The holidays are such a wonderful time of year to spend with family and friends. There are parties galore, special meals and treats that only come around once a year, and plenty of opportunities to indulge in the festivities of the season. Although it can be challenging to stay on track and maintain control of our healthy habits this time of year, it is not impossible! Here are my top 5 tips to stay healthy during the holiday season
1) Have a party plan. Before you go to your holiday party, get into a healthy mindset. Think about the type of food that will be there, what you are looking forward to indulging in, how you can fill up on healthy options, and how much (or little) you intend to drink. With a plan in mind all you need to do is execute that plan once you arrive.
2) Start your day with positivity and intention. Each morning, start your day by setting a healthy intention. Write down 5 things you are grateful for and how you intend to make the day a healthy one. Starting your day with positive thoughts will set the tone for a better, healthier, more productive day and make those healthy choices seem easy.
3) Don’t deprive yourself. It’s the holidays, after all! There are special meals and treats that only happen this time every year. Rather than stressing about the fact that you aren’t “allowed” to have certain foods and, give yourself permission to have some, enjoy every bite, and then move on with your life. Depriving yourself can make you hyper focus on those foods and can lead to over indulging and feeling guilty if you do eat them. This is not a free pass to eat whatever you want and overdo it, because that wouldn’t be a healthy choice, but rather a chance to make mindful, conscious decisions about the foods that you eat. If you give yourself permission to make the choice, you might be surprised by the result.
4) Eat throughout the day. It’s easy to think that you are better off saving up your calories for the holiday party you have later in the evening. However, going to a party hungry can lead over indulging. Eat healthy, balanced, light meals throughout the day, stay fueled up, and then enjoy a healthy meal once you get to the event.
5) Drink mindfully. Choose your cocktails wisely, stay mindful of moderation, and enjoy yourself. If you choose to indulge in some drinks, go for lighter options like clear liquor (tequila, vodka, gin) and seltzer with fresh lemon and lime rather than sugary, sweetened cocktails. Alternate your beer or wine with a glass of water and as always, moderation is the key.
Enjoy yourself this holiday season and ditch the stress of depriving yourself, over indulging, and having to lose those extra holiday pounds that creep up this time of year.