It's that time of the year when more than normal we push ourselves to the side and really focus in on spoiling others and taking care of the needs of others.  Now in no way to do I want to discourage anyone from building and supporting others in the community, but what I do want to take time to do is take the time to remind you that you can't help others unless you also support yourself. 

Here in Ottawa racing season has started. Whether you are a runner, cyclist, swimmer or all three we all tend to turn our minds to being sure to fuel our bodies appropriately for the heightened levels of physical stress we are and about to put on our bodies.  Now, this is a good thing, but our issues tend to arrive because we end up paying a lot of attention to food and not to  our hydration. 

It's that time of year where we maybe indulge a bit too much, exercise maybe not enough and push our nutrition, fitness and health goals to the side. Sure this is fine every now and again and definitely not something we should be stressing ourselves over but at the same time you don't want to throw all of your hard work in the trash because #yolo (you only live once) do you?

We may only live once but why not make that life the healthiest, most positive, energized and best life it can be? And believe it or not that life includes indulging every now and then, just be mindful of those indulgences with these helpful tips to avoid massive set backs in your progress and hard work!

1. Start your day with lemon water to help wake up that metabolism and get your stomach ready to thuroughly digest breakfast. Keep up your hydration habit by sipping on plain filtered water through the day.
2. Always make sure half of your plate is green. If you are in a situation that this can be done, like at the cookie table, do your best to limit yourself to only your very favorite holiday treats.
3. If the party is potluck style you are in luck. Bring one of your favorite healthy, fresh and colourful dishes. This way you know there is something delicious and healthy for you to eat, plus you get to share all that deliciousness with your friends!
4. It's the holidays you are likely going to have a drink, I get it, but having a drink doesn't mean having 5 drinks every night until then ball drops on New Years Eve. Like with picking your favorite holiday deserts, pick the social occasions where having a drink will mean the most to you. We often get caught up using alcohol as a social lubricant this time of year challenge yourself to find new non-alcohol based ways of connecting with people at your many holiday functions.
5. Be sure to get your rest. With shopping, parties, drinks, wrapping and binge watching holiday movies all on the agenda for the next month sleep can feel like a waste of time or impossible to get. Now is the time to prioritize it in your life. Restful sleep will help you get ready for the parties, repair those muscles to lift heavy bags of gifts and rest your mind in preparation of your favourit holiday movie so you can enjoy these experiences instead of just going through the actions.
6. As much as you may want to don't skip those workouts. They are excellent stress relievers, will help with your sleep and will keep you energized! No matter what your exercise is (walking, spinning, cross fit, weight training, yoga, etc.) commit to continuing with your workouts, even if you put yourself on a reduced schedule.
7. Supercharge that immune system. All of the holiday running around, eating and drinking, paired with cooler weather can play a toll on our immune system. So support that immune system with vitamin D, foods rich in vitamin C like brussel sprouts and oranges and vitamin sleep! (See #5)

These simple tips will help you to not veer too far off track this holiday season and will help to keep you happy and healthy instead of worn out come January.