Simple 10 Tips for a Healthy Holiday Season

Healthy food and the holiday season. These two can be tricky together. Even those who are conscious about their health find themselves having a cheat day (and even week).

While it is common for people to give up on healthy food during the holiday season, anyone who cares about maintaining their health in the long term should ensure that they don’t lose sight of their fitness goals when the holiday season begins. Here is how a person can be healthy during the holidays.

Healthy Holiday Tips

1.    Keep healthy snacks

The holiday season calls for planning, shopping, and running errands. While many think that people eat unhealthy only during the actual holiday, the fact is that the planning phase is just as stressful and makes one prone to indulging in unhealthy food. This is why it is important always to have healthy food snacks when on the go. This helps in resisting temptations to eat junk food.

2.    Make a healthy breakfast

Let’s take Christmas for example. It is hard to substitute all the fatty foods of the Christmas dinner with healthy alternatives. However, one can make the first meal of the day is as healthy as possible. Including fresh fruits and whole grain, pancakes can be a great way to be healthy yet festive.

3.    Include some healthy items on the menu

No one expects people to abstain completely from sweet and fatty foods during the festive season. However, it doesn’t hurt to include some healthy items on the menu. Ensure to stack such items on your plate during dinner. This helps in the satiating stomach and prevents overeating. Something like drinking herbal tea rather than celebratory drinks can help in feeling full. This, in turn, reduces the chances of people indulging in sweets.

4.    Have a support group

It is always harder to eat healthy when all those that surround you are indulging in fatty and oily food. This is why it is crucial to have a proper support group. Rather than trying to eat healthy alone, get others on board.

5.    Exercise

Just because it is the holiday season doesn’t mean one should give up on exercising. Instead, this is the time to exercise even more rigorously than before. After all, the holiday season is equal to extra calories. One much ensure to maintain, if not lose, weight during the season. Therefore, keeping up with the normal exercising schedule is a must. It also reduces your appetite.

6.    Give away accumulated treats

Everyone brings things to eat during the holiday season. It seems rude to not accept them. However, consuming them all by yourself can be harmful to your health.  This is why it is advised that one should distribute all the treats and sweets among friends and family. Re-gift it. Toss it. Do anything but over-indulge.

7.    Drink water

Staying hydrated is very important during the holiday season. After all, there is a lot to be done. And one much ensures that they don’t get dehydrated and hence sick during the time of festivities. Drinking water doesn’t just ensure that one stays on their feet. But, it also keeps hunger at bay and reduces the chances of overeating.

8.    Learn to say no

There are various events and parties people go to during the holiday season. Some of these places won’t have any healthy food options. Learn to say no to food at such places to ensure that your healthy lifestyle is not compromised. Know when to stop eating at parties.

9.    Eat before going to a party

Those who have a hard time saying no should eat before going to a party. No, it isn’t bad manners to go to a party with a full stomach. There are some things one must do for the sake of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. And if that means eating food before going to celebrations, one must not be hesitant to give it a try.

10.    Be active

One way to ensure that the extra calories don’t take effect, one must always try to be more active than usual during the holiday season. Something as simple as running to the store to do chores, cleaning the house, or walking can do wonders.

Healthy food options

Here are some healthy food options one can consume during the holiday season:

• Substitute full-fat dips with yogurt dips
• Wine spritzer might be the low-calorie option compared to alcohol
• Roasted sweet potatoes rather than candied yams
• White turkey meat is a much better option than dark meat
• Rather than opting for store-bought stuffing, make everything at home

How to maintain a healthy lifestyle during the holidays

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is not just about the food, it is about the entire experience. Here is how a healthy lifestyle can be maintained.

• Planning each event and dinner and ensuring that it is well-balanced between healthy food options and non-healthy food.
• Focus on the holiday rather than merely the food. The holiday is family time. One should focus on what matters rather than merely viewing it as an opportunity to overindulge. Having the right mindset can help in maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
• Sleep well. Sleep and health are directly co-related. Don’t lose sleep merely because of the stress of the holiday season. Set a time to sleep and follow it.
• Avoid drinking alcohol on an empty stomach since the beverage tends to enhance the feeling of hunger.
• Maintain a distance from the food table. The closer one is to the temptations, the harder it is to resist. Maintaining a distance from the source of the problem can help in staying true to a healthy lifestyle.

Don’t let the holiday season hamper your healthy lifestyle. Slipping up on the decided diet plan might seem harmless today. But, after the holidays are over, they will be a source of major regret and extra hours in the gym. So, be a responsible eater during the holiday season. Enjoy. But, be cautious.