Looking to have healthy holidays this season, in a way that ISN’T dieting or depriving yourself? Here are my top 5 tips as a dietitian who believes in BALANCE.
Healthy holidays? In a balanced way? Is that possible? Holidays are a time for celebrating the things we value the most with our most loved friends and family. It’s my favorite time to really take a step back from all the busyness of life and truly be present and share space with loved ones. Lucky for us, the upcoming holidays are right around the corner! And I can’t wait!!! As we transition into the fall season, Halloween, then thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years- we have a lot to be celebrating! We are so blessed to be able to celebrate the upcoming holidays and spend time with those we love. There is so much to be grateful for!
Sometimes though, I know the holiday season can be a difficult time to keep up with when it comes to our nutrition goals. Healthy Holidays seems a little impossible. We might be spending the day cooking and forget to get a good workout in, or change our normal eating habits because we’re surrounded by different good foods. These differences in our schedules and all that celebration can lead to a little bit of a falling off of our normal health routines. But that doesn’t have to be the case! There are so many ways you can stay on track and find success during the upcoming holiday season. Remember, you have the power to stick to anything you want to- and you definitely have the power to survive the upcoming holidays and become an even stronger and healthier version of the great human you already are by the end of them.
So in celebration of the beginning of October, I wanted to get a head start in talking about some of my favorite tips for you to keep in mind and stick to during the upcoming holidays!
5 Tips for Healthy Holidays This Year
1.Don’t Starve All Day to Binge at Night
Fuel your body throughout the day, so that you don’t feel starving and take it out on the unhealthy food options at dinner this holiday season. We’ve all been guilty of restricting ourselves from foods during the day in preparation for a holiday feast. Where we think it’s a good idea to go on a day long fast, and then make up for allllll the calories we didn’t eat at night. But what’s the point of that? We don’t want our habits to lead to overeating on unhealthy treats at night. By starving all day and then bingeing whenever dinner is ready is only going to put a strong toll on our metabolism. We don’t want to overwhelm our bodies with an abundance of food, especially if we haven’t really been eating all day.
Instead, go into dinner having properly nourished yourself all day and enjoy in moderation. It’s okay to have a special holiday dinner, enjoy it! But there’s no reason for you to skip meals all day and then overload your body on whatever’s is being made for dinner. So make sure you’re getting in enough of your proteins, carbs and fats in to set you up for success during that special holiday dinner.
Above all, moderation is key when it comes so those heavy holiday meals, and any meal for that matter.
2. Don’t Go Overboard on the Booze in the Upcoming Holidays
Now i’m not saying you can’t have a glass of wine at dinner, or enjoy a mixed drink with your family and friends. The holidays are often a time of lots of celebration, and with that can sometimes come a lot of alcohol if you drink. But try and ditch the high calorie alcoholic beverages. Don’t be afraid to responsibly indulge in one or two drinks with your friends and family this holiday season, but do choose healthier options.
Our bodies metabolize any alcohol we put into them first, because our metabolism is literally trying to excrete it and get rid of it as soon as we drink. Our bodies basically think it’s a toxin! So just be mindful about how much of it you’re putting into your body during these upcoming holidays. I’m not saying ditch the alcohol completely, just don’t go overboard.
Did you know cider contains around 30 grams of sugar??! Even beer and wine can be pretty high caloric. Which, again, are okay in moderation! But maybe try swapping the spiked eggnog for a skinny margarita or healthy cocktail. Or try one of my personal favorite go-to healthy drinks are recipes I’ve concocted myself! Have you given them a try?? You can’t go wrong with a Spicy Healthy Watermelon Margarita or if you’re feeling festive try my Pumpkin Martini Recipe!
3. Don’t have all or nothing mentality
Were all guilty of beating ourselves up when we overindulge, it’s important to be gentle with yourself! If you do go overboard don’t forget that you can always reset and restart! Forgive yourself and have compassion for yourself, for you! It’s most likely that no one is going to make us feel worse about ourselves than we can sometimes make ourselves feel. But that gets us nowhere! A common mistake is over eating during one meal and then thinking the entire day is ruined and giving up.
Instead pick back up where you left off and make the next meal count! When it is a lifestyle one day or meal will not ruin you. One meal won’t make you gain a bunch of weight or lose all the progress you’ve made thus far. It’s the build up of your habits, and consistent choices when it comes to our meals, food and drinks. Don’t let one day make you give up all together! It’s not a pass or fail exam.
Don’t starve yourself the next day because you overate the day before. Your body needs fuel to thrive throughout the day! If you really want to make sure you compensate for that meal, maybe get an extra 15 or 20 minutes in your next workout or the one before. Or take a walk with the fam after your done with dinner! But just because you had an unhealthy meal or two during the upcoming holidays, does NOT mean you are totally off-track and should just blow off all the progress you’ve been making. It’s a mindset!
4. Be Mindful About Your Workout!
Don’t just ditch the workout friends. Just because it’s the holidays doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be moving that body and getting those steps in! Even a 20 minute walk around the block after dinner gets those extra steps in! Invite the family and then you’re also getting some quality time in with loved ones. You already know you’re going to be busy during the holiday season, so be mindful of that and plan those work outs ahead of time.
I know from personal experience I do my best when I workout in the morning before my day gets busy. I like to tackle some of the hardest things right when I wake up, so that I know the rest of my day can get progressively easier. That looks different for everyone, and maybe you workout best in the evening or in the middle of the day. Whenever it is, just make sure to plan for it and stick to it!
What can you do to be active during the holidays? Is it a fun hike? Maybe a bike ride around the neighborhood to watch the trees changing with the seasons? Maybe you start a new tradition with the fam and invite them to your workout or whatever you’re doing to move your body. Make it fun but keeping your body moving!
5. Mindfulness And Portion Control
Above all it’s all about mindfulness. Be mindful about all the different foods you’re eating and the ingredients in them. Mindfulness and portion control are going to be your best friends during meals, especially during the upcoming holidays. Really friends, at every meal during the upcoming holidays just keep thinking: mindfulness and portion control.
Try and make sure to slow down when you’re eating too! Truly try to savor every bite, and be mindful and present the entire time during every meal. I know some of my favorite meals ever are typical thanksgiving dishes, so you bet I’m taking my sweet time with that dish! Take the time to savor your food and enjoy every bite. Believe it or not it will help you practice proper portion control with your meals.
There’s nothing wrong with having a serving of your favorite dishes during the holidays, but just be mindful about the portions you’re putting on your plate. Notice when you’re feeling full and take a break- try not to eat till you’re stuffed!
BONUS for some Healthy Holidays!
1: Give yourself the GIFT of an Oily Starter Kit & Amazing Community this Season!
Learn more about how I gave myself the gift right here.
2:Make Healthy Fun By Revamping Your Own Version Of A Holiday Dish
Cooking isn’t only fun but it’s also a great way to spend quality time with your family! One of my favorite ways to really bring health into our home during the holidays is making my own creative dish, using fresh veggies and healthy foods! If you’re looking for some ideas, here are some of my favorite pumpkin dishes to try out this upcoming holiday season!
All in all, just remember it’s all about balance and moderation–not deprivation. The holidays are a time to spend with loved ones, celebrating what matters most in our lives. Let’s not forget that, and yet find the best ways to honor our health and active lifestyles with them during the upcoming holidays!
If you want to thrive these coming months start with nutrition coaching and create a lifestyle around a healthy relationship with food and yourself.
