12 Tips For Your Healthiest Holiday Season Yet

Try new recipes

Mac n’ cheese? Hot chocolate? Eggnog? Popcorn? Chips? Whatever it is, you can make it healthy. There is literally an alternative to everything. (Believe me I have looked). Experiment by making your favourite dishes and yummy treats using alternative, whole-food ingredients like dates, pumpkin, oats, nut milks, nuts and seeds, raw cacao, etc. Real food ingredients trump packaged processed foods any day. Check out my recipes page for some ideas!

Find your tribe

Find people who are serious about their health or who want to commit to a healthier lifestyle. Having a buddy with you on this journey is so important. You can attend your own events, and create your own potlucks and recipes together that you can all eat and that won’t leave you feeling crappy. And the best part? They can be just as delicious!
This doesn’t take away from being social and you can actually eat all of the food options without compromising your health. Because why should we have to choose? It’s a win-win. If you don’t have anyone in your circle who is willing to change with you, find new people!

Be prepared

If you know there is only going to be junk food at the party or food that you can’t eat then you must be prepared. Because no one wants to be hangry and frustrated by the limited food options available. This increases the risk for binge eating. Have a protein rich snack or a balanced meal beforehand with lots of veggies, a healthy fat, and protein so you stabilize your blood sugar and don’t feel tempted by all the junk. This will help you to avoid over indulging and make it easier to skip the excess calories or foods that make you feel bloated.

Eat mindfully

You’ve eaten healthy all day but now there’s that chocolate cake staring back at you. If you really want that piece of cake, have it. But only if you enjoy it fully. Experience each bite and take your time. Allow yourself to enjoy it. If you feel guilt, you’re more likely to shove it down your throat and want more and more. One piece of cake isn’t going to make you gain weight, just like that one salad won’t make you skinny. And eating in a stressed state is probably going to create more damage to the body than that piece of cake to be honest. On the other hand if you know you should not eat it, think about how you will feel if you ate it; will you feel better or worse? Sometimes we realize it’s not even worth it once we ask ourselves the question.

Hydrate!

Staying hydrated is not only important for all functions in the body, it can also help you make better decisions! If you feel hunger or cravings, a lot of the time you may just be thirsty. And instead of reaching for the water, we tend to reach for the sugary or salty snacks, which just leads to more cravings. Make sure you are drinking more water than you think you need throughout the day. Aim for 2-3L per day or divide your body weight (in pounds) by 2 to get your ideal number of ounces per day. Increase if you are active.

Choose the veggies

I always preach my veggies but even more so during the holiday season. We tend to lack nutrition during the festivities which can lead to weight gain, cravings, poor digestion, fatigue, and low mood. Vegetables are an important source of many nutrients, as well as fiber. This helps to keep you full for longer, stabilize your blood sugar, and promote healthy bowel movements. During any meal make it a habit of crowding at least half of your plate with non-starchy vegetables like broccoli, leafy greens, zucchini, cauliflower, asparagus, carrots…. This will make you feel satisfied a lot quicker and help you avoid that holiday food coma.

Be present

We tend to get overwhelmed during the holidays by all of the parties, social events, presents, and family meals going on. But what if we just took a moment to enjoy the moment? Instead of thinking of the next diet you’re going to after eating too much at Christmas dinner or how you’re going to spend an hour on the treadmill when you get home, why not just focus on what’s going on right now? The holiday season is going to fly by, might as well enjoy it and remember it right? Plus the more present you are the more in tune you will be with your body, which means less likelihood of overeating.

Prioritize sleep

Studies have shown that lack of sleep dysregulates our hunger hormones. Explains a lot right? When you are sleep deprived (this usually looks like less than 6 hours per night) your hunger hormone ghrelin actually elevates and your satiety hormone leptin lowers. Which means? You feel hungrier and experience more cravings when you don’t get enough sleep. Plus your brain isn’t receiving the normal feedback it should be getting when you have had enough to eat, which makes you eat more than you should. So make sleep a priority and aim for 7-9 hours every night, the earlier the better!

Move

Get moving everyday! The benefits of exercise are endless but as we tend to indulge in more sugary and carb heavy treats during this time of year it’s even more important. Exercise helps to regulate blood sugar, improve heart health, and improve energy and mood. Whether it be a quick jog, weight lifting, walk to work, or a workout class, schedule it in each day so you’re sure to commit. But remember, this should be something enjoyable, so if you are just in the mood for a walk or yoga class, respect it. No need to punish yourself at the gym for that cookie you ate. Be gentle with your body and use exercise as self-care, not a punishment.

Have a strategy

If you know you are going to reach for the cake that has dairy which you don’t usually eat or that always makes you feel bloated afterwards, then be prepared! Bring an alternative dish that you can eat, or buy digestive enzymes which will help reduce digestive symptoms. I always keep a bottle in my bag just in case, especially for eating out.

Pick a smaller plate when you’re at the buffet to gage your hunger more accurately, get up to walk around the room at least once an hour, refill your glass of water every time you get up, eat twice as many veggies….

Being prepared will help you feel better and make it easier to make the right choices.

Make smarter choices

There are definitely some better options you can make whether you’re at a NYE party, restaurant, Christmas dinner, staff holiday party or the local bar. For alcohol, choose red wine or a vodka or gin tonic with lemon or lime and avoid the sugar heavy drinks like beer and juice cocktails. For every alcoholic beverage, drink at least double the amount of water. Instead of the heavy gravy and creamy dishes choose the steamed, grilled, or sautéed dishes instead and always opt for more vegetables. For starters; veggies and hummus, tortillas with guacamole or salsa, nuts and seeds, and olives are better options.

Support your digestion

We tend to neglect our digestion during this time and also experience consequences like bloating, gas, and indigestion. Some ways around this? Portion! Eat until you are only 80% full. Stuffing yourself is only going to put a strain on your digestive organs resulting in undigested food and a lot more work for your stomach, not to mention this increases the risk for that dreaded food coma. Start your day with a warm lemon water with ginger, this will help flush out the liver and kickstart your digestive process as well as relieve any tummy upset. If you feel like you ate something that doesn’t sit well with you or feel bloated, take 1-2 charcoal capsules to help get rid of any toxins and reduce the bloat.

Does eating healthy stress you out? The Healthstyle Emporium is an online holistic portal with recipes, guides, recources, and coaches to help guide you to a healthier lifestyle. Learn more here.