The holiday season is here!
You know that that means. Work and family parties. Delicious foods, desserts and adult beverages, as well as hot chocolate, peppermint mocha coffee, and hot apple cider. Christmas candy and cookies. And plenty of leftovers!
So what do you do if you’re trying to stay healthy during the holidays?
Here are some guidelines to make sure that you are able to keep a healthy balance during the holiday season.
Healthy Holiday Guidelines
#1 Moderation.
The key to enjoying special foods and treats is to enjoy them in moderation. What does this mean? Have some, not all.
If I’m at a holiday event where I am surrounded by amazing treats and delicious foods, I try to follow a couple of strategies.
- Fill your plate up with salad, vegetables, protein, fruit, and then take a small portion of the other foods.
- Drink plenty of water!
- Keep alcoholic beverages to a minimum. Especially the really sugary drinks. I’m not trying to be a kill joy, but alcohol will dehydrate you and lead to bloating. If you want something with alcohol, try a vodka and flavored seltzer.
#2 Eat only what you will really enjoy.
During the holidays we are inundated with sugar. In drinks, treats and even in our salads, and vegetables, where we sometimes add dried fruits and even marshmallows.
When deciding on treats and other less healthy foods, choose the ones that are special. These could be foods that are a family tradition, or that you rarely get.
Be selective with what you choose, and then have a smaller portion.
This way, you’ll feel like you were not deprived, but you also did not bombard your body with a large quantity of sugar and other inflammatory ingredients.
#3 Do NOT feel guilty after eating it.
If you’re going to eat something, eat it intentionally. The food may not serve your long-term health goals, but it is not “bad” and a modest indulgence will not derail your goals.
#4 Do not try to “exercise it off”.
This is a very unhealthy mindset. If you are already following an exercise program, just continue to follow it. You do not need to do anything special. Just try to be consistent. If you do not regularly exercise, just start by walking 30 minutes per day.
#5 Bring a healthy dish to share
My favorite strategy for navigating nutrition at holiday parties is to make a healthier version of a treat and bring it with me. This especially makes sense if you are avoiding inflammatory foods that contain gluten, dairy, sugar and soy.
Believe it or not, there are so many recipes available now for treats that are not only delicious, but contain ingredients that are low-inflammatory and low-glycemic. So you can still have cookies, and other treats!
The Paleo Mom has great recipes for the autoimmune community, that feature ingredients that are healthy and delicious, but are free of processed sugars.
You can also try my Gluten-Free Honey Pumpkin Raisin Cake or my No Bake Vanilla Chocolate Chip Coconut Bars.
So again, the key to staying healthy during the holidays is to enjoy eating what you love, but do it in moderation. When you are not at a party (or somewhere where you are surrounded by amazing delicious treats) focus on eating plenty of nutrient-dense foods, like vegetables, grass-fed meats, wild-caught fish and seafood, fruit, and complex carbohydrate, such as sweet potatoes and squash.
Minimize highly-processed foods, added sugars, drink plenty of water, and you will be OK.
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