12 Tips for a Stress-Free Holiday · author of The Fast Metabolism Diet and The Fast Metabolism Diet Cookbook. She uses food as the medicine to improve health, speed metabolism, and

12 Tips for a Stress-Free Holiday Small Things You Can Do Throughout the Day

to Keep Yourself Balanced, Energized, and Happy

Begin Your Day with a Moment of Gratitude, Not Your Smartphone

When you wake up in the morning, don’t start your day by looking at your smartphone. Take one minute—trust me, you do have one minute—to breathe deeply, or be grateful, or set your intention for the day.

—Arianna Huffington, author of Thrive

Get Unstuck and Reverse Negative Expectations

When you feel unfulfilled, you can’t fool yourself into feeling satisfied. But you can reverse the negative messages that make you feel stuck. Unhappiness thrives on inertia—it’s easy to keep feeling the same way today as you felt yesterday…substitute a counterthought, a positive antidote.

—Deepak Chopra, M.D., author of What Are You Hungry For?

GEAR UP FOR THE HOLIDAYSWITH Gratitude

Make a Green Smoothie the First Thing You Eat

Start your day with a veggie-packed green smoothie to guarantee that you get at least 2-3 serves of nutrient-dense veggies in one hit. Remember to always add fat to your smoothies in the form of avocado or coconut oil. Why? Vitamins A, E, D and K—found in most vegetables and leafy greens—are fat soluble, meaning they can only be fully absorbed when eaten with good fats.

—Sarah Wilson, author of I Quit Sugar

Squeeze in a 10-Minute Mini-Workout

Try to squeeze a workout—even if it’s 10 minutes—into your morning before your day starts. That way, no matter what errands you have to run after work or what holiday parties you have to go to, you know that you’ve already taken 10 minutes out for a healthier you!

—Jennipher Walters and Erin Whitehead, authors of

The Fit Bottomed Girls Anti-Diet

GET Moving AND MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR MORNING

Make Your Shopping Count as Cardio

Don’t worry if you have to miss a cardio class to finish your shopping—make your shopping count as cardio! Park far away in the parking lot, take the stairs, and pick up your pace between stores to maximize your movement at the mall.

—Jennipher Walters and Erin Whitehead, authors of

The Fit Bottomed Girls Anti-Diet

Make a Personal Connection with People You Usually Take for Granted

During your day make a personal connection with people you…tend to pass by and take for granted: the checkout clerk, the cleaning crew at your office or your hotel, the barista in the coffee shop. See how this helps you feel more alive and reconnected to the moment.

—Arianna Huffington, author of Thrive

MAKE SHOPPING A MINDFUL, Healthy EXPERIENCE

Let Go of the Myth of the Perfect Family GatheringEach year, you raise your standards, your expectations, and your stress levels—all in the name of good cheer. And while being optimistic is one thing, beware the false expectation that people, personalities, and relationships will change simply because it’s the holidays. Unless you’re hoping Santa delivers an entirely new family to your door, you’ll find the same cast of characters. You know this. Plan for it. Be ready to roll with what happens, and have a friend on speed dial so you can vent about it—later.

—Jan Bruce, Andrew Shatte, and Adam Perlman, authors of MeQuilibrium

Look for the Goodness in People

It’s all too easy to get into the rut of bemoaning the state of the world. Today, take any pessimistic attitude and explore how to take an optimistic angle. Think in terms of hope, new possibilities, the goodness in people, the healing brought by time.

—Deepak Chopra, author of What Are You Hungry For?

LET GO OF EXPECTATIONS AND EXPLORE Goodness

Choose to Savor Rather Than Fill Social pressure, broken routines, and emotional stress can lead even the most health-focused among us to overindulge. While knocking back the eggnog sets you up for self-loathing come January 1, holding yourself to a rigid standard of perfection is just as unhealthy. Rather than think about what you should or shouldn’t eat, focus on being fully present to whatever’s in front of you, be it a hot chocolate or a chocolate cake. Choose to savor rather than fill, and you’ll feel more pleasure in the moment.

—Jan Bruce, Andrew Shatte, and Adam Perlman, authors of MeQuilibrium

Don’t Deny Yourself – Just Drink Smart

When it comes to holidays you don’t have to deny yourself. Responsible drinking is all good, with caveats. Stick with red wine, beer, and dry spirits (gin, vodka and whiskey). All of these options are low in fructose. Avoid champagne or “sparkling” and dessert wines. Watch your mixers, as they’re often packed with sugar.

—Sarah Wilson, author of I Quit Sugar

Celebrate AT HOLIDAY PARTIES WITHOUT GUILT

Sip Ginger TeaGinger tea is more than a spicy treat with a touch of sweet to it. Ginger also soothes your intestinal tract, relieves sinus congestion, lowers blood sugar, and stimulates your body to burn fat. Ginger tea also stimulates your digestion and fights inflammation, helping keep holiday bloating at bay.

—Haylie Pomroy, author of The Burn

Do a Day of Clear Foods

With all the rich holiday food, parties, and hectic craziness of shopping, you can end up feeling bloated and puffy, with low energy. Pamper your GI tract and your body’s mucosal linings with a day of what I call “clear” foods: White fish, radish, cucumbers, jícama, onions, celery, mushrooms, and low-sodium vegetable broth. You’ll wake up feeling calmer and cleaner.

—Haylie Pomroy, author of The Burn

SOOTH YOURSELF WITH AN EASY, Calming DETOX

Celebrity nutritionist and regular Dr. Oz Show guest HAYLIE POMROY is the bestselling author of The Fast Metabolism Diet and The Fast Metabolism Diet Cookbook. She uses food as the medicine to improve health, speed metabolism, and lose weight. Her new book, The Burn, hits stores December 31, 2014.

SARAH WILSON is a journalist, television host, and blogger, and a qualified Health Coach with the Institute of Integrative Nutrition in New York. She is the author of I Quit Sugar and the creator of IQuitSugar.com, a website dedicated to quitting sugar and leading a healthy lifestyle. She lives in Sydney, Australia.

ARIANNA HUFFINGTON is the cofounder, president, and editor in chief of the Huffington Post Media Group, one of the world’s most influential news and information brands. She is the author of fourteen books, including Thrive and On Becoming Fearless, and the mother of two daughters, Christina and Isabella.

DEEPAK CHOPRA is the author of more than 50 books translated into more than 35 languages—including numerous New York Times bestsellers in both fiction and nonfiction. Time magazine heralds Deepak Chopra as one of the top 100 heroes and icons of the century and credits him as “the poet–prophet of alternative medicine.”

Founded by JAN BRUCE, MeQuilibrium is the culmination of 15 years of research in positive psychology and integrative medicine spearheaded by psychologist ANDREW SHATTE, Ph.D., and ADAM PERLMAN, M.D. The result is a cognitive behavioral approach to address, assess, and improve all areas of your life.

The Fit Bottomed Girls are a team made up of JENNIPHER WALTERS and ERIN WHITEHEAD. The FBGs pride themselves on being real girls—not gladiators. They understand that health and fitness should be about enjoyable activities and the occasional treat, not about torturous workouts and deprivation.