THE LIFESTYLE ENTREPRENEUR

Read time - 4 minutes

Holiday Survival Guide

The holidays are awesome!

They’re also stress inducing, routine destroying, energy sucking times for almost everyone I know.

Since I’ve had my share of family dysfunction and poor decisions throughout a life of holidays, and also figured out how to make them fun and not derail my life too much, I published a “holiday survival guide” last year.

It has a series of recommendations for how to prep and handle the holidays for the best enjoyment with the least damage.

Looking back, it’s solid work of mine - you can read it here

And because you probably won’t read it - here’s a summary. What I’ll add at the end are some nutrition tips to make the holidays go better.

Last Year’s Guide Summary

• Physical Preparation:

  • Move as much as possible; aim for daily workouts, walks, and minimal sitting.

  • Prioritize sleep by waking up at a consistent time each day.

  • Manage nutrition by hydrating well and minimizing non-holiday carbs.

  • Practice moderation with alcohol and drugs, using strategies like the 1-2-3 alcohol rule.

• Mental Preparation:

  • Incorporate mindfulness tools like meditation, deliberate breathing (e.g., box-breathing), and moments alone.

  • Spend time in nature and engage in playful activities to reduce stress.

• Relationship Preparation:

  • Role-play and plan for potential awkward situations.

  • Consider having courageous, preemptive conversations to address tensions.

  • Stay positive, set boundaries, and have clear exit strategies for difficult interactions.

• Helping Others:

  • Volunteer or assist those in need.

  • Invite individuals without family to join your holiday gathering, fostering warmth and community.

• Key Takeaways:

  • Move daily and stay active.

  • Hydrate and simplify your nutrition.

  • Moderate alcohol and drug use.

  • Calm your nervous system with mindfulness.

  • Prepare for challenging interpersonal dynamics.

  • Extend kindness and support to others in need.

Nutritional Tips for enjoying the holidays

I’ve experienced the holidays completely derail my nutrition planning many times. I’ve also allowed it to stay derailed for months. I’ve done it all.

I’ve also, through trial and error, learned how to enjoy them without allowing things to fall off a cliff. Here’s a few thoughts that have helped me and will hopefully help you.

Objective - Enjoy your holiday time as much as possible, be present with friends and family, and enjoy your cultural food offerings, childhood favorites, and culinary delights, without guilt, shame, or negative behavior that lasts long after the events.

• Hydrate aggressively - Start the day with a large glass of water, and keep it going all day. Staying hydrated allows your body to feel normal and healthy, and will reduce some cravings and bad decisions that aren’t helpful.

• Save the sweets for later - You could skip desserts altogether, but honestly what’s the point in that? Enjoy your desserts, but save them for later in the day. Start the day healthy to build a base, not with cinnamon rolls and donuts.

• Build a good base - I do this pretty much every day, especially on the holidays. Building a good base simple means starting the day with plenty of healthy food that satisfies your micronutrient needs for the day. That generally looks like a high protein meal with plenty of fruits and veggies added to it. If you’ve started the day this way, you have your bases covered, and don’t need to worry as much about eating balanced meals later.

• Don’t show up hungry - You’ve already built up a good base in the morning. If you then wait 6 hours until you show up at grandma’s for dinner you’ll be starving, and eat more than you intended to. Eat a snack before going over so you’re comfortable and can be patient around eating. You know dinner is going to be a few hours later than advertised anyways.

• Lean towards protein - Protein makes you feel full faster than other macros and will also minimize feeling crappy afterwards, so go heavier on protein than normal, and lighter on starches.

• Drop the shame - Most people have challenges with food. We struggle all year to get healthier and make better choices. The holidays don’t need to pile onto our challenges and guilt. Food is an important part of our cultures, traditions, and rituals around the holidays, and should be enjoyed. If you do a little prep like listed above, you can minimize the negative affects of the holidays, but when all is said and done - they’re meant to be enjoyed.

I hope you’re able to do that. And regardless of your situation this holiday season, I hope you’re able to break bread with someone you love - and reflect on the wins of the past year and good times to come.

Talk to you next week,

Mike