1. Healthy food first. Always start with whole, intact, nutrient-dense foods. If you have a party/event at night, eat light, wholesome foods throughout the day. At the party/event, begin with salad with oil-free dressing or fruit to fill your stomach with satiating fiber. This will help you eat less calories overall.
2. Revamp your meals. Any of your favorite classic holiday foods can be prepared and enjoyed in a healthier way. Swap out oils in sautes, dressings, soups, and stews with broth, water, vinegar, or other lighter liquids. Bake with fruit or vegetable purees, date paste, date syrup, flaxseeds, beans, or other whole food sweeteners and fats. Search for lower fat, whole-r options in every recipe either online or in your favorite cookbook. You can still indulge without sacrificing flavor and tradition.
3. Move. Maintain your fitness routine as you would throughout the year. In fact, you may even have more time in which to schedule in more fitness. Use it to de-stress, stay focused, and feel great. If you will be visiting loved ones, take walks, play physical video games like Wii, dance, try a new class together, do group stretching or yoga.
4. Remember your goals. Be it optimal health, weight management, athletic endeavors, or all of the above, stay focused. Write down or post pictures of goals you have been aiming for, your successes thus far, and a strategy to stick to your plan – even with temptation and a change of routine threatening to derail you. This is a brief part of the year that can be successfully used as a time of reflection and re-centering.
5. Shift your attention. Instead of the food – which is always the center of the holiday’s attention – focus on other joyful parts of the festivities…family, friends, time off of work, exchanging gifts, traditions.Wishing you very happy, healthy holidays and may all your goals come to fruition!
Wishing you all very happy, healthy holidays and may all of your goals come to fruition…
Related Links:
US News #HealthyHolidays Twitter Chat Transcript
Julieanna’s Do’s and Don’ts for Happy Healthy Holidays
Healthy Whole Food Plant-Based Recipes
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Good suggestions!