Tips for Staying Healthy This Holiday
By Randi Morse
The holidays are one of my favorite times of year. My husband and I choose to spend our holiday time focusing on our kids and our immediate family. We like keeping things as low stress as possible, which works for us! I know some people who go to three or four holiday events, which they adore. One problem that we all have in common during the holiday season is staying healthy. How do you honor your commitment to healthy eating and staying fit during the holiday season?
Ten Minutes
I absolutely loathe how my stomach feels when I overeat. That uncomfortable, almost nauseated feeling is not something that I want to associate with the holidays. One of the best tips for avoiding overeating during the holiday season is to take 10. Foods are usually deliciously indulgent during the holiday season, making it easy to want to take seconds. It is those very seconds, however, that will lead you to overeat and not only feel bad but also overspend on your daily caloric limit. Before you jump to take seconds, take 10 minutes, drink some water, and then see how you feel. It can take some time for your brain to get the message that your body has eaten enough food. If you wait 10 minutes before you indulge in seconds you will likely find that your brain has gotten the message that eating any more will make you feel overly full.
Pre-Eat
Before we go to any sort of big event where there is food, my husband and I argue over whether to eat before the event or not? He argues that it's best to avoid eating before you indulge in a large meal so that you can eat more. I, however, try to stick with healthy eating habits by nibbling on a little bit of food before I go out. This helps me avoid eating too much.
Watch the Drinks
It's extremely important to remember that drinks have calories too. Unless you're drinking water, which is, thankfully, calorie-less, whatever you are drinking is going to have some calories in it. Drinks like eggnog, wine, even beer contain calories. I, personally, tend to want to enjoy spending my calories on food rather than drink so I stick with water almost all the time. It is perfectly fine to enjoy an alcoholic beverage during the holiday season, just don't forget that it has calories in it.
The holidays are amazing, and if you're going to indulge at any time, this is definitely when you should. Indulge in the foods that you enjoy, just be cautious about going for seconds, arriving on an empty stomach, and keep in mind that drinks have calories in them.
To learn more about your health, wellness and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Shreveport, La.