Your “Holiday Seven” survival plan

Greetings of the season, Sonoma. Is it just me, or did this year fly by? How was your health this year? Did you have lots of energy? Free of joint pain, brain fog and muffin top? Did you put time, effort, and money into making your health a priority? And I’m not talking about going to the doctor, I’m talking about getting educated on nutrition, fitness, and implementing these things into your life.

The truth is, creating healthy habits does take time, effort, and money in the beginning, but once habits are formed, it becomes an effortless way of being. It’s just life after a while, healthy life.

If you achieved healthy balance this year and felt great most of the time, you are part of a very small percentage of people. Congratulations.

For the rest of us, well, achieving healthy life is a process. The key is to stay focused and organized, being sure to invest time and funds in taking care of yourself. Whether it’s paying more for good quality food, or paying for a body worker when you are broken, the best return on your money is good health.

Would you agree that sometimes we take our health for granted? I think we are all guilty of this in some way or another, and this year, I want to encourage you to be proactive with your health. There is so much you can do to prevent disease, and feel and look your best.

Here are five action steps to help you avoid the “Holiday Seven,” those extra pounds we typically gain from celebrating the season with rich foods, sweets, and spirits.

Make Monday “cleanse” day. Take one day a week to rest from toxic and pro-inflammatory foods such as sugar, alcohol, grains, dairy, packaged or processed foods and drinks, soy, corn, coffee, refined oils… Instead sip warm broths, eat fresh fruits and veggies, lean organic meats, eggs, and fish, lots of water and unsweetened tea, and healthy fats such as olive oil, avocado, and coconut oil… just one day a week! You can do it!

Eat a salad every day. No matter what. Replace one meal with a salad with a variety of seasonal veggies, greens, healthy fats and lean protein.

Double your water intake. Clean, fresh, filtered or spring water.

Eat dinner for breakfast. Lean protein from a source that had eyes, and vegetables. Better yet, eat that daily salad as your breakfast. Breakfast is the biggest contributor to bad health in America. Most Americans consume bad quality dairy, sugar, and grains for breakfast, which causes inflammation and poor blood sugar control for the rest of the day.

Move daily. You can’t afford not to. Talk a walk, hit the gym, dance, hike, clean your house. Move every day – lots.

This is an opportunity for you to kick-start a healthy 2014. I hope you will begin by implementing these five habits over the holidays, and then keep it going into the New Year.

Here’s wishing you and yours a healthy and safe holiday season.

Heather Morgan, MS, NLC, is a nutrition and lifestyle coach at EA’s CrossFit in Sonoma. Find out more at Facebook,com/eacrossfit.