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The holidays can be a double-edged sword. 

They may be a time of laughter, celebration and gratitude as we connect with, and make memories with, the people that we love most. 

But they also may be a time of heightened stress and anxiety, lost sleep, brain fog, crankiness, in-laws and politics, and a couple pounds gained from holiday treats and sweets. 

I’m the type of person that likes to have my cake and eat it too. I like to fully enjoy the holidays without sacrificing my health and fitness. 

To accomplish this, I always follow my 1-2-3 Holiday Thrival Plan (“Thrival” = thriving + survival).

The 1-2-3 Thrival Plan is made up of three parts:

• 1 exercise objective
• 2 sleep objectives
• 3 nutrition objectives 

When followed, the 1-2-3 Thrival Plan will help you retain greater physical + mental energy so that you can more fully enjoy the holiday season without stress and exhaustion ruining the vibes.

Let’s dive in.

Move Your Body At Least Once Each Day

For many people, the holidays are periods of heightened mental and metabolic stress (again, we’re talking about the in-laws, arguments about politics, lost sleep, increased alcohol consumption, tons of treats and snacks with low nutritional content, etc.)

Movement can help minimize the negative impacts from all these stressors.

Movement will help you better utilize carbohydrates in order to keep your blood sugar levels more balanced. 

Movement will release neurotransmitters in your brain that “turn down” feelings of depression, anxiety or stress while “turning up” feelings of joy, self-efficacy and vibrance.

Movement will even help you get to sleep faster and sleep more deeply (so that you can actually enjoy time with the family rather than fantasizing 24/7 about napping.)

During the holidays I aim to move my body at least once every day. If I’m traveling (and away from my normal gym / equipment) I just do what I can based on what I have available. 

Sometimes it’s lifting / resistance training. Sometimes it’s CrossFit / high intensity training. Sometimes it’s walking. Sometimes it’s a mix of those.

I just aim to move as much as I can, when I can, how I can. 

Action Steps: Aim to move your body once per day, even if just a little. 

If you do only 1 thing this holiday season, try to move your body everyday.

You’ll feel absolutely amazing physically, emotionally, and mentally. 

Support Quality Sleep (Even If Quantity Eludes You)

Between traveling, visiting with friends and family, and enjoying that little bit of “me time” at the end of a long day… most of us sleep fewer hours during the holidays. 

Instead of canceling plans, leaving the gatherings early, and missing out on relationship-building opportunities in order to get to bed on time, I’ve found it easier to focus on sleep quality rather than quantity during the holidays. 

Here are my 2 top tips for getting high quality sleep, even if you’re sleeping fewer hours.

1. Establish a caffeine cut-off

Consuming caffeine too close to bedtime may make it difficult to fall asleep as well as reduce how much slow-wave sleep you get during the night (slow wave sleep helps you feel more refreshed the next day). 

Best practice is to stop drinking caffeine 6-8 hours before you plan to sleep. So, if your bedtime is 10pm, avoid consuming caffeine after 2-4pm. 

2. Establish an alcohol cutoff 

Similar to caffeine, alcohol can also mess up your restorative sleep stages, leaving you with low energy, brain fog and general crankiness the following day. 

To avoid this, give your body time to clear the alcohol from your blood before bedtime. Most people can metabolize approximately 1 alcoholic drink every 1 hour (a “drink” is equivalent to 12 oz of regular beer (5% abv), 5 oz of wine and 1.5 oz of distilled spirits). 

So, if you plan to have a total of 3 alcoholic drinks in an evening, try to give yourself 3 hours time before bed so your body can metabolize the alcohol.

Action Steps: set both a caffeine and an alcohol curfew.

Prioritize Protein, Plants And Hydration

Sweets, treats and seasonal desserts all have one thing in common: they have tons of calories, yet they don’t make you feel very full. This is a dangerous combination that can leave you eating FAR more calories than you need.. without feeling full or satisfied. 

Here’s how you fight back: prioritize 3 types of foods that are low in calories AND reduce your appetite / keep you feeling full for longer (the exact opposite of the sweets and treats). This way, when it’s time to enjoy the sweets and treats, you are less likely to voraciously overeat them.

1. Prioritize Protein

Try to eat a serving (or two) of high protein foods at most meals. 

This can actually be quite easy to do even with “traditional” holiday meals (ham, turkey, etc). If all else fails, a bowl of greek yogurt or a protein shake can serve as a protein packed snack.

2. Eat more plants (fruit and vegetables) 

Snacks. Meals. Snacks and meals. Go wild with these - basically eat as much as you want.

Not only are these foods highly filling, but also are packed full of vitamins, minerals and water (which we’ll talk about next). The options are endless: side salads, fruit salads, condiments like pickles, olives, peppers, fermented foods like sauerkraut or kimchi. 

So, “Eat ur plants,” as the kids say. 

3. Stay Hydrated

Dehydration can increase feelings of hunger or food cravings (as well as brain fog, headaches or fatigue). Alcohol increases water loss, so any extra holiday *alcoholic* drinking can leave you more dehydrated than usual. 

The top strategies for staying hydrated are (1) drink a big glass of water as soon as you wake up in the morning (2) drink a glass of water with most meals (3) carry a water bottle with you wherever you go – this close proximity will subconsciously encourage you to sip water more often.

 Action Steps: prioritize protein, plants and hydration so you can enjoy holiday sweets and treats with less risk of overeating them. 

Please note, these nutritional strategies ARE NOT based around avoiding or “cutting out” the special holiday foods you love, but rather will help you enjoy those special foods in moderation… Have your cake and eat it too :)

In Summary: Make Holidays Fun Again

The 1-2-3 Holiday Thrival Plan will help maximize the FUN and MEMORIES you can have this holiday season by keeping you feeling light, energized and mentally fresh.

Moving often, supporting quality sleep and prioritizing a few nutrient-rich, filling foods will allow you to maintain excellent health and fitness while fully enjoying everything the holiday has to offer: sweats, treats, laughter and love. 

That’s all for today. 

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays!

I’ll see you next week!