Home is where the health is (video post).

by

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8M5GBEJw4hY

This year I’m keeping my home where the health is by:

  • Using my new wii (yay early hanukkah gift!!) for some restorative yoga instead of plopping on the couch to read when the Tornado is *finally* asleep for the night.
  • Being kind to myself & embracing the decadence of the season….when I’m not at home.  I plan to stick to my 11 months out of the year routine as much as possible when in the domicile.
  • Setting myself up for success at home as much as possible. This might include sleeping in my running clothes so I’m more likely to run, spending a little money on pre-cut veggies so they’re always at the ready, or even just remembering it’s OK to say no to party invitations because my body is demanding a night IN to recover.

And you?

What’s the first thing you think of when you hear my new Home is where the heath is mantra?

How might you add this notion into how *you* approach the next few weeks of the holiday season?

Please to hit us all up in the comments.

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Comments

  1. Hey Miz,
    I’m really focusing on what I choose to eat this month…especially at home. That means taking some time in the evenings to cut up veggies for the week, and making sure we have lots of both fruits and vegetables easily accessible in our house. That seems like the hardest part this time of year – is the food part. With an over abundance of cookies, cheese trays, and other sweets – just having other healthy choices available at home and ready to go will be big.

  2. I am going to keep my house as lowkey and low stress as possible becasue I am finally away that it is the only place I can exert any control over!

    At least I know even during this hectic season that I will return to an oasis every night 🙂

  3. Do you like the wii???

    Is there a post coming about it? I still don’t have one and can not decide.

    This year I will make my home where my health is by NO BRINGING SWEET TREATS THROUGH MY FRONT DOOR.

    There are plenty outside of it.

    Thanks for making me think on a Monday, Miz.

  4. Quick and Easy this year. No over doing it on any level. My mind is a clutter zone and I’ve got 8 arms that get pulled in all directions.

    I want *me* back! So I’ll start with Quick and Easy as my holiday theme.

  5. Mine is kind of like one of yours. Or two of yours. The embracing the decadence of the season when I’m not at home, and doing what I need to do to stay healthy at home. Like the precut veggies.

    That’s kind of where I’m at right now, as I look at the list of functions on the calendar. We aren’t traveling overnight anywhere, so I think I’ll be okay to handle my stuff at home the way I want to, and enjoying the efforts of my friends and family when invited into their homes.

    For one month. Then I’m all HAVE HEALTHY FOOD AT YOUR HOUSE FOR ME BITCHES. Yep.

  6. I LOVE THE PHRASE.
    It immediately makes me feel more calm if that makes sense.

    Thinking it as a mantra would allow me to realize that the season is frantic but nothing has to change in my home and I can still maintain a semblance of routine here.

    I realize that makes me sound like a control freak LOL but I kind of am.

  8. You are awesome! I love the notion of home is where the health is…powerful!

    I will be going on a family vacation to a place w/ no gym! GASP! I will be packing Valslides and bands in my suitcase and do body weight exercises. I can also work in some HIIT drills to get the ole heart rate up.

    I will also be packing oodles of healthy snacks to keep me on track.

    Bring on the Holidays!

  9. Hey, what happened to the rub on tattoos with Be Present?

    I need to get one of those for this holiday season 🙂

    Did you pass them all out at BlogHer and that was it? Ive already used mine.

  10. As a family we have made a conscientious choice to not participate in the holidays so we do not have the change up (or stresses) like many but the winters in New England are long a d cold so we play on the Wii.. A LOT! So cool you got one…loved to hear how you like it!

    LOVE your new year Motto though…Might I adopt it as well?

  12. Hmmm.
    Lately home has been where the poor choices have originated.

    I need to think about this one.

  13. Oh and I am a new reader. What tattoos?

    I couldn’t find any in your shop.

    there were two. one was the skull and crossbones Unapologetically Myself on homepage & the other was a simple Be PRESENT

  14. OH, the wii…I’m a little jealous 🙂 I wanted one really bad a few years ago, but we got a PS3 instead. Great for movies, but not for getting my behind into shape!

    My hubby is moving to Co in Jan (5 months before I do), so I plan to spend quality time with him as much as possible. We’re keeping it low key this year.

  15. My poor choices also tend to begin at home.
    I can stay strong at partied yet binge on goodies when I am alone.

    Any tips for that?

    I think I feel deprived when I out and overcompensate when alone.

    Thoughts?

  16. running (literally. more on my running/marathon stuff soon.) past computer…wanted to add that YES *home* is also where the rub on tattoos are.

    I decided I didn’t want to sell them (they EXPENSIVE), gave most of them away @ blogher but do have a few left.

    thanks for the reminder 🙂

  17. My first thought is that you are 100% right. So many choices in our lives start out where we live, and our health is no different.

    I’ve never worked out in a gym, so my health has always begun at home.

  18. For the first time in a long time I will not be baking cookies. Here’s what happens when they come out of the oven:

    One for Suzy, one for me, one for Bob, one for me, one for the kids, one for me, etc.

    Maybe next year.

  19. STICK to the exercise plan as much as possible. When meeting up with friends and family for the holidays, suggest going for a walk or taking a group fitness class vs. going out to eat. STICK to the healthier options at parties (veggies and hummus, etc). Only go for the special treats you know you couldn’t get on the regular 🙂

    GREAT video.

  20. We always seem to end up with a house full of chocolate and cookies. I’m not saying I’m going to ban it all, but I’d like to keep it to just a few treats this year. I think that means not taking Husband grocery shopping with me – not saying I’m 100% blameless, but he is the bigger culprit in the candy department.

  21. Miz, I really love this.

    I hate that I am feeling so GUILTY about indulging. So much so that I’m beating myself up over it!! I’m not gaining any weight or anything because I’m still exercising and I actually am at a healthy weight now, but I think I”m so USED to beating myself up over “indiscretions” that I’m still doing it, even though I’m maintaining my weight. That whole “everything bad is BAD!” thing.

    When I think of Home is Where the Health is, I think of how we’re making our lowfat oatmeal applesauce muffins to munch on as a snack throughout the week and how when we eat at home, we are pretty healthy, and when I cook, I cook healthy. And that’s great! But when I’m away, so what? The rest of my days are still pretty darn healthy!

    Thanks for this, I really needed to hear it. As long as I maintain through the holidays, I’m happy!!

  22. Re-vamp my menu/recipes and make more home-cooked meals. I’ll include my kids in the preparation. It may take longer for now, but I’m hoping the investment will pay-off in the future: my kids will know how cook healthier.

  23. Love this video, miz!
    It makes me want to run to the kitchen and clean out and health up my cupboards too.

  24. I’m definitely watching what I eat at home so that I can indulge when we are out. Between dinner parties, and going out with friends, I am noticing I am just consuming more alcohol than usual and wow… empty calories holla!

    I also tend to get stuck in this train of thought that if I can’t make it to the gym, I don’t work out. Also, STUPID! Hello.. I have an elliptical, dumbbells, exercise ball, a step thingy.. there is no excuse for me to NOT workout!

    I’ve been doing pretty good with both of the above. Not that it’s easy but it’s much better than in years past!

  25. Shhh… don’t tell the kiddos but Santa is delivering a Wii to our house this year. Also coming? Dance Dance Revolution – and NOT the kid’s version – that one’s for mama;)

  26. Our holiday season will be busy with lots of parties, social outings, and travel to various places. Therefore, the hubby and I have made a decision to cherish those few evening we will actually be at home … and to spend time together “doing” something – rather than just vegging out in front of the television. So far this month, we have had several “date workouts” in our exercise room, he on the treadmill, me either doing a workout video or lifting with our dumbbell collection. We have also brushed the dust off our Wii and are using it to play each other in tennis, boxing, and bowling. Both are great ways to help us move more….but we are also laughing more….talking more….and just being with each other more.

  28. Absolutely!! Like you, Miz, I’ve made my home a shelter from the unhealthy storm! We can’t control the world outside, but we can make a sincere effort to have a healthy home! Wonderful advice, and thanks for setting a wonderful example!!

  29. “Home is where the health is” is so very true when you have food allergies. Every time I leave the house I unconsciously check back to when I last ate, and how much, and how long will I be gone, and do I need to eat more before I leave, because even now that my food allergies are much fewer than they used to be, it is still difficult for me to find something to eat away from home.

  30. Great idea!

    We tend to be pretty conscious and deliberate about our “treats”, and the holidays aren’t a big deal for us. Aside from a big meal at thanksgiving; some baked goodies when we open presents, and maybe one or two parties over the course of the season, it’s pretty much like normal. So we’re lucky. We don’t seem to need to make any huge adjustments.

  31. GREAT mantra. That’s part of the reason for my 200 reps challenge; I do it at home, so it’s a good reminder that my fitness starts AT HOME. And, of course, plenty of fun and healthy cooking can be conducted in the kitchen 🙂

    Holidays are also a good time to purge and clean the place, and that definitely adds to relaxation (for me, anyway), thus improving my mental health.

    I LOVE your notion of embracing the decadence when you’re NOT at home- I’m all about that, too. Unless someone brings me a muffin by surprise. In which case I may or may not have had that tasty goodness for breakfast this morning. Hehe yum.

  33. I love your mantra – and so agree! My home has to be my sanctuary since “outside” has a lot of temptations! I plan on stepping it up with the fresh fruits and veggies and making sure that we have really healthy meals at home because there WILL be some outside events where food is the focus. This year, I won’t be making fudge or pumpkin bread…maybe next year, but for now, it’s just too much for me.

  34. Love your mantra, Miz. It makes me think of home as a safe haven from all the worries of the world – even egg nog. Keeping it set up for success is a great idea.

  35. I am working on incorporating fitness into my evenings that I can’t go to the gym. My physical therapist gave me activities I can do while watching TV but not sitting on the couch.

    The holidays aren’t that hard because I don’t eat a lot of sugar by choice and we are too busy for holiday parties. So we just tend to eat a lot subway when we are busy and use the crock pot a ton.

    For the rest of the year it Need routine to keep it up. I’m working on building that routine to get it in.

  36. I love love your mantra…I actually LIVE by this, but never thougth to coin a phrase.

    Home is where I am grounded and centered, and need it be said HAPPY.

    Home is where my LIFE happens. It’s where I cook us our healthy food and fun treats, and we play and we laugh. I am sooooooooooo busy at home and it’s all productive and for my loved ones.

    xo

  37. It makes me think of home as a safe haven from all the worries of the world

    That is 100% it for us here at Casa Miz as well.

    No matter what is happening OUTSIDE of it our home is always a safe place to fall.

  38. How on earth can I be late to your post at 815 in the morning? 🙂

    I am one of the ones who NEEDS to sleep in her workout clothes and do it all the time.

    It totally works.

  39. Home is where health is totally is my approach to fitness. In the whole time I have been on my journey to better health I have never stepped foot in a gym. I use DVD’s, My Wii Active and Fit, my indoor bike trainer, dumb bells, etc during the colder months inside. When the weather is warm I’m out walking, riding my bike, hiking, etc.

    When I finally get certified as a Personal Trainer I hope to train clients out of their homes and teach them how to find a way to find fitness from what they have access to without having to rely on a gym membership.

  40. Great post Miz! I live that way in a sense too although I have no children at home. I keep the house stocked with mostly healthy foods & even my hubby is on to this now.. YAHOO! I also have dumbbells (not many but enough) and a stability ball along with a couple exercise bands & a foam roller to help me in times when I can’t get all done at the gym OR I just want to do stuff at home.

    We also take time out to veg too in the eve & watch a couple of our fav shows & I think that is important as many are comedies or fun enough to break the stress of the day.

    When we go out, we choose to enjoy if we want to or not. The key for me is to plan OR to just know that I choose to enjoy.

    The holidays can get stressed so we do need time outs! All year long, this in my plan.. not just the holidays though.

  42. For me it’s only taking on what I can do this year…no guilt at turning down things. It’s hard, but I’m trying to stick to it, as I’ve already given myself lots to do! So no allowing guilt from mysefl or others to take over necessary chores either. I’m trying to have an attitude of gratefulness and giving and doing as gifts to myself and others even if it means ahving to take a break to reboot my mind. We’ve scaled down the holidays a lot this year, and for me I’m determined to make sure i set aside time in teh mornings for myself to workout and ahve me time with my cats and breakfast…and making sure I get to bed in time to do that.

  43. I work out mostly at home, so home is where my health is! I try to plan my running routes starting from home so I don’t have to drive somewhere first. I don’t belong to a gym, so most of my exercise happens at home.

    Every year I do a Boxing Day party and invite my family and friends over. I thought about not doing it this year, to reduce the stress, but I decided that I LOVE having people over to my house! This year I’m just going to keep it low key, spending less time on food and cleaning, and more time on focusing on what’s important….spending the time with my family and friends!

  45. That mantra immediately makes me think: I can control my environment at home. I cannot overdo it if I don’t bring whatever it is into the house.

    Thanks for reminding me that I don’t have to lose complete control over everything because of parties and other things. Home is where the health is, indeed. Home is my sanctuary. I want to fill it with things that are good for me.

  46. Amazing to me how the shortest posts are the most powerful for me as reader.

    You could have just posted the mantra too.

  48. “home is where the health is” kind of reminds me that just because the holidays are about being kind to one’s fellow (wo)man doesn’t mean that it has to be bad for oneself.

  49. Great mantra. It’s what I try to do – be my healthy self most of the time. I put my focus on the company when I go out. I’m not a big drinker and don’t drink more than one if I have to drive. So, I’m not so worried about that. Driving sucks this time of year around here, so we tend to wrap things up early in these parts.

    I mean currently it is below zero. Shoveling is definitely mroe activity. Then there’s cleaning and decorating. I think trying to stay warm burns extra calories.

  51. Hey Miz. Guess what? its a secret. Beautiful daughter and I are having a Wii Hanukkah too! She doesn’t know it yet. I am getting the Wii fit for me! I have not been good with the eating or working out. I am still not good with treating myself kindly. I am clearing some clutter from my home and my mind. I need some tlc. I think it must come from me.
    Happy Hanukkah

  52. I like the motto and during the week that is almost always the case for me. I have gotten in the habit of indulging a bit too much on the weekend and really fought this (and won!) this weekend. I want my home to be healthy on the weekends too…:-)

  53. LOVE that idea! we need to be smart and healthy, but we need to be kind to ourselves as well. i don’t think we should go into the parties knowing we are going to over indulge, but if it happens, it happens. we’ll get right back on track when we get home instead of allowing the indulging to continue. great message, thanks!!!

  54. I really love the phrase, “Home Is Where The Health Is.” It’s something I think I’ve strived for over the years without even really thinking about it. I also realize that my definition of “health” has changed over the years too. My DH and I have always viewed our home as our refuge, as our safe place. Home Is Where We Are. Where Love Is.

    I love to cook healthy meals for him (he’s tall and slender and has never had a weight problem, but his eating habits were NOT good before we married). I show my love for him by treating his body to good stuff. I show love for myself by doing the same. I’ve been working to overcome self-hated (and the accompanying self-abuse that comes with it in the form of binge eating). and I am doing really well finally.

    Anyway, Home Is Where The Health (and Love) Is. It’s going up on my vision board too!

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