It’s that time of year when here is San Diego the air gets a little cooler (thankfully), turkeys start to get a little nervous because they know that Thanksgiving dinner is around the corner and the to-do list for the coming holidays begins to get long. With that in mind and from watching my patients over the years, stress can build up as well. It’s a shame that this beautiful time of year gets filled up with stress and anxiety.
Instead of jumping into this rising tide I make a big effort to do the exact opposite. Instead of following along with the masses my intention during the final months of the year is to make things as simple and easy for myself as possible. I recommend that you all do the same. This email was actually inspired by my 4th patient in the office today as she started our conversation with “I am already stressed out with everything I need to do for the holidays and it’s not even Thanksgiving yet!”
It’s around this time of year that my mailbox begins to fill up with holiday cards from friends, family and patients. It’s such a beautiful tradition that I never participate in. Not because I don’t love everyone in my life. Actually, it’s like clockwork, around the first week of December when the 10th holiday card has arrived that my wife says, “We should do this one of these years!”
My response is the same…Why?
My idea of showing love and appreciation to those around me is not about increasing my stress levels and adding to my to-do list (which is plenty long on its own). My idea of showing love is by spending more time with friends and family or picking up the phone and talking to those I haven’t spoken to enough this year. I want to really catch up and not get caught up in doing what everyone else is doing or what others think I should do.
It’s about bringing more JOY into my life, not more Stress!
This year I want you to look at your To-Do list and see what you can take off of it, not by doing it, but by saying it’s not as important this year so I am going to get rid of it. What is that for you?
It may sound strange but I come up with all my best ideas when I take a shower. I know, it’s odd. I do this so much that my assistant, Anayansi, got me a waterproof pad of paper to keep in the shower so I can take notes when I think of them. This is the only place in my house that I get to be alone; no one calling for me and asking for something. So when I have a little quiet time my mind has the space to think clearly.
My idea of showing love and appreciation to those around me is not about increasing my stress levels and adding to my to-do list (which is plenty long on its own). My idea of showing love is by spending more time with friends and family or picking up the phone and talking to those I haven’t spoken to enough this year. I want to really catch up and not get caught up in doing what everyone else is doing or what others think I should do.
It’s about bringing more JOY into my life, not more Stress!
So this year I want you to look at your To-Do list and see what you can take off of it, not by doing it, but by saying it’s not as important this year so I am going to get rid of it. What is that for you?
So it may sound strange but I come up with all my best ideas when I take a shower. I know, it’s odd. I do this so much that my assistant, Anayansi, got me a waterproof pad of paper to keep in the shower so I can take notes when I think of them. This is the only place in my house that I get to be alone; no one calling for me and asking for something. So when I have a little quiet time my mind has the space to think clearly.
As always the most important thing for me any time of year is the quality of the food that my family and I eat and the holiday season is no exception. Actually it’s even more important right now because that gives me the flexibility to indulge a little more than I normally do. It’s also about the timing of things. I want to make sure I order all the food I need to have at home right about now instead of putting it off. This does two things – 1) it allows me to get it done before everyone else is trying to get it done, thus reducing my stress and 2) it assures that I will get what I want.
To accomplish this I use several easy and awesome online resources.
- The first is Thrive Market. This is my go to for all my little essentials like Oils, seasoning, bone broth and all the little things that make cooking easier.
- Now that I have mentioned Bone Broth, let’s jump into it. This is key to any awesome meal I make. Not only does it help to make everything taste better but it’s super healthy and will support your immune system and digestive system. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t need that during the holidays. It also allows me to stick to my 80/20 when it comes to my diet. This keeps my digestive system strong so I can indulge with a little wine and treats.
- There are many Bone Broth companies out there. First, if you are up for it, I recommend cooking your own. You are already going to be in the kitchen so why not get that started as well. If you are not up for that, then my two favorite companies are The Flavor Chef and Kettle & Fire. These two will deliver your broth straight to your door for you to begin to enjoy. I use my bone broth in almost all my cooking, from stuffing to gravy, stews and my leftover turkey stir-fry but I also always have a cup on its own some time throughout the day.
- No holiday meal is complete without that Beautiful Turkey, Ham or seafood dish. Turkey is our go to in our house but I know everyone has their own prefered centerpiece. If you are in need of good quality meats and seafood, my family gets ours from US Wellness Meats and Vital Choice Seafood.
So most of you may not know but I LOVE WINE!
Yep…and good wine at that. Over the years drinking wine got taken off of my list of ok things to do. Mainly because I felt terrible after I drink it; my wife too!
No holiday meal is complete without wine glasses clinking, laughter singing through the air and music in the background. In my mind it’s part of what makes a holiday meal complete. So I started looking for wine that I could confidently recommend to my patients and feel comfortable with them having some as part of their 20%. In my search I found Dry Farm Wines. My wife and I shared some wine last week, and when I tell you that my wife can’t drink wine without feeling sick (even half a glass), you can imagine her hesitation when I asked her if she wanted a glass. She not only enjoyed it, she also didn’t have one ounce of pain! That is almost a miracle in my book.
So what makes Dry Farm Wines so special? Well, I won’t get into it too much here because if you click on the link you can read all about it. In simple terms they don’t add anything to the wine, except wine. They sell wine that is made the old fashion way, without chemicals, pesticides, sugar and other junk that shouldn’t be in the wine. I just ordered some to have for our holiday meals and to give as gifts to some friends…I’m hoping to clean up their wine preferences (shhhhh don’t tell them)!
What about dessert?
Well, I love chocolate; dark chocolate. When my friend Jessica gave me a little taste of her new creation, Nourrir, I was all in. It tastes great and like bone broth, is good for you. Why? Because she adds collagen, the same super nutrient found in bone broth. Not to worry she gets it from Vital Protein so that your chocolate doesn’t taste like bone broth because that would be strange.
OK, so this blog is getting a little too long for my tastes. I was going to tell you all about my favorite gifts that I am getting for family and some of the ladies in my office but I fear that I am getting too long. So instead of explaining each one I am just going to list them with a little blurb; I hope that’s ok with you. If you want more information about them just shoot me an email and I will be happy to answer any questions you have.
Here are my favorite gifts right now:
- For all the ladies who need to upgrade your skin care and makeup check out Ann Marie Skin Care and Beautycounter
- Safe Sleeve – This is an awesome gift for someone who needs to upgrade their computer case or cellphone case. Their products are made to eliminate EMF radiation and protect your health and fertility.
- SnowBalls – Doesn’t your hubby need some new underwear for the holidays (I sound like your grandma). But these guys make underwear that helps fertility and sperm count because they cool down his guys “down there”. And it’s backed by science!
- Computer Glasses by Swanwick – These are the yellow tinted glasses that keep your brain healthy while you spend all that time on the computer during the holidays. I got some for my boys because they are on screens so much at school.
I hope these tips are helpful during the holidays and beyond. Most importantly during the holidays… have sex! But have sex with your partner because you love them and you want to be more intimate instead of always timing it around ovulation. Have sex because its fun, its makes you feel good, it releases endorphins and because there is no better way to end an awesome night during the holiday season then in bed, naked with the person you love the most!
To More Joy, Less Stress and Better Sex!
Happy Holidays