The holidays are upon us once again. It seems like it only took a year to recover from last year’s health problems that were born from terrible food, plenty of alcohol, no exercise and ridiculous amounts of stress.  There’s no surprise that more heart attacks occur in December and January than any other months of the year.

Take the time this season to truly enjoy your family and friends, but follow these steps so you can live to tell about it!

1.    Decide you want to be healthy

The first step towards any positive change is making the decision you actually want it to happen.

2.    Have a vision

Plenty of people have dreams of being healthy but, without a detailed plan, it will never come to fruition. Add a well-thought-out plan based on correct principles and now you have a vision that will inspire and motivate.

3.    See your Chiropractor

Often seen as an intervention for aches and pains, chiropractic is a more significant part of the health process than you’d expect. Keeping a healthy spine and nerve system is a vital piece for staying healthy and handling the stress of the season.

4.    Schedule your holiday season

Create a schedule of your holiday season with all events, parties and even days off.  See the future before it happens and plan accordingly. Be ready to adapt to any obstacles that may be in your path.

5.    Plan your meals

You are already going to be facing some “off-track” opportunities; make sure the rest of your meals fit all of the By Design principles. You can offset some of the negative effects by ensuring every other meal is built from high quality real food.

6.    Party survival basics

When you do make it to the party, focus on protein (meat, cheese, nuts) instead of crackers, breads and other treats. If you are drinking alcohol, choose red wine, potato vodka or cider.

7.    Regular movement

Be sure to continue with your regular exercise! Special tip: Always exercise on any day you may not be eating 100% By Design foods.

8.    Have fun

Enjoy yourself, don’t beat yourself up, and get right back on the wagon if you do fall off.  Don’t allow one bad meal or day to become an entire month or more.

9. Plan for next year before next year

It’s a big mistake to wait until the new year to plan your vision and action steps for success. Use December as a great time to start thinking about next year, what you want for your life, and how you plan on making it happen.

What’s your plan for keeping your health a priority over the holidays?

Dr. Michael Gibson has committed himself to helping others to live the best life possible. After graduating with a Bachelor of Kinesiology from the University of Western Ontario, he received his Doctor of Chiropractic Degree and Masters of Science in Chiropractic Sports Science from Life University.   He is the co-creator of Life By Design, owner of The Wellness Group, and co-owner of CrossFit 613. His passion for empowering families runs deep. After experiencing the loss of his sister due to illness, Michael’s purpose became reaching and teaching as many as possible the foundational principles of an extraordinary life.  Since that time he has passionately pursued and been successful in living out his dream. He maintains a busy family chiropractic practice, a full speaking schedule and finds time to implement the principles and practices of Life By Design in his own life.