Holidays and healthy habits
The formula is fitness, food and a little magic

What do you think when you hear the word “healthy?” Do you think good health or bad? No more KrispyKreme’s or Christmas cookies? And hours of sweating it out on the treadmill? Well, think again.

Like a puzzle, many parts fit together for overall health and wellness. In a way, mind, body and (some will say) spirit all interlock for a perfect picture of healthy living. Putting all the pieces in place is a tight squeeze for busy professionals with hectic holiday schedules. That reality is especially true with the bounty of food-centered festivities this time of year.

Here’s Another Reality

Most of us eat what we want and do what we want well into our 20s and 30s. The problem is, when we hit the big 4-0, bad habits catch up with us.

With that thought in mind, we caught up with Bianca Constance, an executive assistant for a large New York-based company, who also serves on the Foundation of IAAP’s Board of Regents. Constance came to the mid-life crossroads a while ago and this year, she traveled the path to improved health and wellness. We asked about her healthy habits, especially now as we head into the temptations of the season.

Her Formula: Fitness, Food & A Little Magic

“I’ve had issues with weight all my life and as you get older, weight doesn’t leave as easily,” Constance said. “I decided I needed to do something about it.” That was way last summer.

In the months since, she has worked out on a stationary bicycle that had been collecting dust in the basement. Awake by 5:20 a.m., she pedals away for 30-minute sessions before clocking in at work, four times a week.

“Some mornings, I really don’t want to ride, but it’s very easy to slide down that slope. That’s why I make it four days. In a seven-day week, I have three days to slide.”

Soon after committing to regular exercise, she made another healthy decision. “Hypothetically, the number of calories burned is the equivalent of an exorbitant dessert,” she said. Now she chooses fresh fruit over an “occasional indulgence,” a hot and gooey chocolate chip cookie. “I’ll manage the holidays by making sure I eat more proteins and vegetables and less carbs and sugary sweets and snacks,” she promises herself.

Can She Stick With It?

“For the times that I do slide away from my plan, I will not beat myself up for a momentary lapse,” she said. “As long as the lapse means just that—momentary.”

Her workout, while not exactly breezy, has become easier. She reads a magazine while she rides and, at times, a half hour zips by without her realizing it. “I feel more robust and fit this year than I did last year,” she said. Besides, “I have a goal. My wardrobe is starting to feel less snug, but there are still one or two outfits I’m not ready to wear yet. They are my new guiding lights.”

Where’s The Magic?

It’s no surprise that adding holiday customs to the stress of a busy workplace can throw anyone off track, physically and mentally. But, Constance said, she can turn a stressful environment into something much less stressful with a bit of whimsy.

“I’m not afraid to say I have a little girl’s magic wand on my desk. If something’s particularly stressful, I get my wand and wave it at people,” she said. “When I wave it, it makes a whooshing sound.” It catches them off guard and, like magic, it lightens the moment and diffuses the drama.

“I’m blessed with a crazy sense of humor,” Constance said.

But according to Psychology Today, it’s not crazy. It’s healthy to be fond of lightheartedness, playfulness and, in the spirit of the holidays, a little magical thinking.

Green up the holiday for health

The scent of pine and other green things are good for the holidays and good for your health

Gather the greenery this season and turn sprigs of pine into wreaths, garlands and baskets overflowing with green because, as you know, freshly cut pine is aromatic and festive. But did you know, pine is not only good for the holidays. It’s good for your health.

Researchers at Japan’s Kyoto University studied the psychological effects of a 15-minute stroll through a pine forest, twice a day over a period of time. Volunteers who took the walk reported a significant decrease in feelings of hostility and melancholy. They said the more “stressed out” they were before the stroll, the greater their sense of relaxation. A similar study in Finland found the same therapeutic effects of the aromatic pine.

Mind and Body

What’s more, pine’s ability to heal goes beyond the emotions. It also offers relief for pesky winter colds and congested sinuses. “Add three drops of pine essential oil to a bowl of hot tap water, cover your head with a towel, and inhale steam through your mouth and nose,” said Sara Altshul in health.com.

And, oh! Those aching muscles. Mix five drops of essential pine oil with two tablespoons of olive oil and massage it on skin to relieve aches and pains, Altshul advised.

What Shakespeare Said

Modern scientific evidence verifies what the ancients had long believed: There are healthy and soothing benefits in nature’s gifts of green, from live plants and the scent of pine in the workplace to fresh greens on our plates, not only seasonally, but year-round.

Long ago, though, Shakespeare had something to say about the color. Early in the 17th century, he warned (in Othello) that envy is a “green-eyed monster.” Yes, we know. Being green with envy agitates the mind and dampens a holiday spirit. So put petty jealousies aside and go with the refreshing and healthy pick-me-ups of green, green, green.

Did You Know?

Popeye promoted the power of spinach, but Bok Choy packs a much stronger punch. A cousin to cabbage, even “baby” Bok Choy is loaded with vitamins A, C, K and folate, plus calcium. The body absorbs a full 54 percent of Bok Choy’s calcium, compared to five percent from spinach. Most green fruits and veggies, from apples, avocados and broccoli to lettuce and leafy greens, are our friends. Ditto for herbs, like mint, basil, chives and rosemary.

Green tea is believed by many to be “the healthiest beverage on the planet.” That’s according toauthoritynutrition.com, a claim supported by Harvard Women’s Health Watch. There’s a link between green tea drinkers (two to three cups a day) and a reduced risk of several cancers. Extra benefits include reduced risk for heart disease, the Harvard study said. There’s more: A Chinese study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine showed a 46 percent to 65 percent reduction in hypertension risk for regular consumers of green tea. Brew a batch in the break room and invite a coworker to join you. Then raise your cup and say,Here’s to your health!

Gazing at the color green takes only seconds to boost creative thinking, according to researchers at University of Munich in Germany. Go ahead, get creative. Change your computer screen to green or add a splash of the color to your work wardrobe.

Keep track of the dollars—greenbacks—you spend for holiday shopping. Opt for deep discounts offered late in December. Pocket the credit cards and stick with a sensible budget. Smart spending leads to greener pastures—a financially healthier new year.

The Best News of All?

The British Broadcasting Company recently reported that new scientific research suggests a strong link between the powerful fragrance of pine forests and positive climate change. See the report athttp://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-26340038

(Martha McCarty is an author, journalist, columnist and contributing book critic. She’s a writer for The New York Times News Service, Associated Press, Entrepreneur Magazine and American Business Journals. She is the author of Five Island Diaries, published by Spartan Press.)”