With holiday parties, every baked good imaginable and all the dense seasonal foods of tradition, this time of year can been extremely challenging to stick to your health goals and near impossible not to give free reign to every indulgence in sight. Staying healthy during the holidays will help you enjoy them more and have fewer regrets when they’re over. Here’s a few tips to celebrate the season, keep up your health regimen and not enter 2014 feeling bloated, exhausted and run down.
1.) Don’t get sick. Clearly no one intends to spend the holidays under the weather, but there are definite precautions you can take to not catch every little bug that comes your way. Keep hand sanitizer around and don’t be afraid to use it to wipe down armrests, shopping carts or anything else that germs can hop on and off of. Stay hydrated (remember, half your body weight in ounces per day), get adequate sleep and keep your supplementation routine. Metagenics Liquid Vitamin D is one of our favorite products for keeping your immunity up all year long.
2.) Stick to your routines. Increased social events, travel and altered work schedules can make it easy to skip your daily run, or hit up that holiday happy hour instead of your regular yoga class. Staying committed to your established health habits can make it easier to bounce back from too many Christmas cookies or that extra peppermint martini. Sticking to your routines also helps you keep balance in your life and makes you feel good for making your health a priority.
3.) Learn to say no. We can’t do everything, and learning when to say no is part of respecting ourselves and maintaining the boundaries that serve us. “Doing it all” is not some rock star status and is not something we should even aspire to. Saying no to an engagement when we know will put us off balance is a sign of maturity and strength. As is saying no to foods we know will make us feel poorly, or only put us in a cycle of sugar addiction.
4.) Prevent holiday weight gain. Starting the day by juicing or with a meal replacement shake like SP Complete or Xocai Healthy Chocolate is a great way to get in some good nutrition early in the day and makes it easier to make better decisions throughout the day. Keeping healthy snacks in your purse or at work makes it easier to keep up your momentum, and chewing gum or mints prior to bigger meals may help curb your appetite as well. Last, having a small snack prior to going to a party you know will be full of high density foods will make you less likely to overindulge.
5.) Go light. Just because traditional holiday foods are high in fat and calories doesn’t mean you have to make them that way. It’s likely that others are sharing your Christmas food woes and would appreciate adding something lighter to the classic fare. Serving a green salad or vegetable sides that feature seasonal root vegetables, winter squashes and greens is a great way to cut the fat and feel better when the holidays are through.
Last, don’t forget to relax, enjoy the moment and spend time with loved ones! Have a healthy and happy holiday season!
What are some of your healthy holiday tips? We’d love to know! Drop us a line at [email protected].
