3 Habits to Stay Healthy During Carnival Season
What if you could have a healthy Carnival season (or any season for that matter) without gaining weight or being sick when it’s all over?
Carnival season and Mardi Gras can wreck your body.
Weight gain, loss of energy and exhaustion are very real consequences of going overboard with celebrations.
While it may seem impossible, or at the very least – no fun, there are 3 simple habits that provide the foundation for staying healthy regardless of the season (Carnival, Festival, Holiday, you name it!).
We often experience a gap between knowing what is healthy and actually choosing what is healthy most of the time.
We think we’ve got it covered if we eat enough carrots, do a hard workout or two and skip going out every single night during the last weekend of Mardi Gras.
I want to help you close the gap between knowing what’s healthy and choosing to practice healthy habits.
These 3 simple habits come from the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda and yoga. Practicing these habits aligns you with your natural circadian rhythm.
The best part is, these habits don’t have to be perfected to powerfully support your health during busy times.
You can implement them most days and still come out smelling like a rose (well maybe not if you celebrate Fat Tuesday in the French Quarter).
The more you can implement these foundational health habits the more resilient you will be to an occasional celebratory night out.
Onto the tips…
3 Habits for a Healthy Carnival Season
1. Eat Earlier, Lighter Dinners
Make lunch your largest meal of the day to match the time your digestion is strongest
Eat a light soup or stew for dinner during winter months
Eat dinner ideally before the sun goes down
Fast a minimum of 12 to 13 hours between dinner and breakfast to optimize cell repair
2. Get to Bed Early
According to your circadian rhythm and the Ayurvedic clock, it’s best to get to sleep before 10 pm
If you consider yourself a night owl, begin to implement a wind-down routine in the evenings and aim to get to bed 15 to 30 minutes before your old bedtime
Clock in 7 to 8 hours of sleep at least 4 nights a week
3. Start the Day Right
Connect to the joy of a healthy carnival season, celebrate your part in life by taking a moment to reflect on the big picture before you get out of bed
Drink warm water until you eliminate yesterday’s waste
Give yourself ample time to move into your day without hurrying, worrying or rushing (if you follow habit 2, Early to Bed, you should be good to go)
Often many of our bad habits get taken to extremes during carnival and other busy or stressful times of the year.
The 3 habits I’ve shared with you are about keeping your body in sync with the natural rhythms of the day.
Ayurveda and modern science teach us that when we disrupt this natural 24 hour cycle our health deteriorates.
Follow these 3 simple habits, most of the time during carnival or other busy times, and you’ll naturally balance the ideals of a healthy lifestyle with the realities of letting the good times roll in the Big Easy.