The holiday season is filled with joy and cheer. Yet, it brings increased social obligations, additional stress, and food temptations that can easily undermine your health goals.
Since many holiday celebrations revolve around food, it’s easy to pack on extra weight this time of year. On average, people gain between two to five pounds between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day.
But overeating and lack of exercise cause more than just weight gain. Getting off track with your healthy habits can also lead to increased stress, poor sleep and self-esteem, decreased energy, and compromised immune systems.
Whether you deprive yourself throughout the holidays and feel guilty when you eat something, take an “all-in” approach and push your healthy eating and exercise aside until January 1, or fall somewhere in between, I am sure by now you’ve learned these approaches aren’t effective or fun.
The good news is there is another way. With these ten simple tips you and your family can stay healthy during the holidays and still enjoy your favorite seasonal foods— guilt-free.
1. Make healthy food choices whenever you can
Aim to reduce processed foods such as sweets, chips, and fast foods. Instead, fuel your body with a balance of lean proteins, healthy fats, and healthy carbs. Nutrient-dense foods will make you feel full and help you resist unhealthy holiday temptations. If you are attending a holiday event and know healthy options won’t be available, bring a salad or vegetable plate.
2. Cook at home as often as you can
Restaurants tend to serve super-sized portions and foods loaded with sodium, sugar, hidden ingredients, and calories. Since you control the ingredients and the portion sizes when preparing you meals at home, it is likely your meals will be more nutritious and reduce the chance of overeating.
3. Get enough sleep
Even if you want to stay up to all hours and wrap presents, socialize, or prepare holiday dinner, strive for 6–8 hours of sleep each night. Good-quality sleep is critical to your health and will help you make smarter food choices.
4. Reduce stress
Whether it’s butting heads with a relative, traveling for the holidays, or forgetting to buy a gift for someone on your list, extra stress can take a huge toll on your health. It is critical to manage your stress as it can lead to other health complications. Consider yoga, napping, exercise, meditation, or anything that will help you relax.
5. Stay active
Exercise will help reduce stress and improve your focus, energy, and mood. Even if your schedule is packed, aim to maintain your regular exercise routine. If you can’t fit it in, stay active with seasonal activities such as family walks, ice skating, sledding, snow shoeing, or skiing. Shoveling counts too!
6. Drink H2O
Water will keep you hydrated and full, and prevent you from overeating. To figure out how much water you should drink each day, divide your weight in half and that’s how many fluid ounces you should drink. For example, someone who weighs 140 pounds should drink around seventy fluid ounces of water each day.
7. Treat yourself
The holidays are considered the giving season, so make sure to focus on giving to yourself too. Put self-care on the top of your shopping list and treat yourself to a massage, manicure or something relaxing that makes you feel happy. Don’t feel guilty. You need to take care of yourself before you can care for others.
8. Don’t drink your calories
Seasonal beverages like egg nog, hot chocolate, and candy cane lattes are loaded with added sugar. For a healthier option, replace these sweet drinks with seltzer, water, or unsweetened teas. You don’t have to give up beer, wine, and liquor completely. You can still enjoy a celebratory drink. Just make sure to avoid sugar-filled mixers like juices and syrups and use seltzer instead. It is helpful to follow each alcoholic drink with water or seltzer to prevent dehydration.
9. Swap it out
Continue to enjoy holiday traditions. You don’t have to say goodbye to baking holiday cookies or frying latkes. Enjoy these seasonal treats in moderation or consider substituting white flour with almond or coconut floor (make sure to check ratios). Try using raw honey, maple syrup, or dark chocolate instead of processed sugar. Latkes prepared with zucchini, cauliflower, and/or sweet potato are all healthier options compared to white potato.
10. Set boundaries
If you’re like me, it is so much easier to say yes than to say no. Whether someone offers you another glass of egg nog, holiday cookies, or a party invite, check in with yourself and ask yourself if it is the best option for your health goals and overall well-being. Remember, it is ok to say NO. Saying no to one extra thing jammed into your already packed calendar can give you the chance to eat healthier, fit in some exercise, or give you some down-time.
Most importantly, throw away perfectionism and let go of an all-ornothing mindset.
Don’t beat yourself up if you overindulge. Put it behind you and move on.
Happy holidays! Cheers to eating healthy-ish!