Instead of exchanging gifts this year, our group of girlfriends decided to have a cookie baking party for Santa with all of our kids. As we sat on the couch, one of my best friends took a look at me and said…”You know Caro, being healthy is about more than just the food you eat.” Why did she say that to me? Simply because I looked EXHAUSTED. And quite frankly I am exhausted. She knows me all too well and knows that I am not my usual self. Although I still pile on the greens… the holidays, the loss of my grandmother, the pregnancy, and work have all meshed together and thrown me into a loop. That of course has affected my routine…and therefore my husband’s (since I tend to be the house manager!!!) routine. That, overall, leads to a less healthy lifestyle, and it shows.

So my friend’s comment really inspired me to blog today about more than just the food we eat. Holidays tend to be rough on most of us. Its a time of giving thanks, being with friends and family, sharing, decorating, partying, and enjoying life….and those things can become extremely stressful!!!!!!! Because with all that joy comes the stress of buying gifts, shifting work schedules to accomodate for kids’ school events, less routine, less sleep, more running around, and for those of us who live in Miami…a lot more traffic. And for those who travel during the holidays, add on packing and unpacking, crowded airports, traveling with children, long car rides and work piling up at the office. These shifts in seasons and schedules naturally bring shifts to your eating habits. You eat out more, buy more take out, try to make eating more simple because everything else has become more complicated. So it is no wonder that by the end of the holiday season you start to see people feeling more rundown, sad, anxious, tired, and definitely less healthy. Luckily the positives outweigh the negatives and as we all wind down from the hustle and bustle of the holidays, we get ready for a new year with new beginnings and new opportunities to establish healthy routines, exercise more, eat better, and relax a little. So if you’re feeling like you’ve lost your way during the holidays, fear not… it is temporary.

However, my girlfriend’s comment is more profound than just the loss of control we experience during the holidays. That is what really impacted me. Human beings are complex creatures. We don’t just feed our bodies for survival. We also have to feed our minds and our souls… and that can become very complicated.

Some of us are emotional eaters and have a difficult time controlling what we eat when we are going through hard times.
Some of us don’t exercise.
Some of us are in bad relationships.
Some of us are in good relationships but our partners don’t support or help us maintain healthy lifestyles.
Some of us are under too much stress.
Some of us have financial pressures that are affecting us.
Some of us use alcohol or drugs to self medicate.
Some of us don’t sleep enough.
Some of us don’t have a good support system – like a girlfriend who takes a look at you and tells you its time to slow down 🙂
Some of us have a very negative attitude

All these different aspects of our lives and our beings affect our health. And a lot of these aspects affects what we put in our mouths. It is important to be honest with ourselves and look at what we can work on that is within our control. And it is also important for us to find the tools to positively handle those things in our lives that are beyond our control.

So as we all get ready to begin a New Year, I encourage all of you to take a look at what is affecting your health or well being. Maybe in 2013 you can tackle some of the negative things affecting your health. Even if it is one change at a time, every positive step helps. And believe it or not, when you put good healthy food in your mouth and eliminate toxins and sugars, it really does help clear your head and work on the other stuff. We look forward to continue evolving as a family, as individuals, and as a community and sharing our ups and downs with you in 2013… and of course… as many healthy recipes as we can muster up!

To Health, Happiness and Prosperity!