This one change helped me start the New Year svelte.

This was the first holiday season I found myself without alcohol. Managing family holidays with out vodka soda is something I would NEVER normally recommend. Your sanity is essential after all & most of our families keep the fun in disFUNctional. 

Here's how I found myself sober through the season and the awesome result come January 1st 2016!

Dec 15th LA Work Event

This year, on a mid-December trip to LA, I got the annual sinus infection. Lots of exercise, little sleep, colder weather combined with Halloween > Bermuda > overindulging at Thanksgiving and I wasn't exactly shocked my immune system gave me the bird. 

It started with a headache and by end of week had turned into a punishing ear infection.

Now, ice pick to-the-ear pain is usually something I hop on antibiotics for --- but I've been doing the whole probiotics, bone broth, L-Glutamine thing to build back my good gut bacteria. And antibiotics would negate much, if not ALL of my progress.

Like most, I have leaky gut- a dangerous separation of the intestinal wall cells. This single cell barrier on the intestinal wall is what helps absorb nutrients through the gut lining and keeps toxins and food particles from seeping into the rest of our system. Inflammatory immune system reactions and food allergies pop up when food particles & toxins seep through this barrier. My favorite foods could possibly make me sick moving forward - not ok. Gotta seal that gap.

I was scared & grossed out enough to lower my toxins and commit to resealing the bonds between these gut lining cells. The immune system related illnesses like Rheumatoid arthritis and thyroid problems are becoming unfortunately common in modern day culture & my joints have gotten really achy as I push my body to the limit with my high inflammation lifestyle. 

Another fun celebratory December tradition:  boozy, blissful, all you can eat Guardsman charity Crab Feed 

When I say "committed," I don't mean I was ready to give up alcohol or even sugar for that matter. Two huge inflammation offenders I rely on as lifestyle coping mechanisms. I was starting with the good probiotics in and decided to worry about getting the bad food out later. I know I know, both are necessary...

Santa Con San Francisco- 2016

LA Family Holiday Celebration

But this damn ear infection and my refusal to go on antibiotics made for a hard new reality. Processed foods, sugar, and alcohol had to beat it during the most sugar filled, drunk part of the year. To get my immune system strong enough to kick this bugger, I had to hydrate and sleep a whole lot more while ditching the weakening toxins. Waaaaa!?

My alcohol-fueled holiday cheer marathon was getting majorly f'd with. Could I do it?

If I wasn't being reminded hourly by a friendly stab to the side of the head, there's not a chance I would have made it. Spiked egg nog & hot toddies are too delicious. Without pain pounding me into submission, I likely wouldn't have stayed strong. I also married into a particularly fun family who know what to do with a dance floor & our friend group of stylish, event planning, marketing mavens make for a non stop party.

I was in big trouble.

However, holiday party 7 came and went & outside of a faked shot of vodka at a fun fam white elephant, I managed to go without alcohol hitting my lips.

Then New Year's in Tahoe approached and thanks to the cold, dry 10 degree weather and the occassional ear stabs,  being further dehydrated and dry did not appeal. I managed to stay sober even on the costumed dance floor. I was starting to feel invincible. Maybe I could release my attachment to a favorite coping mechanism after all. Even if I didn't really have a choice, and shouldn't be overly patting my own back, this was real progress! What a fun realization and a confidence boost of the possibilities! 

Here's what I noticed come Jan 1st, 13 days after kicking booze:

*My skin is clearer, tighter, and I'm way less bloated / puffy. I'm sure the sleep & extra hydration along with ditching alcohols dehydrating side effects were a power combo.

* I'm noticeably leaner. Starting the year with lean, toned thighs is not a resolution I set, but I'm bikini season ready mid winter!! This.Is.Incredible. I'm grabbing by bun / thigh crease in magical wonder. My credit card may be maxed out, but my body is not!

*I can see my abs- that helpful little cushioning layer is vacationing allowing for a flat tummy.

*I think clearer and have less fatigue. My mood is more even. Depression and brain fog are gone and I can handle stress with more grace. I'm not depleted and fumbling around for a sugar fix wondering which obscure amino acid or enzyme my body really needs. I don't feel crazy!

*I'm calmer and can focus better. With more rest and less stimulating sugar and alcohol pumped through my holiday month, I hit January with more dopamine receptors! This allows smaller tasks to be able to release the same brain chemical blitz of motivating goodness that usually requires more stimulation to achieve. 

*I'm motivated to keep it clean, green, & hydrated. Momentum is real and starting the New Year not feeling bloated & behind is just wonderful. This may be game changing enough to make Dec 15th my last drinking day of the year moving forward. I KNOW, CRAZY! I can't say enough good things about how different & empowering this year's start feels. 

WHAT A CHANGE FROM LAST YEAR'S BLOG POST!

i highly recommend taking 14 days of little sugar and no alcohol to reset your mind, mood, and waistline. Add in more sleep, more Lemon water, and 3/week sweat sessions in the sauna or spin bike for a heavy dose of feel good.

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YOU DESERVE TO FEEL GOOD!

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**GETHSH is a wellness blog dedicated to researching the variables in the formula for happiness & health. All suggestions should be reviewed with your licensed practitioner and taken on your own free will.

3 treatments that keep your body happy through the Holidays

Let's reverse the holiday sitting, travel, extra stress, parties in heels, reduced sleep, extra sugar and alcohol and put our bodies back right.

1. Acupuncture: 

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Who would have thought that needles = bliss? Hold the heroin jokes, we're talking acupuncture.

While I can't tell you who decided to track the energy channels in the body or how they figured it out, I can tell you it works amazingly well.

After a consultation to assess what's hurting and general imbalances in your body based on your pulse, color of your tongue, and your verbal complaints, the acupuncturist places very thin needles along the energy channels in the areas associated with that ailment. 

Once placed, you lay back in your chair or massage table and chill / sleep for the next 30-60min. It takes 24 min to reset the nervous system so plan on reaping the extra benefit by getting a good meditative rest in while the energy blocks are being removed.

HEALING BENEFITS:   Nervous System Reset ... Neurotransmitter Building ... Reduces Inflammation

2. Chiropractic Body work

Our hips get out of alignment, our neck gets tight, our hamstrings lock up and pull on our low back. Life's rigors, can leave us tight and in pain. Chiropractors help keep our body supple with access to full healthy motion.  They get us realigned and ready to start fresh in a happy, unstuck skeletal system.

Finding a good chiropractor to get your body back on track is one of those lifes kills super savvy adults have mastered. While I'm not in love with the idea of my favorite practicioners being booked, I do feel obligated to share my 2 favorites in SF.

Dr. Natasha Barnes of Embrace Health in the Marina (Chiro Medical in SOMA until Dec 23rd) and Dr. Mike Lord of Avanzare Chiropractic Sports Therapy near the Presidio in Cow Hollow are my reset button. I can't say enough good things about their knowledge of the body, their positivity, their healing abilities, and their bodywork skills.

 At a chiropractic session, you can expect to be checked for misalignments, have your muscles loosen with massage, electrical stimulation, or heat pads, and then adjusted after being placed in various positions to gently move your bones back into position. The chiropractor will give you suggestions to strengthen the surrounding muscles to make the temporary fix more permanent. 

These skeletal adjustment stop the overcompensation, irritation, and misalignments putting the hiccup in our giddyup. I can't recommend these tuneups more and feel best when I go 2-4x/month and do my strength training so I don't slip back in to misalignment.

3. Massage

Two massages a month is considered preventative medicine for our overworked bodies. During the holidays, aim for at least 1 professional massages per month and 4+ ten minute roll out sessions per week.

I carry my $5 myofascial release balls (shown >) everywhere I go and leave a set in my car. They go slightly deeper than my beloved roller and are perfect for travel.

They release my glutes and hamstrings on long flights and car trips and allow for spinal, shoulder, and neck release against a wall or on the floor. The best bodywork store ACOLOGY in Santa Monica sells them in a variety of sizes along with every other massage tool you can imagine. Lacrosse balls are a harder version and tennis balls do fine in a pinch.

ninja trick:  tape them together with rock tape or kt tape for the the perfect spine release.

Massage not only breaks up tight stuck muscles that may be hindering proper alignment and kinetic function, it also summons healing oxygenated blood flow to the area. My favorite side effect is the natural pain relief / immediate opiate release. Touch is  a magical thing and we deserve to feel good.

 VIDEO on massage ball technique.

Local inexpensive subscription massage places like Massage Envy keep you accountable to getting monthly massages by charging you for the first one every month. We can roll unused massages over to the next month if we don't use them. SF & LA have some pretty fantastic in-home options as well if you prefer. MassageNow.co is a new service that lets you book discounted massages at luxury spas. Code RELAXNOW gets you 20% off the first one - though I haven't tried their service yet.

Let's look at our last 2 weeks of 2014, and book one Acupuncture, Chiropractic, or Massage Session- before our insurance resets to that pesky deductible.

here's to your holidays being painfree & pleasant.

You Deserve to feel Good

BONUS ARTICLE on holiday feel good products from GetHSH girl Caroline Jordan!