The holidays are full of family, friends, good food and great memories. But they are not always compatible with a healthy lifestyle. When the holiday season approaches, it’s easy to get a little lax about the healthy eating and exercise routine we usually maintain.
Coupled together, all these festive celebrations and the stress that the holidays can bring, can impact our overall well-being from November to New Year. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Fortunately, with a few tips, it is possible to maintain a healthy lifestyle all year round.
It’s no secret: vacations don’t always go hand in hand with a healthy lifestyle. The indulgent and decadent recipes that grace Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, and Christmas tables may not keep up with the diets we follow the rest of the year. But with these 10 tips, you can stay mentally and physically healthy throughout the holiday season.
Find healthy alternatives to your favorite meals
Healthy eating doesn’t mean you have to ditch your holiday favorites—they just need a few tweaks. You can use less butter and bacon in green bean casseroles, yogurt instead of mayonnaise in deviled eggs, and cook the turkey instead of frying it. With these simple tips, you can keep all your favorite meals on your plate without excess calories.
It’s all about moderation
Moderation will be your saving grace this holiday season. There’s nothing wrong with enjoying an indulgent, festive dinner, but you need to make sure your meals surrounding it are healthy and nutrient-rich. Have a light lunch like a salad with an olive oil vinaigrette and opt for a healthy breakfast the next morning, like an avocado on whole wheat toast. By eating healthily during the holiday season, you can afford to go all out for a few big events.
Opt for Homemade Foods Rather Than Processed
Doing everything at home can be difficult when you have a lot to do, but it can also ensure that you eat much healthier. Canned, treaty, and prepared foods are full of excess salt and sugar that you can avoid by preparing the meals yourself. Reduce your sodium intake by making your own cream of mushroom soup and reduce your sugar intake by making cranberry sauce from scratch. Both take just a few moments to combine in a pot before letting them simmer.
Preparing food from scratch will also make you much more aware of what you eat and when you eat it, giving you more control and awareness in the long run.
Add more vegetables
It’s easy to go all-in on our favorite recipes, but sometimes eating better is as simple as having healthier choices on hand. Increase the number of vegetable dishes on the table, finding little touches to dress them up without making them unhealthy. Roasted asparagus can be beautiful on its own, and roasted carrots Or Sweet potatoes are rich in taste and a pop of bright color.
When in doubt, serve the vegetables first, such as a salad before dinner or a vegetable-based appetizer earlier in the afternoon. This will help everyone make sure they get the veggies they need instead of gorging on buttery mashed potatoes.
Slow down during meals
Although decadent food can make us want to eat, a key tip for staying healthy during the holidays is to slow down during meals. Several studies have shown that eating slowly can give our stomach enough time to send the hormonal signal to our brain telling us we are full, which will prevent us from accidentally overeating. This can help us maintain better portion control.
Don’t forget portion control
Speaking of portion control… portion control will be your best friend throughout the holiday season. Eat small snacks during the day and have three medium meals instead of three very large ones. This will improve your digestion and reduce the amount you eat, both during meals and in general. If you want to control portions, you can use smaller plates or reduce the number of dishes you serve at each meal.
Take a walk after dinner
Walk after a meal can bring you several distinct advantages. First, you can exercise at a time when you otherwise wouldn’t as frequently. It can also give you some quiet time alone to de-stress and aid your digestion at the same time. All of these factors combined are good for your physical and mental health and can contribute to weight loss. To maximize these benefits,
Don’t give up on exercise
There are a million other things to do, and if you’re far from your home gym, working out can seem even more difficult. Despite this, it is important to maintain regular exercise for your mental and physical health. Exercise is good for your body and can also relieve stress This is so common during the holiday season.
Even if you can only exercise in short bursts throughout the day, make time to do a few jumping jacks on the patio or go ice skating with the family. Need more ideas? Discover our home workouts for the holidays.
Try to stick to your usual sleep schedule
This can be especially difficult with the increase in parties and families in town. But stay true to your sleep schedule will improve your quality of sleep now and after the holidays.
Take some time for yourself
The holidays are full of family and friends, and while that can be a good thing, it can also be exhausting and stressful. Whether you’re staying with family during the holidays or attending numerous events, remember to take time for yourself every day. Go for a walk, meditate once a day, or offer to go to the store for a few quiet minutes. Even extroverts need time to recharge.
