How can you stay healthy during the holidays? It’s a challenge for anyone, but can be especially daunting for actors. Being comfortable in our own skin and staying at our healthiest size is an integral part of our jobs. LA makes fresh juices, locally grown salads, and morning runs easily accessible. But flying to Nebraska for Christmas makes healthy living a lot harder! Especially when certain family members tend to drive us nutty. Over the next two posts we will share some of our best tips to keep you in tip top shape and tip top spirits when you are far away from LaLaLand, and the dessert table is calling your name!

Remind yourself of your motivation before you even leave. Journal a few pages about why living an organic, active lifestyle is so important to you as well as to your career. Be specific. Did you love the way you felt in that sexy dress last time you were on set? Do you have dreams of being on a show like True Blood? Does a great yoga class realign your body and your spirit? It’s easier to stay focused when you remember why you are working hard in the first place.

Focus on the positive. This is a great time to remember how far you’ve come in your health. Are you a Southern belle who no longer runs to macaroni and cheese every time you’re stressed? Are you a former veggie hater who now embraces kale salads like whoa? Think about the positive steps you’ve already taken to live the life you want. Sure we all have room to grow and health and fitness goals still yet to achieve, but focusing on the positive usually motivates us to stay in the game way more than negative thoughts ever will.

Know your “fighting weight.” You may want to have the body of Brad Pitt in Fight Club or Jessica Biel in, well anything. But stay true to who you are and recognize the size you feel best at. Once you are at your fighting weight binges or crazy diets don’t seem so appealing. Vow to be the best YOU you can be and you will stay on target.

Pick and choose. Be selective! Do enjoy a couple of your favorite splurges of the season, but then fill the rest of your plate with fresh veggies and lean proteins. This way you don’t feel deprived but are being picky with your calories. If it all looks too delicious to pass up, give each dish the “now or never test. Ask yourself, if I don’t have this now will I really be missing out? For example, mashed potatoes you can have any day of the year, but your great Aunt Mae’s sweet potato casserole is pretty much a now or never dish. Make smart choices that are worth the calories!

Vitamin up. Nothing will get you down like spending your vacation with the flu. Traveling can take a big toll on a body, especially on an LA one no longer used to freezing temperatures! Make sure to vitamin both before and throughout your trip. Vitamin C, echinacea, and zinc are the power trio you’ll need to stay at peak condition.

Treat yourself to a mini massage. Try a chair at the massage kiosk or salon. There is no better way to spend your cash then on your health and you can even enlist a relative to make it a bonding day out. A short, single session lowers levels of the stress hormone cortisol and boosts several types of white blood cells, which protect the body against germs.

Practice mindfulness. Meditate, listen, focus on the moment at hand. Our breath is a perfect reminder to stay in the here and now. Practice and sit far from the appetizers so you don’t mindlessly eat. See and smell what you are about to enjoy. Taste each and every bite as you chew. You’ll savor all the goodness and steer far away from guilt when you allow yourself the gift of mindfulness.

Check back in later this week for “How To Stay Healthy When Home For The Holidays (Part Two)” for more insight into navigating this holiday season in the healthiest way for your mind, body, and soul!

Break legs,
Megan