Beth Colucci
The Holiday season is rapidly approaching…read: stress, thrown off schedules, parties, alcohol & copious amounts of sugar are rapidly approaching. All of these factors can wreak havoc on your overall health & wellness. Use this Health Stats & Survival Guide to help navigate your way through the Holidays this year unscathed.

Holiday Health Stats:
The average person gains 1-3lbs. between Halloween & Thanksgiving, with the potential for more as the year ends
People tend not to lose the weight they gain over the holidays, which adds up year after year
It only takes 5 fun-sized candy bars & no other dietary adjustments for someone to gain 1lb. of weight each week
It takes 540 push-ups to burn off 1 Apple Cider Donut (330 cal)
The average child collects between 3,500 & 7,000 calories worth of candy Halloween night
81% of parents take some of their kids’ Halloween candy…46% do so after bedtime
A Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup – America’s favorite candy – has 10.5g of sugar
You would have to cycle for 39 mins & run for 17 mins to burn off said Reese’s
The average American eats 24lbs. of candy per year, mostly around the Holidays
Candy Corn – the most bought Halloween candy – is made of high fructose corn syrup which affects memory, causes inflammation, and suppresses leptin which tells your body when it’s full
One of the ingredients in Butterfinger is TBHQ, a compound of butane
The week of Halloween, Americans buy 90,000,000lbs. of chocolate…enough Hershey bars to wrap around the world nearly 3.25 times
Holiday Survival Guide:
Remember a 4 oz. serving of animal protein is the size of a deck of cards & a serving of plant protein is the size of a tennis ball
Create a holiday “Wish List” for your body – pick one or two areas you’d like to see improvement in during the holiday season to help keep you motivated
Make sure you read the expiration date on your kids’ candies
Stay well hydrated – water helps keep mucous membranes moist so they can better keep bugs out of your system
To protect the air quality in your home, make sure your candles have lead-free wicks
Never go to a party hungry & when you arrive choose only 2-3 foods you’d like to try, not all of them
The advice never gets old…keep a food log
Even if you can’t get here, you can still get a great workout in using your body weight…attend a few Metabolic Conditioning classes to get an idea of what to do
Only eat “Holiday” treats! Many foods served at parties are at our disposal all year round (i.e. nuts, pretzels) – skip the every-day foods & save your calories for “holiday” specials
If you don’t have time to book a 60 min massage, stop at a massage kiosk or salon – massage lowers the stress hormone cortisol & boosts white blood cells, which protect against germs
Say no to a few parties – parties inevitably mean staying out late & eating & drinking too much – give your body the rest & recovery it needs to stay strong
Focus on socializing, not on food while at a party
schedule your workouts ahead of time to ensure you fit them into your busy schedule.