Week One- Winter Challenge

“5 Tips for Healthy Eating During the Holidays”

The holidays have arrived! If you’re anything like me, the Christmas sweets have been calling your name, and you can’t wait to get a hold of some Christmas cookies! The holidays can be a difficult time to decide to implement a healthier diet. Usually, people who choose to cut cold turkey and eat healthy during the holiday season are rarely ever successful. It’s easy to go into the new year having food guilt from all the yummy junk you just consumed at Christmas time.

What if I told you that you can still enjoy your holiday food when trying to eat healthier? 

Here are 5 tips to set you up for success when it comes to making healthier choices during the holidays:

1. Portion Control!

You’ve been eyeballing that pecan pie since you’ve arrived, and you deserve to have it!

Eating healthy doesn’t mean you can’t eat the things you love.

Choose what you want to eat but try to make smaller portion sizes.

Choosing smaller portions gives you a taste of all the goods without the guilt of overindulging.

2. Eat smaller portions throughout the day!

A common thing that occurs with people who skip meals is they tend to skip breakfast or lunch and then overindulge before bed. This is because they haven’t eaten all day and they are starving by dinner time. Some people see this as a good thing, but it can end up doing more harm than good.

Having smaller portions frequently throughout the day will keep you fuller longer so you don’t overindulge, and it fuels your body for the day’s activities. Eating smaller meals more frequently can also help boost your metabolism, which can end up resulting in shedding a few pounds. Your body needs fuel to do what it does best, if it has no calories to burn all day, this can confuse the body and you can start holding on to body fat as a result.

3. Don’t forget your veggies!

I know your probably eyeballing the rolls, and I give you permission to have one, but don’t forget the veggies!

When putting together your beautiful Christmas platter, try to add some fresh veggies to your plate. This will fuel your body with healthy vitamins and nutrients and fill you up quicker!

4. Stay Hydrated!

This is your friendly reminder to put down the hot cocoa and grab a glass of water!

It’s easy to fill up on other festive drinks during the holidays, and water tends to get put on the back burner. Drinking water frequently throughout the day will keep you fuller so you don’t overindulge during meals, but also is essential for overall health and wellness. It’s an easy thing to forget, but DON’T! Maybe buy a new cute water bottle, and keep it with you everywhere you go, but don’t forget to actually drink the water.

5. Catch some ZZZ’s!

Sleep is important for multiple reasons. Going to bed at a decent time will give you less time to stay up and pull out that tub of ice-cream before bed. Your body needs sleep to fully recover from the day so you can wake up feeling good the next morning. Sleep is great for recovery, especially if you decide to implement exercise in your new routine.

All 5 of these tips are great for everyday use, not just for the holidays! Just be mindful of what you are getting in but enjoy yourself… just not too much.