NOURISH | 4 Tips for a Healthy Holiday

The holiday season is the busiest time of year for most people and the days are filled with a variety of gatherings from Thanksgiving to New Years and all the holiday gatherings in between.  It is also the time of the year when most people let their normal healthy habits fall to the wayside. This holiday season focus on quality over quantity to prevent yourself from over-indulging on heavy foods, sweets and alcoholic beverages. Staying healthy during the holidays doesn’t mean deprivation, it means finding a balance, just like you do the other 10 months out of the year. Follow these easy tips below and you will find that you will be able to enjoy your favorite holiday eats and treats without the guilt (or the weight).

When attending holiday parties eat a small meal filled with veggies and whole grains before attending the party. By eating a small meal before, you will be able to listen to what your body actually wants rather than grabbing too many handfuls of chex mix and cookies. Also, avoid hanging around the food. If you catch yourself socializing around the snack table, find away to move the conversation into another room that doesn’t have food.  When you socialize around food you are likely to snack more.

Make time to be active. The holidays are busy for everyone and it’s easy to put off a run or a trip to the gym. However, one of the best ways to counter those cookies, cakes and creamy dishes is to make sure to incorporate 30 minutes of physical activity into your day. This can be as easy as speed walking around the mall while doing your holiday shopping. Still looking for motivation? Make workouts a social activity; workout with friends or go to group classes.

Be weary of beverages. It is so easy to forget that beverages have calories as well.  Be cautious of how many sodas, alcoholic beverages and other caloric beverages you drink.  A great way to prevent over-indulging on beverages is to start with seltzer and then enjoy your favorite alcoholic beverage while continuing to alternate back and forth throughout the night.

If you don’t want it….don’t eat it! Avoid eating anything that you don’t really want. During the holidays we have so many options and if we try to eat everything we over-indulge and feel guilty about it later. At the start of the holiday season make a list of your favorite holiday dishes and focus on those being your guilt-free treats.

Image adapted from George Deputee and lululemon athletica on Flickr Courtesy of Creative Commons Licensing