{"id":141,"date":"2020-11-27T21:31:00","date_gmt":"2020-11-27T21:31:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dietharmony.com\/?p=141"},"modified":"2020-11-28T12:03:05","modified_gmt":"2020-11-28T12:03:05","slug":"30-healthy-habits-to-try-each-day-of-december","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/dietharmony.com\/index.php\/2020\/11\/27\/30-healthy-habits-to-try-each-day-of-december\/","title":{"rendered":"30 Healthy Habits to Try Each Day of December"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

DECEMBER. IT CAN BE <\/strong>such a complicated month of fitting in all the things\nwe want <\/em>to do as well as all the things we need<\/em> to\ndo. When time is tight, the first thing to go is usually taking care of our health and\nourselves. This month, keep it simple by doing\nsomething healthy every day. Do each activity once, or add a new one on each\nday so they become cumulative. You<\/em> get to decide how much you\nhave time for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Embrace\nseasonal foods.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of my\nfavorite foods of the\nholiday season has to be pomegranates. They’re festive,\na good source of fiber and a great combination of crunchy and sweet. Pick up\nPOM POMS Fresh Pomegranate Arils and the work is done for you. Toss them in\nsalads, sprinkle them over yogurt or eat them like me \u2013 by the spoonful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Set\nthe tone.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Decide what matters to\nyou this month and focus on that, whether it’s time spent with family and\nfriends, quietude or something else. You can decide how you want the month to\nlook rather than being dragged along by other people’s expectations and\ndecisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Fit\nin a body weight workout.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

No time for the gym? Download Workout<\/strong> here<\/strong>.<\/a> Workout, which you can do at home, will get your heart rate up, give you a great workout and leave plenty of time to wrap presents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Take\na stand.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The average American\u00a0sits approximately 15 hours each day. It’s no wonder sitting is now being called the “new smoking.” Consider standing for part of your workday when possible. Start small by standing for tasks that you do multiple times throughout the day, such as checking email or returning phone calls. Before ordering a\u00a0standing desk, I made a homemade one by stacking books on my desk and placing my laptop on top.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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5. Store\nmemories<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Find a small jar or\nkeepsake box where your family can record milestone moments, hopes, memories,\nfuture goals and more. Tuck it away with holiday decorations and dust it off\nnext year. Each year, enjoy adding new memories and reflecting on years past\nwhen you decorate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. Heat\nup the kitchen.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A simple strategy for\u00a0eating healthier\u00a0is to\u00a0cook at home. But let’s face it: During the holidays, cooking<\/a><\/strong> is one of the last things we have time for. Enter\u00a0meal delivery programs\u00a0that take care of the hard parts. HelloFresh, for example, does the recipe planning, food shopping and ingredient measuring and delivering to your doorstep, leaving time for the fun part \u2013 cooking and spending time together! All boxes include recipe cards that are simple, easy to follow and take no more than 30 minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

7. Get\nyour morning movement fix.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sit on the edge of the\nbed, roll each ankle in both directions and point and flex your toes. Do each\nmovement five times. Next, stand up. Keeping your hands by your side, sit back\ninto a squat. Then, stand back up bringing your arms into the air, rising up\nonto your toes and reaching as high as you can. Repeat 10 times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

8. Keep\nportions handy.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want a simple strategy for\u00a0watching your calories this holiday season, use your hands. Keep protein to the size of your palm, grains the size of your fist and eat at least two handfuls of leafy greens every day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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9. Know\nwhat you need.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The most important thing you can do to take care of yourself this holiday season is to know what you need. Do you\u00a0need more sleep? Regular workouts? Time alone? Make sure that no matter what the expectations are or how busy your schedule is, you listen to yourself and create the space and time for what matters to you.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

10. Include\na vegetable in every meal.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A friend confessed to\nme last December that the only veggies she managed to eat all month long were\nthe ones served on the crudite tray at the office party. Don’t let that be\nyou. Add vegetables to\nevery meal and you’ll get better nutrition and<\/em> be\nless tempted by all the holiday treats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

11. Just\ndance.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nothing dissipates\ncrazy-making stress like shaking it off. Hit play on your favorite song, grab a\npartner or go solo and just dance. At the Mohr house, we have a dance party in the kitchen at least once a week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

12. Steer\nclear of the food court.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stash almonds in your purse or car for a great-tasting, convenient,\u00a0healthy snack. Among nuts, almonds are one of best sources of protein and fiber, which means you will be able to handle that epic shopping trip hunger pang-free.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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13. Create\na 50\/10 hour.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Research shows we have\na limited amount of focus before we need to recharge and take a break. Instead\nof telling yourself that you need to “power through” your day,\nconsider revamping your work style. Spend 50 minutes of concentrated effort on\none task every hour, and use the remaining 10 minutes for a mental break. You\ncan use that break to use the restroom, check email or go for a walk. Then, get back to the same (or a new) task at the\ntop of the next hour. By knowing you have a break coming at the end of the\n50-minute period, you will be less tempted by distraction, and better able to\nmake progress on the task at hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

14. Be\na morning person.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Exercise will <\/em>get\nknocked off the to-do list if it’s not done first thing. Schedule it before anything else happens and walk around wearing confidence and a sense\nof accomplishment all day long.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

15. Develop\na strategy.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What’s your trouble zone? Gift buying?<\/a><\/strong> Parties out? End-of-year wrap-up at work? Determine and decide how to handle it rather than let it nag away at you. Delegate what you can and do what you must.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

16. Front-load\nyour diet.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before the day gets\naway from you, be sure you’ve gotten lots of fruits and vegetables by combining\nseveral in an on-the-go\nsmoothie. Try blending a 1\/2 cup of unsweetened\nalmond milk, 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder, 1 banana, 1\/2 cup of dark\ncherries, 1 tablespoon of almond butter, several large handfuls of baby spinach\nand a bunch of ice. Blend until smooth and enjoy!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

17. Take\ntwo.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When watching TV, use the commercial breaks as a reminder to get\nactive. For each commercial break, pick a different exercise to do until your\nshow comes back on. Body weight squats, holding plank, stationary lunges or\ntricep dips are all great ones to try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

18. Go\nnuts<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you’re serving nuts at a\u00a0holiday party, choose pistachios because they are one of the snack nuts with the lowest fat and calorie content. Thirty pistachios are approximately 100 calories. Plus, eating in-shell pistachios may fool you into feeling more full because of the visual reminder of how much you’ve eaten.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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19. Breathe.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When things get crazy\nand you become overwhelmed, take a minute to catch your breath. Sitting down on\na chair, feet flat on the floor, breathe in for a count of four saying the\nwords, “I am.” Hold your breath for a count of four. Exhale for\nanother count of four, this time saying the words, “at peace.” Hold\nyour breath for another count of four. Repeat five times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

20. Give\nthe gift of health.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Growing up, we had a\nfamily friend who always gifted a case of Texas red grapefruits every\nChristmas. These days, I love to give (and receive) fruit for Christmas because\nit’s such a welcome relief to the onslaught of sugar at this time of year.\nSweet Scarletts provide 100 percent of the daily value for vitamin C, which is\ncertainly never a bad thing during cold and flu season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

21. Treat\nyourself.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hey, who said you only\nhave to buy\npresents for others? Buy yourself a little something this\nholiday season too. After all, you can celebrate you in all of your\nawesomeness, just as much as you can celebrate the rest of us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

22. Focus\non<\/strong> presence \u2013 not presents.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this day and age of\ntechnology and distraction, sometimes the best gift is someone’s full\nattention. Make a point to turn off your phone or put it in airplane mode.\nEnjoy a dinner full of conversation and laughter, while focusing on those you\nare with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

23. Stay\nhydrated.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Winter weather can be\nrough on skin. Hydrate from the inside out by beginning each day with a full\nglass of water. If the thought of drinking something cold is unappealing, try\nstarting with hot lemon water. Stay hydrated by\ndrinking one glass of water before every meal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

24. Foster\nconscientious conversation.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead of having the\nsame old conversations with your family this holiday, use conversation starters\nto get more out of the interaction and learn something new about the person you\nare talking to. Here are a few to try: What’s your favorite place you ever\ntraveled and why? Why did you choose your profession? If you could go to\nany restaurant in the world right now, where would you go? What\nis your best holiday memory? When we assume we know everything about the people\nwe see the most, we miss out on the characteristics that really make them\nunique and special.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

25. Unplug\nin the morning.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spend 15 minutes in the morning electronic-free. No phone. No computer, iPad or tablet. Just you and the morning. Read, pray,\u00a0meditate, walk or just enjoy the silence. Create a pace for yourself, rather than letting the rest of the world set it for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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26. Grab\nyour Halos.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Halos mandarin oranges are a healthy portable snack for just 50 calories a pop. Stash them in your purse or keep them in the office. I like to eat two for an after-dinner treat to keep\u00a0late-night snacking\u00a0on less nutritious foods at bay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

27. Conduct\na yearly review.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Carve out some time to\nreview the year and think about what the past 12 months have taught you. What\nwere your successes and struggles? What were your favorite moments? Reflecting\non the year allows us to gain insight into patterns and habits \u2013 and decide how\nwe want to better ourselves moving forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

28. Sip\nthis.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s easy to get\ncaught up in the idea of relaxing at night with a drink in your hand. Instead\nof wine, beer or liquor, consider sipping on a hot herbal tea. You still get to\nkick back with a drink in your hand, but it won’t interfere with your sleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

29. Pick\na habit: one to choose and one to lose.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Setting New Year’s resolutions is so last year. Instead, consider the things you do\n(and don’t do) every day. Pick one habit you want to choose to do in 2021, and\none habit you want to lose. Then, set out to make those habits happen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

30. Take\na walk around the block.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the end of year and holiday craziness gets the best of you, seek a change of scenery. Carve out 15 minutes today to\u00a0take a walk\u00a0around the block. If it feels good and you have more time, do a few more laps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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