The month of Holiday season seems more like a journey from the acclaimed movie of Charlie and the Chocolate factory on steroids! It’s the season of Temptation with advertisers and stores promoting sales non-stop on the most gluttonous foods and drinking fest soirees in town! It’s quite easy to fall into the trap of the Holiday Hangover which includes all of the following symptoms weight gain, fatigue, procrastination, guilt, mood swings, and feelings of emptiness. Falling victim to the holiday hangover is pretty easy if your mind and body are not at one. Here are some tips to help create a healthy balance, and ensure that you are centered toward a jolly season!
TIP 1: PRIORITIZE AND BALANCE
It’s important to prioritize your holiday schedule. From attending business parties and events to hosting your own holiday party, to cooking for family gatherings, to decorating the home, and to keeping kids entertained can be quite demanding. Create a to-do-list that prioritizes of what’s important to you for the season. Remember to leave room for a little rest and relaxation, so you don’t feel stressed. Often times when one is stressed out they will often eat more, drink more, and lash out on others.
TIP 2: ADD FUN AND GAMES
Take the focus off eating and drinking and getting your family and friends more active during the holiday parties and season. Think ice-skating, sledding, museums, board games, dancing, creating a trivia game or scavenger hunt, or having a theme focused party with an element of a non-drinking or eating activity to take center stage. It could be something as simple as setting up a station which allows one to create an art inspired present for others like painting or jewelry.
TIP 3: FORGET THE NOTION OF TRYING TO PLEASE EVERYONE
So many times when holidays come around people feel the need to go out on an extra limb when it comes to spending time with everyone, excessive spending on presents, and going over the top with holiday parties, and just trying to please everyone by being at a million places at once. Just know it’s impossible to meet everyone’s expectations for the holiday season, so forget that notion and do not make your decisions based off pleasing others, rather do it based off your needs. Often times we don’t listen to what we really want to do with our time and money for the holidays and go with the demand of others.
TIP 4: DON’T USE THE HOLIDAYS AS A FREE PASS TO OVER INDULGE- BE PRESENT
Be the exception to the rule when it comes to holiday eating and drinking. Rather than going in with the mindset that your just going to give in temptation and focus on your new years resolutions of leading a healthy life after the holiday focus in the moment. When we are consciously present we tend to have a better grasp on our emotional spectrum and can make better decisions across the board especially when it comes to holiday activities like eating and drinking.
TIP 5: DON’T SKIP MEALS AND FOCUS ON PROTEIN AND FIBER
Before going to any holiday party or gathering it’s important that you’re not skipping meals and saving up calories for the event. This way you won’t over eat, or be down in the dumps because your blood sugar is too low before the party starts. Fill up with foods that are rich in both fiber and protein all day and especially in the meal you eat prior to the party so that way your hunger will be somewhat satisfied so drinking and eating guilty will be in moderation.
TIP 6: EXERCISE AND MEDITATE
I’m a big believer exercise and meditation is key to helping you be the best version of you. Exercise increases your endorphins, calms your central nervous system down, and promotes better wellness for your mind and body to be at one. On the other hand mediation, will quiet those random and negative thoughts that result into stress, drama filled fights, and constant worrying of things that are out of your control. Both help you be the best version of you!
TIP 7: GUZZLE WITHIN REASON
Too many times you hear people say they are saving their calories for alcohol, and not food. Alcoholic drinks are loaded with calories and have no nutrient value, besides red wine, so drink mindfully. Alternate between alcohol and water. Have a healthy limit of 1- 3 drinks depending on your gender, age, and size. Go for lighter calorie drinks like a glass of champagne, red wine, or a light beer rather than a sugary martini or heavy eggnog. Also, remember drinking too much affects the blood sugar, which then results the next day in fatigue, depression, and cravings for bad white carbohydrates and foods loaded with saturated fats and sugars. Excessive Drinking really pushes you away from your mind and body being at one.
TIP 8: SUBSTITUTE HEALTHY INGREDIENTS IN RECIPES
Eating healthy during your own holiday party or during the season doesn’t have to be a challenge. Without sacrificing taste just change out heavy ingredients for lighter ones.
- With eggs you can use egg whites
- For flavor to recipes that call for butter like on potatoes try chicken broth, sun butter or coconut butter
- For flour recipes stay away from white flour and look for grain flour or gluten free flour like coconut, rice, or tapioca, which are lighter
- You can also use applesauce for recipes that call for butter, and heavy oil.
- For recipes that call for cheese use low fat versions
- Another way is focus on gluten free, vegan, or paleo dessert because they tend to be lighter in calories and sugar than other desserts
- For chips use vegetables and for dips focused on plant based dips like bean, guacamole, and hummus, over creamy buttery dips
RECOMMENDED RECIPE FROM
VANILLA-POMEGRANATE PARFAITS FROM EATINGWELL.COM
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/vanilla_pomegranate_parfaits.html
Remember you can also make swaps for healthier ingredients in the recipe
NUTRITION
Per serving: 209 calories; 8 g fat (4 g sat, 2 g mono); 88 mg cholesterol; 31 g carbohydrates; 15 g added sugars; 4 g protein; 1 g fiber; 48 mg sodium; 189 mg potassium.
Carbohydrate Servings: 2
Exchanges: 1/2 fruit
For more information go to www.simplydelish4u.com
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