Consistency! Not perfection...

Holidays are for fun and relaxation with family and friends after a year’s hard work. There is, however, a big difference between letting your hair down and going totally overboard – which is seldom a good idea. At Caveman Clinic we aim to teach our clients the worth of changing the way they live for the better. When something is a lifestyle you don’t radically depart from it for days or weeks on end. 

When you have invested a lot of time, effort and money in your health and fitness, and have seen the transformation, your perception of what is fun, good and enjoyable no doubt changes as well. After you’ve followed a real-food eating programme for a while you don’t miss the sugar hangovers. After you’ve felt how good it feels to be strong and fit you don’t miss the days you were too tired to get out of bed.

With all that said, however, the holidays is a time where everyone gets (extra) bombarded and tempted with things that wouldn’t normally be part of their everyday routine. Instead of trying to navigate the Holidays with an all-or-nothing mindset, try on some compromise for size. Don’t strive for perfection, strive for consistency!

A holiday may not be the time to do super long and intense workouts...

Rather do a couple of body weight exercises each morning before you start the day. Things like push-ups, planks and squats are great full-body exercises that will give you an energy boost and keep you in the right mindset throughout the day. Take long, relaxing walks in the evenings.

If you know you are going to have a heavy lunch or dinner

eat light the previous day and maybe the day after Christmas. Intermittent fasting can really help to give you a bit more leeway when there are special occasions. Just plan around it, but enjoy the day, the entire meal and the company.

Make it count!

Don’t cheat with mediocre treats you would have happily passed up. When you are going to indulge make sure it is an absolute favourite treat that you will thoroughly enjoy and savour. This rule actually applies to normal routine situations as well!

Everyone needs a couple of healthy, flavourful substitute meals, snacks and puddings in their arsenal.

Make sure you have a couple of easy recipes you can enjoy while staying on track. There are hundreds of healthy, clean-eating recipes available online – find those you enjoy and make it part of your holiday.

Remember: the psycho-somatic (mind-body) connection is real, so focus on positive and happy thoughts.

Do not entertain guilt. The holidays is a time you should connect with your loved-ones and spend quality time with them, not obsessing about things. A loving and thankful attitude is especially healing.

Keep in mind, as you slow down so does your body’s output of the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline. We all need to stress less, however, not everything about these hormones are bad. In fact, they play a very big role in regulating the immune system and small doses for short durations (not chronic) can actually boost your immunity. Combining this with flying somewhere for your break can leave you more vulnerable to viruses and bugs from all over the world.

Increase your immunity by doing these simple things:

• The most important thing is to sleep more than 6 hours per night

• Drink bone broth! Read everything you need to know about it here

• Stay hydrated – dark urine usually indicates that you are drinking too little water

• Eat real food like loads of fresh veggies

• Supplement with probiotics. Kefir, kombucha and sauer kraut are all good sources – all available from our shop. The good bacteria in these help fight off the bad ones.

• Get good quality Echinacea, Vitamin C and Omega 3

• Focus on distressing a week before your holiday begins. Incorporate essential oils like lavender, exercise daily, watch your alcohol consumption and follow the advice above.

Keep this in the back of your mind, but focus on making the most of every moment with the important people in your life. Enjoy this time with thankfulness!