Land of the Holiday Zombies

Walking through fog that clung to the trees, Avril made her way with great trepidation when she heard a loud groan. Slithering out from the shadows of the earth came the zombies.

[Cue Thriller music from Michael Jackson]

Looking side to side, Avril became frightened not because they were zombies, but because they were wearing Santa hats.

Is this what the holidays do to people? She thought. Does it suck the life out of us and create zombies?

Apprehensive, she did what anyone would have done around a bunch of Santa hat wearing zombies...she got her Thriller on and began to dance.

[Avril wakes up]

Talking about this at work, we began to laugh at how she was the star of her own Thriller video. However as the day went on, we realized, that Avril had a premonition. There walking into the store, were people who were slightly irritated and seemed as though all the life had been drained out of them. Looking at each other we realized we were no better. Staring at the clock that slowly ticked, our red eyes did push ups throughout the day dreaming about flying sheep. And so it seemed, the holidays had sucked the life out of all of us and personally, I wanted it back.

The holidays as I mentioned before bring up a lot for people. We miss those that passed, family drama ensues and financial worries build. It's not an easy time. Combine all those emotions with a little too much alcohol and you've got too much on your plate to digest. So, getting the big day over with, our bodies finally collapse into what seems to be complete adrenal burnout.

Here's my plan on how to replenish after the holidays.

SLEEP

First and foremost, no matter what you eat, if you aren't getting enough sleep, your adrenals will never be able to build back up to where they were. Eight hours is crucial, but after the holidays, I treat myself to a little 10-hour lovin'...meaning sleep folks. I try to get in the sack for a little shut-eye at 11pm so my cortisol levels go down and my body can begin to repair.

BLOOD SUGAR

If you're anything like me, you'll be one cranky little bugger if you're blood sugar isn't controlled. It's stressful to the body to feel like it's starving so eating small meals throughout the day is best.

SEXY FOODS

All this means is simply eating, natural, unprocessed foods. I stay away from the white and the boxed stuff and anything with claims on them. Eating a good amount of brightly coloured vegetables and a high amount of greens is always the biggest bang for your buck. Greens is the new black folks. It's vital to building blood, giving us energy and detoxing from the holiday debauchery. So add in dark leafy greens like kale, collards and swiss chard. Supplements like E3 Live are incredibly building and is a wonderful way to boost your energy throughout the day. That day, I ran straight to the juice bar and got a triple concoction. Hit me up baby. Don't forget your high quality proteins either like chicken, fish and the occasional red meat. And when you're scared of fat...don't be. Our cells are lined with fat and we need it. Plus combining good fats like ghee (clarified butter), olive oil and coconut oil are great choices.

SEXIFY YOUR LEFT OVERS

Okay, I'm sure you have too much and you're tired of eating turkey, but be creative. Add turkey to soups and large green salads. Make whole wheat turkey wraps with cranberry sauce, romaine lettuce, shredded carrots and sprouts. Enjoy the stuffing, just don't fill half your plate with hit. Plus, it'll likely be starchy, so trump it with greens. Remember that you can still sexify your leftovers by remembering the balance that occupies your plate. Give away the treats because they'll just add more lovin' to the cushion. And since people generally gain 7lbs over the holidays, there is really no need to keep temptation in the house.

TEA VS. COFFEE

Herbal teas like green tea, yerba mate and rooibos are great versus coffee which depletes our adrenals and weakens them. Now while tea might bore you, understand that it's just about the hottest trend sweeping the city. Everywhere you turn there's a new tea shop opening with local hipsters drinking latte's made of the stuff. The up side is that it doesn't spike our blood sugar and gives us a consistent stream of caffeine to get us through the day. With a selection of flavoured varieties blending caramel and vanilla, you're sure to find something that'll suit your needs. My favourite shops in the city are David's Tea and Tea Emporium which has an incredible selection to choose from.

WATER VS. POP

It's no surprise, that water is better for us. We're made up of 70% water that we're practically walking vertical oceans. If we're dehydrated it stresses our body and further depletes us. Pop is filled with sometimes up to 7 tsp of sugar, which weakens us, throws our blood sugar out of wack and drains the nutrients from our body. Plus we gain weight. So why continue to drink the stuff? Even juice is quite sugar heavy, so be careful and read labels!

Getting home that evening at almost 10pm, I dragged my heavy zombie feet through the door and heard my tummy groan for a little treat. However it was past 8pm and I knew if I had given in, my mind would become restless. So sipping on some comforting vanilla rooibos tea, I threw my zombie feet underneath the covers, and moaned out a thank you to the Universe for the day. Which is when I was finally able to drift off...

[Cue Thriller music]

...and begin to dance. G'night...