Healthy Holidays

Source: www.bettycrocker.com

There are endless articles out there this time of year offering all sorts of tips, tricks, and advice to us health conscious individuals during the holidays which can, of course, help us stay fit throughout the season.  The problem is, this influx of dieting motivation is almost always matched if not superseded by the annual flood of holiday treats.  It's without question that regardless of what we are reading, we will all be tempted as some point in the next few months. This is a time of year traditionally centered around indulgent comfort foods, and a rest after all. While there is nothing wrong with a break from your hard everyday work load (in many cases it is actually an essential part of any successful routine weather it be in the gym or on the job), the surplus of holiday goodies on the other hand can have a significant impact on your diet and subsequent energy during the season. It's important, then, to have a strategy to help us avoid overindulging and/or becoming somewhat lazy and sedentary as we make our way through December. Now this is a hard enough task on it's own not to mention our body's natural response to the cold winter months is to bulk and rest up. So how will you keep from slipping in to your hibernating bear mode this holiday season? Perhaps the best way to start is by laying down a plan to confront those trying situations we all experience this time of year.

Here is a simple 3 step plan that helps me navigate the holiday spread:
 

3 steps to keeping it healthy for the holidays

1. Pre-game: You know when the tempting food is coming, so be ready for it! Don't take off for your office or family christmas party famished and ready to eat anything in sight. Instead fill your day with healthy, sustaining foods. Some lean protein like egg whites in the morning fallowed by plenty of fruits and vegetables throughout the day should do the trick. Fiber from the produce you eat throughout the day should keep you satisfied longer and help you enjoy more sensible portions of your favorite holiday dishes later on. One study even showed that participants that ate a satisfying breakfast earlier on ate an average of 12.3% "healthier" throughout the rest of the day. (Massive Health Info-graph) 
2. Stick with one: When you first approach the spread of food start off by trying to fill your plate about half way with some kind of fruits or vegetables then fill the rest of your plate with little portions of everything else you want to try (this way you wont miss out and any great flavors of the season but you also wont be unbuttoning the top of your jeans when your finished eating either). Sit down with your plate and enjoy the food and company. Engage yourself in a conversation while taking your time to eat and try to stick with just your first plate. Chances are you will be much more focused on catching up than going to grab seconds of that sugar glazed ham.
3. Move on: At one point or another we all eat a few things we later regret or even just eat a bit too much all together. After a day of rest and indulgment don't beat yourself up! Hanging around thinking about that cake you ate last night isn't going to do anything for your health mentally or physically. Instead, get moving! Your body releases feel good chemicals called endorphins when you exercise which can help you move on from a disappointing day of eating as well as resist further cravings. Go for a walk, a run, or even head out sledding! Fallow it up with a healthy meal and you'll be back on your feet ready to bring it to the rest of the season.  

There are plenty of great ways out there to survive the holiday temptations and no single one works for everybody. Therefore, it's certainly best to try out as many as you can and decide what works best for you! What's your game plan this holiday season?

Sources:

"Massive Health Info-graph." Massive Health. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2012. <http://data.massivehealth.com/>.

Terrio, Samantha J. "Get through the Holidays without Gaining Weight." Team Beachbody- Newsletters. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2012. <http://www.teambeachbody.com/about/newsletters/-/nli/275>.