Be mindful and enjoy it. Below are 6 healthy holiday tips and to help keep you on track.
6 Healthy Holiday Tips:
1.) Choose what you will enjoy the most. Enjoy your favorite treats and pass on ones that aren’t so amazing. For example, skip the rolls if they are hard and stale. Move along and don’t waste your carbs on the lame ones.
2.) Add in exciting and nourishing vegetables. This enforces portion control. Balance it out! Be that relative who brings a strawberry spinach salad or roasted brussel sprouts with pomegranate seeds (red and green, catch that?). It doesn’t have to be a boring veggie tray.
3.) Incorporate gentle movement. Plan time to get moving. The holidays can be stressful and with extra treats it’s important to stay active. Whether it’s cleaning, going for a walk, doing a family 5k, shoveling snow, just do it!
4.) Tune into hunger cues. Pack up a few leftover foods you really wanted but couldn’t fit on your plate. You’ll have another meal and not feel like you missed out. From personal experience, hide it or someone may grab your Tupperware from the fridge “by accident”.
5.) Sugar sweetened beverages and alcohol can add up quick. Be aware of your liquid calories and if that’s how to cope with family stress…focus on other strategies. Eggnog, white russians and peppermint mochas are almost a meals worth of calories! Watch your serving sizes and try drinking water in-between.
6.) Eating Clean. But seriously, wash your hands, cook foods to the right temperature, and prepare meals in a clean kitchen. No one wants to “eat dirty”.
Remember the holidays are about more than the food. Spend time enjoying conversations with family members, practice gratitude, take time to relax, etc. Stop worrying about every bite you take and focus on other aspects of the season.
Intuitive Eating Tips for the Holidays:
Keep in mind that one food, one meal, or an entire day of eating does NOT significantly impact your health or weight. Eating differently than you normally would on a holiday does not mean that you have “fallen off the wagon” or undone any health goals you’ve set for yourself.
If family members make comments on your weight, what/how much you’re eating, how many times you go back for seconds, how much dessert you eat, etc. try saying:
- “I know what my body needs and am happy with what I have on my plate.”
- “I have no idea if I’ve lost/gained weight, my weight is not a main focus for me.”
- “I’m listening to my body and honoring my cravings – this is what works for me.”
Stay positive, set realistic goals, and don’t stress about a perfect diet. Get back on track and get moving! Hope these healthyish holiday tips helped!
Healthy Holiday Baking Ideas:
Healthyish Pumpkin Bread, Banana Bread, & No Bakes
