The holiday season is here, and it seems there is a party every night that condones drinking and eating hors dorves that are typically fried or breaded. The trend I commonly see in my practice is that during this time of year people begin neglecting their workouts, stressing more about deadlines, missing their adjustments, and doing other activities that lead to an unhealthy lifestyle. However, now is the time to be committed to working out, eating healthfully, getting adjusted, and working on being your best self so you do not get sick or pack on the winter weight. Here are some key steps on how to avoid gaining holiday weight:
1. Warm lemon water in the morning
Drink a warm glass of alkaline water with a freshly squeezed organic lemon. There are many reasons for this; including balancing your pH levels, aiding digestion, and boosting your immunity due to the high levels of potassium and Vitamin C in the lemons.
[title size=”2″]2. Get your tabata on![/title]
Back in January I wrote an article on this, and I would like to stress the importance of it right now (read the article Let The Games Begin to learn more about tabata). Those of you who are going for walks at night or in the morning are creating great movement patterns for your body and increasing circulation. However, walking alone will not get you fit or in shape; because it is considered a movement, not exercise. While walking is important to maintaining health, we do not burn enough calories to lose weight doing these movements. My favorite workout for people to do at this time of season is a double tabata. Tabata was created by medical professional, Dr. Tabata; he found that short bursts of training with short rest times increases oxygen output in the body and burns fat. To perform this workout, go at 100% of a movement for 20 seconds, then rest for 10 seconds. Repeat this cycle 8 times for a 4 minute workout. Some great movements that can be done are:
- stationary bike
- sprints on treadmill
- jumping jacks
- air squats
- sit-ups
- push-ups
- pull-ups
There are even smartphone apps that have Tabata timers to download for free.
[title size=”2″]3. Stick to the tequila.[/title]
This is a topic you may have never guessed I would discuss because it condones alcohol. I will preface that, I am not encouraging you to drink tequila, but I do not want to be the Debbie Downer who tells you to only drink bottled water at your company holiday parties. If however, I could choose a drink for all of you, it would be a paleo margarita which consists of: tequila, lime juice, and club soda. By staying away from wine and beer, you will be saving yourself massive amounts of unnecessary sugars, as well as other toxins, that can store fat.
[title size=”2″]4. Load Up on Fats![/title]
You read that correctly! In order to lose fat you will want to pump up your body with good fats to help speed metabolism. The main fats I would like many of you to consume are MCT’s, or medium chain triglycerides, which are found in coconuts (coconut oil, coconut flakes, coconut water, coconut flour, and coconut sugar), avocodos, and raw almonds, which should be soaked in alkaline water before consuming. This soaking process helps the nut bring out all of its enzymes, so it become more easily digestible and healthier for your body.
[title size=”2″]Conclusion[/title]
Following these suggestions will help avoid the holiday weight gain. As always, I love to hear from my patients and blog reader. Please feel free to leave a comment or ask a question, it may just be featured as the topic of one of my future blog posts!
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