I LOVE WINTER TIME AND ALL THE HOLIDAYS IT BRINGS. What I don’t love are the magazines targeting the female population, trying to convince us that we can only look like a million bucks this holiday/Christmas/New Year if we spend a million bucks on glittery make-up (which we won’t wear on any other occasion), clothes (which we’re supposed to fit into after eating Christmas dinner), hair products (that are so hot right now) etcetera etcetera. Boo! This is not true.
NOT TO SAY THAT I DON’T LOVE GLITTER, because I do. But to claim that beauty comes from the outside is wrong on so many levels. Sure, it won’t hurt to brush your hair before you leave the house for a party.
BUT, THE BEST KIND OF BEAUTY COMES FROM WITHIN. Here’s how to actually look your best this holiday – naturally!
SLEEP. Get enough sleep now that you still can, before all the festivities begin. Winter nights are perfect for hitting the sack unfashionably early, after you’ve just had a cup of antioxidant rich green-tea and stared at the ceiling for 15 minutes thinking about nothing but your hopes and dreams. That’s awesome! Use the month of November and the beginning of December to catch up on all your lost sleep of 2014 and charge up for the wonderful year coming ahead.
HYDRATE. Drink plenty of water and wonderful winter teas every day. Spice up your drinks with fresh lemon juice, ginger and honey for a stronger immune system. Find a new favourite organic juice bar and treat yourself to a green or red (beet and carrot) juice once per week for an extra dose of vitamins.
NEW BESTIES. Fruits & veggies. You know they’re good for you. Explore the recipes and indulge in awesome, healthy, happy-body fruits and veggies!
SUGAR FREE. Avoid sugars for a couple of weeks now in order to happily indulge in all your relatives’ desserts during the holidays, without the unhealthy guilt-feeling afterwards. You can do it!
Additionally, make your own healthy desserts to treat your family and friends to a healthy indulgence!
EXERCISE. Horrible winter weather can be useful for this one thing. People tend to stay indoors more often in the winter, simply because the weather just isn’t appealing for leaving the house. This means that your social life might be a little bit less active now than it was in the summer. If so, you now finally have run out of excuses about not having time to exercise!
The comfort and privacy of your home is perfect for doing some exercise. Youtube is full of fun (and short!) exercise videos. A 30-minute work out each day will lead to a whole new you by the time New Year comes around. Not only will the exercise help tone the muscles you are targeting, but more importantly – exercising will help you feel confident.
BATTLE DRY SKIN. Eat avocado on a regular basis to help battle dry skin from the inside out. Also consume a handful of nuts (such as walnuts, pecans, almonds) and fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel or herring on a regular basis to hydrate your skin from the inside out. Avoid synthetic clothes fabrics since these can further irritate your dry skin.
HAIR MASK. Dry winter air is the enemy of hydrated locks. Make your perfect hair mask using only coconut oil or only honey, or using a mix of olive oil, egg and honey, or if you dare applying a (very well minced) banana or avocado (but I’ve heard these are sometime difficult to wash out). Apply to dry hair and let the ingredients work for about 30 – 40 minutes. Wash out and follow-up with your shampoo (and conditioner). Repeat once every 2 to 3 weeks. After a few times you should notice healthy hydrated locks!
GOOD HAND CREAM. Don’t spend a lot of money on this! My favorite right now is Skin Food by Weleda. You can use coconut oil for equally effective hand hydration and protection. Oh, and don’t forget your gloves. It is much easier to prevent dry hands than to treat them!
LIP BALM. Coconut oil as well as olive oil are perfect natural lip balms. Apply a few drops to your lips using your fingers. Massage into your lips and they will be nurtured for hours even in the harshest winter weather!
BLOAT FREE. If you have problems with feeling bloated, try avoding foods that cause this feeling. For most people, this means cutting down on gluten or dairy products, and eating more home-cooked meals rich in vegetables. This will give your bowels, but also your look of disapproval in the mirror, a chance to take a break this season.
SMILE! Looks like you’ll be stealing the show this holiday season. 😉 Have fun!
