Holidays are a time of celebration and great times with family and friends. It can also be a time to over enjoy the sweat foods. Where nothing is off limits. There’s the Pot of Gold, turtles, candy canes and numerous cookies and other indulgences to satisfy our sweet tooth. It is never ending! Then comes (for most of us) the multiple Christmas suppers/parties, with full course meals that includes seconds and pie! AHHHH the holidays are a great time!
But, at some point in late December, that one moment, where nothing FITS! You stand their dumbfounded, how could I allow this to happened! Well there is a way you can reverse the trend! Its called “healthy life style” choices. The ability to take control of what you put in your mouth, the commitment to “buy in” to having a healthy and productive life style. Each and every one of us can accomplish this!
Thanksgiving and Christmas is a time of celebrating and enjoying the good things in life. You don’t have to completely give up your favorite foods during this time. Just be smarter about what you eat and “buy in” to living a healthy live style!
1. Find Time For Your Workouts – This should be top on your list everyday to make the commitment to find the time for your workout. I won’t argue that time can be stretched at this time of the year. Maybe its an early morning workout, you shorten the workouts from 1 hour to 3o minutes or instead of driving to the gym you do a home work out program like Beach Body’s P90.
Just make the time you feel better and more importantly you will feel better about your self!
2. Cut Out The Alcohol – Okay okay, I can here the pitch forks clamoring up my front step. As we now some alcohol has some health benefits, but only in moderation. It is important to know how much you are consuming over this period of time and keep it in moderation. Stay away from the cream liquors as they pack a heavy calorie count.
3. Hydration – Due to increased alcohol and other types of drinks available during the Holiday Season, we can forget about our water intake. Drinking waster is an excellent way, to help us decrease our cravings for the sweet foods to a manage level. Plus, more importantly the body needs water to operate effectively, especially during and after those workouts. Water is a key to a healthy holiday!
4. Food Preparation – Refrigerate the gravy to harden the fat, then skim it off! You would surprised how much fat you will remove! Use skim milk in those mashed potatoes or replace with my favorite sweet potato. Everyone likes the dressing but decrease the bread and add more veggies, cranberries and use chicken broth for flavor instead of butter.
5. Portions – Eat until you are satisfied, not stuffed. Savor your favorite foods while eating small portions. This is a trick I have done in the past, use a smaller plate to eat off of!
I hope you all have a great festive season with fun, conversation and being around the people that matter most to you.
Keep you nutrition and health in the forefront when making your daily plans!