lift, you'll be increasing your metabolism and raising your heart rate (all good).

Mom called it ‘beauty sleep’ for a reason. Restorative sleep is how our bodies recharge, helping to boost our moods and keep our brains healthy.

Exercise plays a role with sleep quality and regular exercise helps you get to sleep easier and stay asleep. Though try not to exercise too close to bed time as it is stimulating and makes it harder to fall asleep.

Add epsom salts or a few drops of essential oils if you’re feeling aches or muscle strains.

Try to limit screen time 30-45 minutes before bed as the blue wave emitted stimulates brain function. Read a book instead.

The combination of holiday indulgences and being more lax about routines during winter months wreaks havoc on skin health.

This plus colder temperatures and indoor heating dry out our skin and make it more vulnerable to environmental factors like pollution and UV rays from sun exposure.

Spritz water or use a hydrating spray to spritz your face as needed. Dry skin is a warning your skin’s defenses are weakened making it more vulnerable to environmental factors and sun damage. 

Exfoliate carefully.

Skin is weaker during winter months so gentle exfoliation is best followed up by moisturizing.

Exercise for your skin’s sake.

Even 5-10 minutes per day gets your blood circulating, thus carrying oxygen and nutrients to your skin cells, stimulates collagen production (!) and carries away free radicals that damage skin. 

Get your beauty sleep. Restorative sleep is the time for your skin to repair and regenerate itself.