Tips: Healthy Holiday Indulgence

1. It’s easy to be overwhelmed when you set your eyes upon a prepared feast. Take a deep breath and ask yourself how much food you’ll need to feel satisfied. Your surroundings, mood, stress  and hunger levels will influence your answer. Be mindful.

2. Restricting one’s self takes a lot of willpower and brainpower, which can pull focus away from enjoying a meal together and spending time with loved ones. Take time for conversation, slow down, relax, savor your food, and listen to your body’s response.

3. The holidays are marketed as ‘special’ and ‘limited time only’, which makes it so we often believe this is our only chance to eat certain foods. This causes thoughts of scarcity and deprivation, which can easily lead to over-indulging, just to ‘get it while it lasts’!  Remember, you can have these special foods again – ask for the recipe, go back for a second helping, have leftovers. This helps with staying mindful while enjoying our food and the holiday celebration.

4. Identify a few things that really make the holidays for you. For some it’s visiting  the zoo lights and hot chocolate, reading by the fire, or time with friends over a pastry and coffee. For us, the holidays come alive while baking cookies with family.  Since this isn’t something we do during the rest of the year, it’s nostalgic and has a wonderful feeling of holiday celebration. Find the special treats that are an integral part of your holiday celebrations and take the time to mindfully savor them.

5. Hosting for the holidays? It’s easy to forget to eat while cleaning the house, bathing the dog, and running errands; however, skipping meals during the day can lead to intensified food cravings and overeating at night. Remember to check in with your body often to assess hunger level and have healthy snacks or meals on hand.

3 Tips: Get the Holiday Glow

The cold, dry winter season along with overindulgence in food and beverages can leave one feeling (and looking) a bit lackluster. Restore a healthy glow and have more energy and joy this holiday season by hydrating and resting the body in a balanced way.

1. Rest and rejuvenation. Oftentimes we feel there is never enough time as the holidays approach. Getting enough rest is key, with sleep and self-care being of utmost importance (hint: schedule it!). A quick walk in nature or yoga class can restore your energy levels so you can tackle that next challenge. Overall, adequate rest is key for giving the body a chance to heal and digest. It also helps us focus and deal with stress in a healthier way.
2. Hydrate & fuel yourself well. The temptation is to run and get the newest holiday-themed coffee from Starbucks or, at various social events, to imbibe alcohol more frequently. Proper hydration is key for energy levels and reducing calorie consumption. Consider cutting your alcoholic beverage with some seltzer water at parties. Drink some water on a regular basis and carry it with you in a handy bottle. Also, if you’re going to be zipping around, you’ll need the energy to do that from the proper fuel from nutritious foods, including detoxifying brassicas (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts).
3. Beware of the fad diets that abound during this season. Any diet that requires cutting out a certain macronutrient (carbohydrates, protein, or fats) is not sustainable nor advisable. Radical diets can lead to some weight loss but aren’t viable and can often lead to future weight gain. Aim for a balanced plate with 45-50% from vegetables and whole grains, 25-30% from protein, and 25-30% from healthy fats such as nut butters, olive oil, or avocado.

Get your glow on and share your light with others!

What to do the Day After: Overindulgence

photo source: parentingteensmag.com

With spring break season in full swing, many people are making their way to warmer destinations. Traveling can be an adventurous and exciting time, but can also throw off your normal eating habits. Remember that it’s okay to indulge every once in a while and not to panic. If a chocolate cake is part of the celebration and you wish to eat some, enjoy it without shame. Be mindful as you chew and taste the flavors in each bite.

What should you do if you find yourself waking up feeling not-so-great because of overindulging the day before? Get back to your normal eating patterns. Accept that it happened and don’t starve your body of what it needs now. Feed yourself the premium fuel it needs to function; let go and forgive yourself for yesterday’s food or drink binge. We all have those days and it’s okay to indulge every now and then- in fact, it can help us keep balance!

Next time this happens, instead of feeling guilty and depriving yourself to ‘make up for it’ – accept it, do your best, and keep moving along your healthy path.