December 24, 2024

Ah, the holidays! 

That magical time of year during which seemingly every fitness enthusiast and health nut (guilty as charged!) seems to get lost in a frosty wonderland of holiday calorie-burning biohacks, frantic trips to the gym, and competitive abstinence from alcohol to non-organic, GMO eggnog—fairy-dusted with seed oils. 

You know what I'm talking about: those 4 a.m. Christmas morning kettlebell swings to “offset” the second helping of prime rib, the high-protein, follistatin-inducing fruitcake (because according to TikTok, whey isolate belongs in everything, right?), the 999 Christmas morning sit-up challenge (resulting in a back more bent and twisted than a high-rewards, holiday-shopping credit card) and the ceremonial polar plunge—with a post-plunge debate over whether it counts as a proper cold thermogenesis session if you skipped the breathwork and pre-plunge black pepper extract with berberine.

And let’s not forget the culinary conundrum of Santa’s midnight arrival: should you ditch the traditional cookies n’ milk for keto-friendly almond flour cookies or leave out gluten-free protein bars to ensure he can squeeze down the chimney without messing up his macros? 

Oh, and who could overlook the DIY fitness equipment craze? Nothing screams “holiday spirit” like fashioning a resistance band out of discarded gift wrap ribbons or turning an empty gingerbread house box into a balance-training device, because, well, the gyms are closed, those Scrooges.

But amid this whirlwind of wellness, are we perhaps missing the point, particularly those of us feeding through the firehose of “how to stay healthy,” “not get fat,” or “add a few centimeters to our telomeres” this holiday season? 

Sure, it’s entertaining to experiment with the perfect blend of peppermint oil and nasal breathing for enhanced Christmas caroling lung capacity, or pride oneself on finding immune-friendly A2 camel’s milk for Santa’s annual offering (the only way he’s going to choke down the cardboard texture of an almond flour cookie), but maybe—just maybe—there’s something deeper here—something we ought to reflect on before rushing into a snowshoe hike with a weighted jinglebell vest.

Once you peel back the tinsel and protein powder dust, Christmas isn’t about getting leaner or grumpily out-fasting the co-worker next to you at the office party. It’s not about you getting the red light face mask you’ve been dreaming about. It certainly isn’t about furtive glances at your continuous glucose monitor to see your blood glucose response to biting off a gingerbread man’s head.  

Christmas is about something infinitely more profound.

At its core, Christmas is a celebration of the ultimate gift: the birth of Jesus Christ, God's Son, sent by our Creator to offer salvation to the world. That story isn’t about retail discounts or perfectly sculpted abs; it’s about humility, love, and grace. Born in an animal manger—not exactly a plush, mold-free, HBOT-cleansed luxury resort—Jesus’ arrival was a declaration of God’s desire to save the created humanity He so dearly loves, to bring hope to the broken, and to provide light in a world overshadowed by sin.

God didn’t care if you were fit enough.

Or informed enough.

Or rich enough.

God certainly didn’t care if you had the longest telomeres, since He already figured out how to make them last forever. 

God only cared—and still cares—that you are a unique human being that He created, and no matter your scars, your trauma, your uphill battles, your sin, your shame, or your guilt, He loved, and loves, you so unconditionally that He was willing to send His son, Jesus Christ, to planet Earth in the form of a tiny baby boy who could grow up to die for your sins, defeat evil forever, and give you the free gift of eternal life.

Christmas is a time to remember that incredible gift that God gave you and me. That is the meaning behind the merriment. That is the reason we’ve been celebrating that gift for over 2,000 years. That is why the true meaning of Christmas is love. As John 3:16–17 says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

Jesus’s birth was the ultimate gift: an invitation for you and I to experience peace, joy, and restoration—a peace that isn’t dependent on your VO2 max or heart rate variability, and a salvation with a promise of eternal, perfect life that goes far beyond any life-enhancement or transhumanistic technologies so often lauded, glorified, and even worshiped in the universe of health and biohacking.

Christmas is a calendared, highly-anticipated magical time to reflect upon God's love for us and the supernatural arrival of His perfect son, Jesus Christ. It’s a time to put aside our grievances, embrace forgiveness, and recognize that the greatest gift we can offer others is even the slightest glimmer of imitation of God’s grand love—not necessarily in the form of a beautifully bubble-wrapped jar of collagen peptides (though those are still pretty great, especially when blended with hot chocolate and stevia-flavored mini-marshmallows), but instead in the form of deep, intentional, joyful human connection and a time of giving and receiving gratefully with our friends, family, and loved ones.

So this year, instead of focusing on the perfect holiday health hack, turn your attention to sacrificial love, time, and presence for others. Set aside your carnal needs and your fitness or health goals, and instead take some time to focus upon and understand others who crave love, connection, and deeper meaning this holiday season. Sure, give your nephew the ugly elf sweater, but also give him a big hug, look deep into his eyes, and tell him, “God loves you, no matter what, and that’s why we’re celebrating today.”

After all, it’s easy to get caught up in the noise—the shopping, the planning, the endless meal prep, and frantic Google searches to prepare Aunt Edna a meat-free tofu roast drizzled with beyond turkey drippings. But the essence of Christmas is found not in what we do but in who we are: children of God called to live lives of generosity, compassion, and gratitude—and to celebrate and reflect the greatest gift humankind ever received.

So take a moment this season to pause, reconsider your priorities, and live a few minutes of your life for someone else who needs you more than you need yourself, even if it means skipping a workout or leaving a kale smoothie to get warm and soggy on the counter. Spend time with loved ones, connect with a friend or relative you haven’t had a deep conversation with in a while, offer a helping hand to those in need, and make plenty of room for joy and laughter. 

As you and I embrace the true meaning of Christmas—faith, hope, and love—let’s remember to spread this message to our friends and family. Give generously and share warmth and kindness, skip the 999 sit-ups to give 9 hugs, and forego any judgmental stares upon those sitting quietly with a grandchild while munching on a third slice of blueberry cheesecake and staring wistfully at the gentle snowfall outside! 

After all, love, acceptance, and connection weigh more than any high-protein, follistatin-activating fruitcake ever could.

And my final gift to you in this brief, light-hearted thought stream on Christmas Eve? May I present, no unwrapping necessary, one of my favorite Christmas songs from one of my favorite Christmas albums ever. Enjoy with a smile and a piping hot cup of cocoa (adaptogenic mushrooms optional), because that’s part of what Christmas is to me.