Copyright © 2011 - Fitness Republic. All Rights Reserved
14953 South Heritage Crest Way # C, Bluffdale UT 84065 | Phone: 1-877-690-1933
The decision came just hours after the red clad, white trimmed Christmas icon received his recent medical report from his doctor. It seems that both his weight and blood sugar were a little elevated And with the down economy and all the sitting at work and on his sleigh, his belly fat finally drifted just a wee bit too far over his large black belt.
I finally caught up with Santa at his North Pole residence. Overall, he was taking it quite well. His view is that he’s in it for the long haul and if he wants to continue his annual trek around the world, he’s got to make a few lifestyle changes. So here are Santa’s 5 Christmas intents he asked me to share with you.
Surprise-Surprise: Turns out that the average American drinks nearly 60 gallons of soda, annually. Every 12 ounces contains 12 teaspoons of sugar. Santa said if he drinks just one less soda or sweetened drink each day for a year he will lose 10 pounds. It’s that simple. He’s cutting down on diet sodas too. The artificial sugar in those drinks fools your body into secreting more insulin, a hormone produced in the pancreas that transfers sugar from the bloodstream into your cells. Without the sugar to transfer, the extra insulin causes an increase in the amount of fat that is stored in your belly and the acidity of diet sodas can rob your teeth of calcium.
Like we said earlier, Santa is trading in his plate of cookies for a fruit and veggie platter. Both the American Cancer Society and the American Heart Association recommend eating at least 5 fruits or vegetables daily. Fruits and vegetables help lower the risk of both cancer and heart disease. Santa admitted he didn’t love the taste of fruits and vegetables. But here is a trick. Try tasting the new one at least 12 different times. Even if you only eat one bite, repeating the tasting allows almost everyone to learn to like a new taste. Try it. You may be surprised that you’ve found a new great dish that you really enjoy and is great for your health. Just adding one fruit or vegetable daily can make a difference. Don’t be afraid of a squash! For a change, Santa is also snacking on a handful of walnuts. They’re full of omega-3 fatty acids and really good for your heart, joints and brain.
Sorry to disappoint you but Santa is actually making some of his deliveries on foot. He still gets to your neighborhood via reindeer but he parks his sleigh a bit further away from the house and walks the rest of the way. Sometimes he walks up one flight of stairs or down two instead of taking an elevator. He even walks up the escalator. When he’s on the phone, he doesn’t sit down. He stands and keeps moving. Even when he meets with his chief elf for a staff meeting, they take a walk together rather than sit. His goal is to work his way up to 10,000 steps each day. He said if someone wants to buy him a gift, he’d like a pedometer. It counts your steps and usually costs between $10 and $25.
According to Santa, this was a really difficult one. We all live hectic lives that never seem to slow down. Now, once or twice a day, Santa finds a quiet spot in a pleasant location. He takes a slow deep breath through his nose, holds it for 5 seconds, and lets it out slowly through his mouth. Doing that for even one minute begins to relax him. He says it didn’t take long to work his way up to 5 or 10 minutes once or twice daily. Santa Clause was amazed at how relaxed it made him feel. I have a similar suggestion to smokers: try inhaling only air and leave out the cigarette. Make this is smoke free quiet time.
Santa told me that he finds it hard to squeeze quality sleep into his busy schedule. But now he knows that sleep plays a major role in his health, mood and productivity. According to the National Sleep Foundation, most people need between 7 and 8 hours per twenty-four hours but most Americans get just over 6 hours per night. Here are some simple tips that help Santa sleep better.
These 5 tips are something everyone can do, even Santa. They’re simple and they will make a great difference in getting your health jump started in the New Year. And they are working for Santa.
