The Gift of Good Health

Your Health Matters Most. It’s the Perfect Gift for Yourself.

Do you look forward to the holiday season? Christmas is my favorite time of the year. While I can get carried away from the hustle and bustle of preparing for it, within is a sense of peace when I relish in the true meaning of this season.

Gift-giving has been a long-time Christmas tradition. We spend plenty of time pondering over the perfect gift for our loved ones, anticipating the expression of joy and excitement when they open their gifts. However, as some of us may have experienced, the thrill subsides with plenty of wrapping paper to be picked up. I know how my kids get excited opening a present and then quickly putting it aside to see what’s next 🙂

May I suggest why not give yourself and your loved ones the gift of good health this year?

It’s the Gift that Keeps on Giving.

Good health is not something you can wrap and place under your tree. However, it’s a gift that keeps on giving.

Good health is a broad term, so how might you define it? What does having good health mean to you? For me, it’s about nourishing body, mind, and spirit. To nourish the body is to choose wholesome foods that bring energy and vitality to every cell of your being. Your mind is part of your brain system. What fuels your body also fuels your brain. When it comes to nourishment for your mind, what inputs are you allowing to enter? Are they negative that feed fear and anxiety? Or are they positive, filling you with peace and love? You get the gist.

When your health is thriving, you can give more of yourself to others. That amounts to more years of making memories and doing what matters most to you.

Let Healthy Lifestyle Changes bring Comfort and Joy.

As you plan for the holidays this year, think about how you and your family can fit some healthy habits into your celebrations.

Here are a few ideas to start:

Add a new healthy recipe to your holiday meal. In addition to your traditional recipes, try adding a new appetizer or side dish that includes vegetables. Blue Zones have plenty of plant-based recipes packed with flavor. If you have family favorites that are a must, swap in some healthier ingredients or serve smaller portion sizes. If you’d like to take it to the next level, I invite you to look at Levels Health’s post on Holiday recipes that won’t spike your blood sugar for suggestions on swaps that taste good and give you energy all day.

Try a festive activity to get the whole family up and moving. How about walking through your neighborhood to look at holiday decorations? Or playing an active game like charades? Any activity that would make you and your family have fun and move would be a great tradition to start during the holiday season.

Give yourself and your family the Gift of Good Health.

Changing your lifestyle, like eating better and being more physically active, can transform your health. If you seek to prevent or delay type 2 diabetes, I invite you to consider joining the Evoke Strong PreventT2 Lifestyle Change program.