Your Nutritional and Vitamin Supplement Information Resource

posted by Ronald on Nov 23

We discussed a few hints and tricks on how to keep the pounds off while still enjoying that Thanksgiving meal (by the way, Happy Thanksgiving!).  Now how do you survive the mall, the crowds, the traffic, and the stress of shopping on Black Friday? 

• 1 in 3 Americans will be shopping for gifts today….no matter where you live in the U.S., that’s a lot of people! 
• We tend to buy the same types of gifts - electronics, clothing, and toys - they’re identified as the top sellers every year. 
• More than 20% of us shopping today will get up earlier than we do for work to go shopping.
• More than 30% of us shopping today will spend more than 4 hours on our shopping trip.

Shopping on Black Friday can be intense but there are a few things you can do to make it less stressful on your body and for those around you.

1. Carry a big bag to haul your stuff around in the mall.  A big bag allows you to hold onto one handle rather than struggling putting down and picking up several bags.  It keeps you from getting stressed throughout the shopping experience.
2. If you are using the big bag, be careful not to put stress on your back or shoulders.  Alternate carrying with your shopping partners or better yet, take an occasional trip to the car and to drop off the bulky items.  The walk to the car will refresh your spirits and reduce the load you are carrying.
3. Wear gym shoes or sneakers.  Your feet are going to take a pounding standing in line, walking through the aisles, and jumping over two or three people to get that last toy on the shelf!  You might not feel it at the start of your shopping trip, but wearing the right shoes will make for a relaxing Friday evening and Saturday morning.
4. Drink water!  The malls and the cold weather can dry you out without you even realizing it.  Some of our aggravation comes from our body telling us that we something for our body’s processes to optimally function.  Water keeps us hydrated and allows our body to start, run, and stop certain chemical processes - including those that help our bodies deal with stress.  Keep hydrated by carrying a bottle of water and taking sips often.
5. Eat something!  Take a break, get something to eat.  Better yet, take an ounce or two of your favorite liquid nutritional supplement.  The nutritional intake is as important as the water your sipping throughout the day.  Your body needs fuel to keep the machine running properly.  When you skip meals during stressful times (like shopping on Black Friday) you throw your body’s processes out of their normal cycle and into ’survival’ mode.  The result is feeling aggravated, stressed, angry, tired, light headed and so on.  Eat or take your favorite health food vitamin or nutritional supplement (a liquid supplement allows you to take it with you to sip throughout the day) to help your body keep the right attitude throughout the day.

Enjoy the day, enjoy the bargains!  Take your shopping list, follow the guidelines above, and have a wonderful, stress free Black Friday.