How to beat the festive stress (& bulge)!
Work to finish, presents to find, and the whole family descending at once. Need I tell you the holidays can be a stressful time? The problem is, increased stress equates to increase cortisol (a hormone released to power you through ‘fight or flight’), and high cortisol levels are synonymous with weight gain. Especially abdominal weight gain.
Follow these five magic tips to avoid looking like Santa this Christmas!
Take the weight off (literally!) with some stress-busting prep. Planning your presents and menus will save you hours of hectic holiday queues, while stopping you ordering too much food. Bonus: we’ve already done half the work for you in our ‘Have a Healthy Christmas’ guide.
Got your healthy menu? Now it’s time to delegate! Save kitchen chaos by asking your guests to bring a dish. Bonus: you’ll have more time to enjoy the company of your guests, further reducing your cortisol levels.
That’s eating for blood sugar balance to keep you calm from within. Make the steps in this post your festive mantra. Bonus: balanced blood sugar levels will also boost your resolve when the mince pies are passed around.
Really, the world won’t fall apart if you need half an hour to yourself this Christmas. In fact, your Christmas will be all the merrier for it. Take time to enjoy a bath, go for a walk, or even have a nap if you need one! Bonus: lower cortisol levels will help you sleep, and good sleep will help keep them low! Time to add a lavender eye mask to that Santa list?
Let your decorations double as aromatherapy delights and fill your home with calming candles. You can literally breathe in the scent of Tranquility as you play hostess! Bonus: Calming candles also make for perfect gifts. Which helps to tick item 1 from your list!
Looking for more ways to calm this holiday season? Join our Health Tribe for some exclusive Santamail (it’s free)!
Nourishing well wishes,
Angelique
Consult your doctor or health care practitioner for any health problems, and before embarking on any new health regimes, using any supplements or before making any changes in prescribed medications or food programmes.
Part of my work in clinic is to identity and address the root cause which is responsible for the symptoms a client is experiencing. The most common underlying condition I see is unbalanced hormones. Once I noticed that balancing hormones leads to the reduction of so many other symptoms, I knew I had to create a simple plan to help people understand and support their hormones.
Follow the plan
