Seasons with Grace

Day 11: 12 Days of Purposeful Wellness

It is one day

As the time approaches, don’t stress about the holiday meals and snacks before you get to it. It is one day. Your wellness journey doesn’t hang on what you eat on Christmas Eve, Christmas day and New Year’s, but on what you eat and how you stay active the other 362 days. Work your plan, pace yourself, rest and take time to focus on those around the table, not what’s on the table.

Prayer: Jesus, thank you for this season to celebrate you with our loved ones. So much of this journey is our mindset and we ask that you transform our minds to focus on being more like You, loving and serving others, and building relationships. We know as we do this, the temptation to use food to satisfy our emotional needs will fade. Remind us of what’s important and of the good choices you are helping us make.

Day 10: 12 Days of Purposeful Wellness

Plan ahead

By now you probably know what’s ahead of you for the next three or four days. Travelling, family and friends coming to visit, as well as all the food that will be available to you. Take a few minutes and make some choices. If you have turkey and dressing at one meal, focus on a less carb-heavy meal next time. Really, you can have mashed potatoes just about any day of the year. Maybe bypass some of the “standards” including rolls and butter and enjoy the foods you only have during the holidays. Once you make some quality decisions, it will be easier to stick to the plan rather than sitting at that heavily-laden table with no plan at all. Keep in mind the other tips we’ve discussed here and plan to rest, have fun, focus on family, hydrate and worship God.

Make choices that keep you in balance as much as you are able

Prayer: Jesus, there is a lot ahead of us over the next few days and we really need Your help and guidance to make a plan that is manageable and will not leave us with regret when it’s time to pack the decorations away. Remind us to choose joy in the planning and the executing of the plan so those around us can see that there is a difference in us, not only as they watch our food choices, but our faces and our attitudes.

Day 9: 12 Days of Purposeful Wellness

Rest and Relax

You may think I’m crazy. Rest? With all there is still to do? Yes, especially because there is still so much to do! A 10 minute walk, or sitting with a cup of tea, listening to some Christmas music and even a 20 minute power nap, can recharge your physical strength and mental acuity. It will also keep you away from the temptation to use sugar and/or caffeine to energize you through that to-do list.

Prayer: Jesus, You promise us in Your Word that you will teach us how to take a real rest, and we know Your promises are true and available in any season, especially the busy and sometimes overwhelming seasons like Christmas. Point out times and ways we can rest. Remind us when guilt tries to creep in that if You are teaching us to rest, then it can’t be a bad thing because You only gift good gifts. Bring us awareness of how good we feel and how much better our choices and emotions are when we are rested. Help us encourage others to learn to rest also. Thank You for patiently guiding us. Our desire is to be more like You in every way.

*Matthew 11:28-30 MSG

Day 8: 12 Days of Purposeful Wellness

Hydrate your holiday season

Our bodies need hydration for so many reasons. In busy days we may not take time to drink water (or a cup of herbal tea on a cold day). Sometimes those hunger pangs that drive us to the cookie jar are really a signal from our body telling us it is thirsty. Drink a glass of water or a cup of coffee or tea (preferably decaffeinated) if you’re feeling hungry apart from mealtimes. If after 30 minutes you’re still hungry, then have a healthy snack. You may be surprised how often the water will satisfy you and how much better your body and mind responds when it is hydrated.

Prayer: Jesus, You are our Living Water and we are reminded daily how we can’t live very long without your protection, provision and guidance. You created our bodies to need physical water regularly to protect and revive our skin, muscles, organs and our mental focus. Place in us a desire for water and to appreciate how good we feel when we are hydrated. Thank you for providing for us body, soul and spirit by always being there for us, and for the blessing of living where we have abundant availability of fresh water.

Day 7: 12 Days of Purposeful Wellness

Worship

Actively participating in praise and worship is good for your physical body, your emotional health, as well as spiritual growth. Raising your hands over your head opens your chest, increases blood flow, releases tension and improves balance (especially important for those of us over 50). This mirrors the spiritual benefits – worship opens your spirit to the awareness of the presence of God, definitely releases tension as your surrender your burden (weight) to Jesus and improves the balance in life as we lean more towards what is eternally important and away from what is here today and gone tomorrow. Attend church in person today if at all possible and worship with like-minded believers and encounter God’s stabilizing and refreshing presence.

Prayer: Jesus, we give you this day, the first day of the week because You come first. Without You we would be lost forever. You deserve all the worship we can give, and infinitely more. Fill us with Your love and your presence and bring balance and refreshing into our lives. We thank You for the opportunity to gather in Your house and express our love and gratitude to You.

Day 6: 12 Days Of Purposeful Wellness

Celebrate Weekend Successes.

Weekends are generally challenging food-wise, but in December, that challenge can increase exponentially. Whether you are busy shopping and decorating, or attending a holiday gathering, don’t beat yourself up if you feel you’ve wiped out your efforts through the week with some poor choices. Take a moment to reflect on what you have done right. Did you take a walk? Pack a healthy snack to grab between errands? Did you get to bed at a reasonable hour? Take time to read your Bible and pray? Shifting your focus to your successes and away from perceived “failure” is a great way to keep a slip from becoming a slide.

Prayer: Jesus we are thankful that you see us through eyes of love, understanding and forgiveness. Show us how to see ourselves that way so we can offer ourselves the same grace that we would offer to a friend. Help us focus on the successes, knowing there is always something to be thankful for, even if it means we only ate 6 cookies, not 10.

Day 5: 12 Days of Purposeful Wellness

Have fun

Boxing Day at Greenfield Village – Family Experience Gift

Work on a craft project, take a walk in nature, read a book, laugh with a friend or make a snow angel (and rejoice when you can get back up again like my friend does!). Whatever makes your heart happy. Having a positive mindset helps you make good food and activity choices, reduces stress and helps you sleep better.

Prayer: Thank you Jesus for the joy in this advent season. We thank You for the joy you promised and provide in our lives as we trust You. Give us eyes that find fun in an ordinary day or laughter in the midst of a challenging day. Help us use times of fun to motivate us to continue being joyful and making good choices in our wellness journey.

An amazing night walk in Whistler with my daughter

Day 4: 12 Days of Purposeful Wellness

Focus on family.

Today is my husband’s birthday so the focus is on him today. We will only have a couple of hours to celebrate as I work days and he works nights, but even when we are apart today, my thoughts will often be on him. So, they won’t be on food. A great reminder to me that when I keep my focus away from food and on good things in my life, I am more likely to make healthy choices. Pick someone or something you love to focus your thoughts on today….God is always a good choice there!

Prayer: Thank you Jesus for our families. Imperfect as they are, our families have helped make us who we are today. Place a family member on our hearts today to reach out to with a call, a text or a visit and a prayer. Thank you for sacrificing Yourself to adopt us into Your family, where we are always loved. Help us today to find satisfaction in Your love and the love of family, instead of getting comfort in food with no value to our physical bodies.

Day 3: 12 Days of Purposeful Wellness

Busy Hands Stay Out of Chip Bowls.

A handmade gift, like this one from my mom, is a treasure

One of the things that has helped me to maintain my weight loss is keeping my hands busy – I knit, cross-stitch, make cards, etc. If I am knitting a hat for someone, I don’t want chip grease on it, so I don’t snack while watching TV. Maybe you’re not a crafter, but you could do a Christmas puzzle, write Christmas cards for shut ins or neighbours, play a board game or a musical instrument, hold hands with your sweetheart or if you can find a baby to cuddle, you’ve got it made! You simply need something to keep the mind and hands engaged to help break that nighttime snacky habit.

I enjoy sending handmade cards to friends and family – so easy and fun!

Prayer: Jesus, Your creation amazes us. Because we are made in Your image, we are each creative in our own way. Help us to be a blessing to others through our creativity this season. Jesus, we ask again for your help. We want strong healthy bodies to bless others and shine Your Light in this season where so many feel it’s a dark and lonely time. Show us how to be a blessing and ways to curb nighttime snacking in creative ways.

Day 2: 12 Days of Purposeful Wellness

Inspiration Outfit.

Is there an outfit in your closet you would love to wear to a holiday party, or Christmas eve candlelight service but its just a bit too tight? Put it on, see how it feels. Then take it off and hang in front and center where you can see it every day either in your bedroom or bathroom. This visual goal will encourage you to make good choices that day in your food, maybe take the stairs instead of the elevator at work to get in extra steps so that we can fit comfortably into the outfit when the event arrives.

Prayer: Jesus, we put a lot of emphasis on what we wear. You came to earth and left kingly robes to wear swaddling cloths, probably rough and scratchy. It was of no concern to You. Your concern was us. Help us to keep our mindset on being healthy, not on having a specific number on the tag of our dress at church. Open our eyes to others who might need warm and suitable clothes, not just this season, but all through the year. We want to be healthy to serve well the purposes You have for us. Thank you for helping us to make wise choices today.