Hellooooo November!!  Don’t you just LOVE this time of year?!!  Thanksgiving is right around the corner and of course, Christmas is just a few weeks after that!  I LOVE the festive holiday season!  The lights and sights,  the cool weather and warm sweaters, the songs and traditions.  Family feasts, delicious treats, and… a whole lotta calories!  Just because the ‘Season of Merriment’ is upon us, it does NOT mean that you must fall victim to the inevitable weight gain that seems to follow these festivities!  So, in honor of the new season, I’d like to remind us all to set some realistic goals!  For me, I’m dedicating November to taking care of myself on a holistic level by nourishing my mind, body, soul and spirit!

I’m calling it Nourishing November!  My goal is simple — Do what I know is best for me as a whole.  Sure, eating 100% clean and ‘killin it’ at the gym may be good for my body, but is it good for my mind?  Spending way too many hours doing homework maybe be good for my mind, but is it good for my spirit?  Skipping time in God’s word so that I can ‘sleep in’ may feel good to my body, but is it nourishing to my soul?

So instead of setting just one specific goal, such as skipping desserts, or spending a certain amount of time working out, or significantly limiting my daily calorie intake, I want to step back and ask myself, “What is the best way to take care of my body?”  Sometimes my body needs a rest from exercise, and that’s okay!  And occasionally I DO need that extra sweet after dinner or bedtime snack to help me fall asleep.  Now and then I may choose to skip breakfast… or sleep late…  It’s much better for my overall health when I stop trying to do everything “right” and instead, just listen to my body.

1 Corinthians 6: 19-20 reminds me to be a good steward of what God has given me.
“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”

I know that nourishing your body can be tough this time of year, but that’s exactly why it’s so important to start NOW.  If you try to follow a bunch of strict rules to prevent holiday weight gain, you WILL feel deprived, and by Thanksgiving you’ll probably throw in the towel and end up overeating!  But if you learn to listen to your body, Thanksgiving will be a lot like any other day!  Sure, you might treat yourself, but if you remember that your goal is to nourish yourself, you’ll know that ‘savoring’ a small sliver of your Aunt’s Homemade Pumpkin Pie with a steaming cup of apple cider tea while catching up with your family is actually SOOO much more satisfying than denying yourself.  And it’s also a lot more pleasurable than scarfing down the whole pie!

Why not go for a brisk walk and take in the crisp fall air?  How about listening to your body when it tells you to get more sleep and stop relying on the 3pm coffee break for energy?  Treat yourself right with a beautiful dinner filled with local, seasonal veggies!  Listening to your body is meant to be intuitive, nourishing, and even relaxing.

Learning to nourish yourself is most definitely a process, but it is DEFINITELY worth the effort!  So that’s my goal this month!  Hello Nourishing November!