TODAY'S AJENDA #88

Since when did “the most wonderful time of the year” get this stressful? 

Maybe it’s because you’re trying to order gifts, coordinate Thanksgiving dinner for 17 people (three with dietary restrictions), and stick to your health goals while everyone’s passing eggnog and cheese boards. Or you’re navigating the first holiday without someone who should be at the table, or just too stressed with world or national current events to feel super festive.    

The holiday season puts more pressure on us than we realize. And half the time? We don’t even notice it happening.

Here’s what’s happening inside your body: Stress flips on your fight-or-flight response. Adrenaline and cortisol flood your system, increasing your heart rate, blood pressure, and raising your blood sugar. 

Now layer on those elevated stress hormones with alcohol, bad sleep, rich holiday meals, and it could create the conditions for something ranging from suboptimal to even life-threatening. 

How to Cope and Prevent The Spiral

I’ve had my fair share of stressful holidays, just as any of us have. Luckily, there are things we can do to lighten our plates: 

1) Present Over Impressive. 

Give yourself permission to do less. It’s okay to order instead of cooking from scratch, or get one small gift instead of a dozen. The goal isn’t to be impressive: It’s to be present. If that means doing less, so be it. 

2) Sleep is Non-Negotiable. 

Even 1-2 hours of less sleep can raise blood pressure and worsen your mood. For optimal rest, the bedroom should be 66-67 degrees, dark (no blue lights, streetlights, or night lights if possible), and quiet. Earplugs and eye masks can definitely help!  

3) Move Your Body (Even a Little). 

This isn’t about burning calories to “earn” your holiday meal. Turkey trots always seemed fun, but lacked medical substance, in my opinion. Exercise can clear the stress hormones that’ve built up in your system. Even just 10 minutes of walking, stretching, or dancing helps. 

4) “Am I Numbing or Nourishing?” 

I’m not against a glass of good red wine, blanco tequila, or dessert! But notice when you’re using food or alcohol to numb out rather than for pleasure. Ask yourself: Am I numbing or nourishing? 

A glass of wine with friends or family can be nourishing. A slice of pie at 2 AM when you’re not hungry is numbing. 

5) Join a Community That Has Your Back. 

The holidays are hard enough without trying to white-knuckle through them alone. Being part of a community can change everything, and that’s what we’ve built inside The Wellness Experiment. 

There aren’t many places where you get expert, science-backed structure, a staunch and uniformly positive community, and a food-fitness-wellness system that transforms you from the inside and the outside. 

Last week, in our live weekly Zoom, incredible comments like this one flooded my inbox: 

And it wasn’t just medical progress that women were sharing, it was pictures of pride and power like these….

What strikes me when I hear from these women is this: Changing your health is always possible. It doesn’t matter whether you’re already fit or have struggled for 70 years. 

And that possibility becomes even more powerful when you approach it with curiosity. That’s why I call this an experiment, not a challenge. Challenges can be failed. Experiments can’t. The goal is learning and observing, and the subject is YOU.  

While I’ve cared for women of all ages for decades, I didn’t anticipate how powerful The Wellness Experiment would be for women in their 70s and beyond! Women of all ages were feeling better than ever and seeing results in their biometric data. I’ve found this tremendously inspiring as a woman in my 50s! 

Also, interacting with women from 40 to 80 years old is a gift. We learn from and celebrate with each other. Every week, we touch base in our weekly Live Zooms, where professional trainer Korey Rowe and I answer your questions and review your wins.

For the last 9 months, my Wellness Experiment has continued to evolve. As I learn new nutrition and fitness techniques, I fold them into the program. This includes an exercise library that’s constantly updated and complete with modifications to meet you where you are, and deep dives into the latest wellness trends and whether they have science behind them or are just marketing scams. 

The world of wellness is churning at such a deafening level, and it can be hard to hear yourself think. What I always go back to is science and self. Know the science and then see how it affects YOU. That’s what The Wellness Experiment is founded on, and that’s what it delivers. 

The best gift you can give yourself is investing in your health, and there’s no better time than right now. We’re running our biggest (and only!) holiday sale of the year, with The Wellness Experiment being 20% off for the first three phases. That works out to be less than a dollar a day! It’s enough to represent you truly having “skin in the game” to be curious as to what is possible for YOU, and little enough so that there is no excuse not to try it for 6 months.  

And if you’ve already done the first six months of The Wellness Experiment? You can sign up for a monthly membership. 

We are only running this sale for a short (holiday) time, so I hope to see you inside. The Wellness Experiment has taught me so much, and I know if you are curious and courageous, it will teach you a great deal too.

As much as the stress of Thanksgiving with relatives you may (or may not) like makes you want to slug a few tequilas, my advice is to abstain from alcohol. And no, it’s not because you’ll gain “five pounds” between now and New Year’s. That’s a myth:  

• Science Says: A small study found the average weight gain over the holidays is closer to 0.8lbs. 

While gains are modest, they can be hard to lose and can easily pile up over the years. That’s why I wanted to share my favorite low-sugar mocktail:

A few words about kombucha. This beverage is in that weird space of both “ancient tradition” and “trendy wellness.” At its core, it’s just fermented tea. But here’s what we do know about it: 

Pros: 

Research has found that kombucha may help lower blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes, increase good gut bacteria, and boost levels of anti-inflammatory compounds or antioxidants in the body. 

Cons: 

Not all kombucha is created equal. Some bottles have 15-20 grams of sugar. That’s not far from Coca-Cola’s 39 grams of sugar. Then there’s the fizz factor: all that carbonation and acidity can trigger gastrointestinal issues. 

Want More Where This Came From?  

The Wellness Experiment is full of science-backed recipes just like this one. Every meal plan is researched, tested, and designed to help you feel better without overhauling your life.

Inside, we cover simple upgrades to your food, from why freezing bread and pasta can improve their nutritional profile, to which plant-based milks are best for you, and the fruit that packs the biggest punch. (Hint: It starts with a “K.”) 

There’s no better time for you to join us than now. We’re running our biggest sale of the year, and we’d love to provide you with the structure, community, and expert guidance before the holidays come in full swing. 

Did you enjoy Today’s Ajenda? It would mean the world if you left us a testimonial!

ABOUT DR. JEN

In her former roles as chief medical correspondent for ABC News and on-air cohost of “GMA3: What You Need to Know,” Dr. Jennifer Ashton—”Dr. Jen”—has shared the latest health news and information with millions of viewers nationwide. As an OB-GYN, nutritionist, and board-certified obesity medicine specialist, she is passionate about promoting optimal health for “the whole woman.” She has authored several books, including the national best-seller, The Self-Care Solution: A Year of Becoming Happier, Healthier & Fitter—One Month at a Time. And she has gone through menopause…

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^{This material is provided solely for informational purposes and is not providing or undertaking to provide any medical, nutritional, behavioral or other advice or recommendation in or by virtue of this material.  This newsletter is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing or other professional health care services, including the giving of medical advice, and no doctor/patient relationship is formed. The use of information on this newsletter or materials linked from this newsletter is at the user’s own risk. The content of this newsletter is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard, or delay in obtaining, medical advice for any medical condition they may have, and should seek the assistance of their health care professionals for any such conditions.}