Healthy Holidays? It’s Possible...Ep. 5
Mejoria Registered Dietitian Alex Moses (@moses.nutrition) and Success Coach Craig Conley (@craigconley26) dive into best practices for staying healthy through the holidays. And no…you don’t have to skip the cookie or the Christmas party!
00:11
Welcome to episode five of the busy fit podcast. My name is Alex Moses. I am the team dietitian with Mejoriaa Training and I'm here with Craig Conley. Today we are going to be talking about staying on track during the holidays. This has been a very hot topic. As of late, we're entering December.
00:39
A lot of people struggle on both the nutrition and the training side of what to really do to stay on track through all of the parties, get togethers, and the changes in everyone's schedule. I am going to be covering a lot on the nutrition side. Unfortunately, that's the only area of expertise I really have. But
01:05
Craig is a dual threat, helping out on both our nutrition and our training side. So I want to start off with training side. Craig, can you tell us a little bit about how to stay on track with training, making sure we're getting in workouts through the holiday season? One thing that I always emphasize to myself, most and foremost, and then also the people that were
01:34
working with is giving ourselves grace throughout this holiday season. So a lot of times, you know, we'll be on a program, we'll be sticking to it really well, and then everything goes out the window during the holidays and we beat ourselves up about it. The all is not lost if we miss one or two workouts over the holiday season and you're going to enjoy this time of the year.
02:03
way more if we're not stressing 24-7 about getting every single workout in. So starting out with that foundation of grace I think is really big and will set you up for success to hit the workouts that you want to because at the end of the day we still want to stay on track. So once we have that foundation of grace, it's setting a realistic plan based on what you have going on and setting two or three goals that you know will make the holiday season
02:32
And so from a training perspective, those two to three goals, one of them could look like, hey, I want to hit three workouts over the week of Christmas. And those workouts are 30 minutes or less, or yeah, 30 minutes or less, because that's what I know I have time for. And if you set that goal going in and you hit three workouts, 30 minutes or less. I think that a lot of people struggle with
02:59
giving themselves grace on both the nutrition and the training side. I have a question though, honestly for myself too, since I'm not an expert on the training side. If I had time for either a hard two hour workout once in my week of busy plans, or I could make time for three or four,
03:28
20 minute sessions throughout the week. What do you think is the better route to take? Is it important to get in a super tough workout or is it better to just get in short spurts? Let me answer your question with one question before I get into the full answer. Do you have ample time for either one? Like both situations will put you in the same spot stress wise, all that stuff? I have
03:56
especially during the holiday season, I have usually one day of the week that is more free than other days. And it's easier for me to get in a solid workout. For sure, I know this will be a solid workout in one day. But that being said, I 100% have made time to scroll on Instagram to
04:26
sit and watch a show on these other days for at least that amount of time, that 15 to 20 minutes. Yeah, that makes sense. And I like the honesty that you have with yourself. The decision has to be made. And based off of what you said, honestly, I think that the harder workout for maybe it's an hour, maybe it's 75 minutes for the one day that you have, and then walks.
04:55
while you're scrolling on Instagram or whatever that is, on the other days is going to be a plan that is going to set you up for success more. Because more times than not, you're not in the habit or routine of hitting that quick 20 minute workout. So you'll probably find an excuse not to do it. And if you only have 20 minutes, you don't have much time for excuses, right? And so we want to set you up for success.
05:20
I would say hit that one big workout and then let's find supplemental physical activity that you can do, maybe even while you're scrolling or watching a show or whatever, and get activity in that way. I love that. That is something that I do very often. But I will say I am lucky enough to live in a sunny warm place, Florida, around my holiday season until I had up to Michigan.
05:50
I don't really need to worry about access to walks, but do you have another almost mindless movement that people could do for people who are stuck inside like I will be in a few weeks? Because you're right, I will a lot of times fill up those days that I don't lift with walks.
06:20
just because it's a lot easier for me to go outside, get a walk in, say that I'm getting in some sort of movement while I'm on a work call or listening to a podcast or whatever it may be. Is there anything else that's similar that is more cold weather friendly? Great question. Yeah, being in Ohio where it is very cold out.
06:48
right now and will only get colder. I definitely understand that. And one option that not everyone may have access to is having like a spin bike or something inside that is honestly a really, really good investment. And especially in the times of COVID where we were on virtual meetings, I didn't have one, but I wish I had a spin bike to be able to like hop on those meetings and be
07:18
that would be such a cool thing. But, you know, being able to scroll or watch TV on that bike would be great. If you don't want to make that investment, aren't in a position to, or just don't like biking, then having another option in stretching, I think is really, really good. And it might not get your heart rate up a ton, which people enjoy, right? It makes people feel good.
07:45
But if you're prioritizing mobility on those other days, you're gonna come out of that week, that holiday week feeling way better than you did if you were to just sit there in school and get stiff and all of that. And so you can hit your training, your regular training program even better because you took that time to get some stretching in. I love that. And I love that I have the ability to get my own personal questions answered on a podcast because truly that's something I've always wondered.
08:15
and something I've struggled with, especially because I am completely thrown off my routine when I go up north home. Not only am I not in my own home, which many people have over the holiday season, a lot of people are staying with other family or friends, whatever it might be. Some people take vacations through the holidays every year. So it's a lot of people being thrown off of both their routine in general, but also in a new place.
08:44
And everything that you just described is found in other areas or doesn't require other equipment, literally just enough space for you to stretch, lay down somewhere and get mobility in. So I love that answer. It can be hard to, you know, wrap your head around that you're not doing this intense workout in. But at the end of the day, it's probably be a better way to heal yourself.
09:13
and to enjoy the holiday season. And so if stretching for 10 to 15 minutes allows you to hit both of those, you are perfectly on track, regardless of what your program says. I know I have a few different areas on the nutrition side that I know people struggle with, and I definitely have some tips on my end, and I actually have a guide I'm going over on our Facebook.
09:40
that is going through staying on track during the holidays on the nutrition side. But from your perspective, from your experience yourself or with clients, what do you think are some of the biggest struggles on the nutrition side through the holiday season? I like that little subtle plug for the guide coming out. Definitely take a look at that, guys, once it does. But in my experience... Hey.
10:10
Honestly, the access to sweets, the access to baked goods, the access to stuff that people wouldn't necessarily consider on their nutrition plan is abundant in this time of year. It is everywhere. Chocolate, desserts, pies, cakes, brownies, you name it. It is here. Christmas cookies, Aotowazoo. So it's hard to resist that temptation in general.
10:39
It's even harder when it is everywhere. And sometimes in places that, like the gym, where you're like, it's supposed to be a spot where I can go and get a workout in and they're offering me cookies because it's the holiday season. You know? And so being able to, it comes back to that grace of giving yourself grace if you have a cookie, enjoy that cookie and don't eat 12 cookies, but enjoy the one cookie that you have and you probably won't necessarily want.
11:08
anymore cookies because you really enjoyed that one. In addition to that, it's having a plan and a clear cut goal. So at the beginning of this month, honestly, we started talking about it before Thanksgiving. Our clients and I talked about holiday goals of, hey, over these next couple of weeks, what's similar to a training, what would you consider a win? If you were to go into environments and be offered these things that...
11:38
You don't necessarily want to indulge in all the time or you're at your holiday potluck and you don't know what to eat. Like what is a win for you? And we set two or three goals there of, hey, getting vegetables in, only having one cookie and getting my protein in. And if they can stay consistent with that stuff throughout the holiday season, keep that in the back of their mind, it's a win. So many people.
12:04
put too much pressure on themselves through the holidays. And I think that's why a lot of people start to really hone in on, oh my gosh, I need to get back to it come the new year. And why there's so much focus on like, let's get started now at the new year, when in reality, their journey could have started in November, December, any other month, honestly. I think that a lot of people
12:33
put too much pressure on themselves and setting those few goals really helps. I think that one thing that is not necessarily forgotten about, but it's kind of the like topic that shall not be named that no one wants to talk about because it's really easy to talk about, hey, eat in moderation, make sure you get in your protein. A lot of people are aware of these things and
13:02
go into the holiday season thinking a lot about the food, but something that really gets overlooked is the alcohol. So what are your thoughts on the alcohol side? I can tell you right now, I have parties from the 22nd to the 26th, every single day with myself or my fiance's families, because we have to see everyone, of course.
13:32
And I know that alcohol will be around. What do you feel is the best way to handle alcohol around the holiday season? I'd say one, it comes back down to those goals that we can set ahead of time. And we said in a previous episode, Alex, you mentioned like everything comes down to planning. And these goals that we're mentioning is part of that planning to set you up for success. And if you have a
14:02
a goal to hold you accountable, a solid number of, hey, I only wanna have...
14:10
three drinks this week, you know, with the three parties. And I'm gonna sip on those drinks really, really slow and like get some water in the meantime and not be tempted to go and get others. And I'm gonna go for certain drinks that I know my body tolerates better than others because I still want to enjoy that social aspect. But I don't want to feel like trash, you know, for the rest of the week and have that derail my progress or just my health in general.
14:40
So having those concrete goals and then setting little accountability markers, I guess, for yourself of sipping slow and things like that, I think is a really big help. Yeah, I love that answer. I think that yes, planning is absolutely everything. My personal plan as yes, a dietician that sometimes consumes alcohol is if there is
15:09
would like to drink. For example, I am a really big espresso martini person. If that is offered to me, I will 100% take it. But that is my only drink of the night. And I'm not drinking just to drink. And this is something that I think is good to hear, especially if you are one of the people that host parties every year. It's becoming more and more common that people are watching their alcohol intake.
15:39
Or if you're our age, there are people who cannot drink because they are pregnant. I think that there's a lot of people who are starting to realize that there should be a non-alcoholic beverage available at parties. And I actually went to a friend's giving that there was a mocktail available. And I drank that the entire night because honestly, the
16:08
that I really like about alcohol that a lot of people really like is that it's just a fun, different beverage. It's not even necessarily the alcohol part. But of course, the alcohol part is what is not great for you. Obviously, there's a lot of drinks that have excess sugar or excess, you know, sometimes even like fat, a lot of like cream-based liqueurs, whatever it may be. But
16:37
I will take a simple sugar over alcohol in my body any day. And when you understand what alcohol does to your body, it helps with making that choice. But I think that as a host, if you are hosting a party, make something available that is non-alcoholic because then you yourself are more likely to choose that. And it helps other people have that option.
17:06
Even before like mocktails became a thing, I grew up in a family that my dad sides Middle Eastern. This is a big thing. If there is not coffee available at a meal, it is not a meal. So we always have both caffeinated and decaf coffee post meal, usually dinner, honestly. And yes, it's available at like seven, 8 p.m. That's why there's decaf too. But there is always
17:36
a non-alcoholic thing available at parties that I go to. And I think that that is the biggest help. So if you aren't necessarily hosting the party, be the person that brings the non-alcoholic thing. Be the person that brings a mocktail. Be the person that brings a big cardboard box. I don't know what those are called, of Starbucks coffee that you can buy. Like
18:02
be that person that makes it an option because it becomes more normalized then. And some things that I didn't necessarily include with, you know, the mocktail and things like that, I hadn't even come to mind, but I really, really like that. You can also relate on the coffee at all times of the day. My wife is Puerto Rican. And so every single meal, breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert before bed,
18:32
Where's the coffee at? I'm not even a huge coffee fan, but I'm around it because of that for sure. Yes, let the record show, I do not encourage caffeinated coffee late at night, but I do think that having decaf coffee available is a great option, especially at a party. That actually connects to another topic that I wanted to bring up. And I wanted to roll.
19:00
to fall from nutrition, but this is definitely health related. Um, and you mentioned the thing at night, which made me think of sleep. Right. And I think that of the many things I get thrown off in our routines during the holidays, sleep is one of the biggest. When you're hanging with family late at night, playing games or watching Christmas movies. What do you, you know, personally, and what do you recommend?
19:30
in order to have people help them prioritize their sleep throughout the holiday season. I know that I myself can become guilty of having a change in my sleep routine, but you will hear me preach and you can ask my fiance because sometimes he gets annoyed with how much I love sleep. I will sleep on a dime, nine o'clock every night, but...
19:59
Whenever I have things that come up later at night that throw off that routine, I do my best to at least get that same amount of time of sleep. If I'm not able to fall asleep at the time I normally do, I try to still get the eight hours that I need. Some people can do seven, some people are closer to nine. I am a true eight hours asleep person. I think most people in their adult life
20:29
they can function on and what they really need to be the best version of themselves. For me, it's eight hours. So if I'm getting back from a party at midnight, I'm sleeping till eight. I'm doing it. And I think the one good thing around the holiday season is that people don't have as many, for the most part, have as many work priorities and can plan for sleeping in the next day.
20:57
or they might even have the entire day off. So I think that it is helpful to have that, but I would try to stick with those eight, seven, nine hours of sleep, whatever category you fall into, no matter what happens. I will say also if you are struggling to fall asleep after a party, because that is definitely a real thing too. One, rewind this two minutes.
21:26
Alcohol is probably part of that, because that definitely affects your sleep. But also just getting off of your routine in general is really gonna throw off your circadian rhythm. So if you can do a few things to help your sleep on the nutrition side, it can help you with staying on track. I know, I think honestly, everyone on our team may have tried this or...
21:55
currently does this, but magnesium at night is just the greatest thing ever. I highly recommend supplementing magnesium. I think it's kind of a forgotten nutrient, but a lot of people in the United States are already deficient in magnesium, so a lot of people don't even realize until they start taking it how much it does help your sleep, but it really does help.
22:23
What it does is it blocks calcium channels in your brain. So the calcium channels are what helps everything move along. You're firing off different signals. Calcium is what helps keep your brain awake. Magnesium helps block that. So it helps your body relax and stop thinking at 100 miles a minute, which I think is most people's problem at night. So magnesium can really help on the sleep side. Also.
22:52
I don't know if you were on TikTok. I think we're both at the age where it's like, we could be, we could not be, but I download it strictly to see like nutrition trends. And I've seen a lot of people making like nighttime mocktails with tart cherry juice, which just makes my dietician heart so happy because tart cherry juice is also a great thing to have before bed.
23:17
And honestly, it looks a little festive too. So it's kind of fun for the holiday season. I am not on TikTok too much at all unless my sister sends me something and then I take a look at it. But I'm a big fan of the people who are making those mocktails. Because like you said, definitely festive and effective. You can be festive and effective, that's a win. Yes, absolutely. That would be...
23:43
That's my kind of mocktail. Someone handed that to me at the end of a party, ideally at nine o'clock at night, handed me a tart cherry juice mocktail. That would just be my favorite holiday party ever, I think. I think it's the best host ever, right there. Honestly. That's great. Well, I'm glad that we got to dive into that a little bit. I know, you know, most people...
24:12
do things all the time, but I think that I know for sure sleep has a drastic impact on my health overall, obviously, and how we implement our routines or our plan throughout the rest of the day. If we're lacking sleep, we're probably not going to make sound nutrition choices, we're probably not going to stick to those plans, then there's very low possibility that we are going to get any sort of workout if we're lacking sleep.
24:42
I know we were able to cover quite a bit. I am gonna plug my guide again because I did cover a little bit more in the guide as well as include a few holiday recipes. So we have our guide on our Facebook page. If you're not already a part of our Facebook group, we post there almost daily, always every week.
25:08
We have something new that we're talking about. And this week we are talking a little bit more about the staying track on the holidays. So make sure you listen up. Craig, it was wonderful talking to you and I hope you have a wonderful holiday season. As always, Alex, I feel the same way. And I will definitely at least be looking into that Tart Cherry Juice though, because it sounds good.
