”It’s the most wonderful time of the year…” As Andy Williams sings in this classical
Christmas song. I love this holiday
season, the sight of lights decorating the city, the smells of cookies in the
oven, the taste of eggnog, baked goods and all the fixings, the gathering of
friends, the sounds of Christmas music
filling the air, and buying the perfect gift for that special someone. The Holidays engage all my senses and I love
participating in them all. Along with
the joy of the season also comes the reality of overindulgence. We can get wrapped up in all the bliss and
think, “I will just worry about it in January.”
But what if there is a way to maintain control, enjoy this time of year
and enter the New Year with a jump start of health. It is possible. Here are 10 simple ways to have a healthier
holiday, not miss out on the fun and enter 2014 with a bounce in your step.
Eat with
intention!
Observe
yourself and your eating habits.
Ask: Why am I eating this? Do I feel pressured to eat this? Am I full?
Do I feel guilty if I don’t finish everything on my plate? Think before putting anything in your mouth –
do I REALLY want to eat this? Pause and
reflect and enjoy the company by engaging with them rather than the food. If you are invited to a potluck holiday party
make as many healthy options as possible to bring with you. Or be the host of the holiday party and
invite people to your home – you have more control as to what is served. Give your friends a little challenge and ask
them to bring a healthy appetizer or dish.
Begin a
journal about what foods you eat and how they make you feel. When a food you eat doesn't make you feel
well and effects your body and mood, it’s easier to stay away from.
Enjoy your food!
We all love
to indulge in the wonderful foods that the holidays have to offer; by slowing
down and eating with intention you can still have a taste of all the offerings
and thoroughly enjoy each bite. It
takes at least 20 minutes for our brains to signal that we're actually full,
which means a slow eater will consume fewer calories before feeling full than
someone who races through their meal.
When you are sitting around the dinner table, take a moment to breath in
deeply and look at the food you are about to eat, say a simple prayer of
gratitude to yourself for the blessings of the meal. In between bites, put your fork down and
challenge yourself to chew 20 times before swallowing. This is the first stage of digestion and you
will notice that you can enjoy the food without stuffing yourself full.
Smaller
frequent meals is key!
Remember,
the holidays are not the time to lose weight but rather set the goal to
maintain your weight. At the beginning
of your day, begin with some protein such as eggs, smoothie, yogurt, meat and veggies
or nuts and seeds. This will help boost
your metabolism. Eat smaller more
frequent meals that are packed with dense foods like fruits and veggies before
you head out to that party. They are
heavier and you will feel fuller and indulge less. Be careful not to starve yourself before
heading out to that party because you don’t want a “bloated” belly in your
special dress! If you fast it messes
with your metabolism and you will have a tendency to overeat when you go
out. Eat small meals throughout day
about 3 hours apart and make sure they are healthy options to counteract the
goodies you may eat at your party.
It’s OK to indulge (a bit)!
When
looking at brain chemicals signaling "pleasure," scientists have
found that we receive less pleasure the more we eat of a food. So rather than
feeling like you must eat a full serving of every dessert at a holiday meal,
take a bite or two and receive 90 percent of the pleasure with 10 percent of
the calories. If you are already
eating healthy, a few days of indulging won’t set you back – it is the
constant, every day indulging that can start packing on the pounds. Remember, we tend to overindulge on the
treats when we think we can only have them this time of year – have a few
indulgences as you go along the year so you don’t feel deprived. It’s a psychological game we play when we
tell ourselves we can’t have something – that is all we ever keep thinking
about! Think of budgeting your calories
and pleasures like you do your finances.
It takes a plan and discipline to stay on track.
Watch
those drinks!
Liquid
calories can be a killer: alcohol, eggnog and those yummy coffee drinks. Drinking alcohol can lower your threshold for
eating healthy at a party. You may walk
in with the best of intentions but by having one to many drinks you begin to
snack and binge on those unhealthy offerings, only to wake up the next morning
with a headache and a stomachache. When
you go to your party or even at your own home have a plan. Map out when you will eat those sweets, what
you will drink and how much, and even which parties you will go to. At your party or engagement have a glass of
water before walking in, and have a glass of water in between each drink you
consume. Both alcohol and caffeine are
very dehydrating, so bless your body with some water in between. Going out to coffee with a friend on
Friday? Then hold off on other coffee
indulgences until then. Decide how many
coffee drinks you will have in one week.
Get in
those Veggies!
As a
healthy alternative to get in your veggies - make a Green Smoothie. These are super easy, taste great and you
will never know you are getting in a serving a vegetables. In addition to getting your veggies through
smoothies, you can also puree them and put them into pasta sauces, lasagnas,
muffins, pancakes, cake (I made a yummy chocolate cake with zucchini – no one
ever knew!) There are many other
options. Amazing what you can do to
incorporate more veggies into you and your families’ diet.
Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate!
What
else can I say – keep that water bottle close by and keep sipping throughout
the day. Your body needs half of its
body weight in ounces. I make it a goal
to drink 100 ounces of water each day. I
keep a 20 ounce water bottle with me to keep it simple and easy to measure. If water gets too bland, mix it up, add
lemon, lime, mint, berries or cucumber to it.
I love adding 3-4 drops of doTERRA Lemon Essential oils to mine. Spruces up the taste and cleanses my liver at
the same time. There are many ways to
infuse your water with flavor.
Find some time to Work Out!
Do a light
workout before your feast – but not an intense that will rev up your appetite
and you may overeat instead. After a big
splurge, get up and workout the next day!
Stay consistent with workouts during the hustle and bustle of season. Set some realistic goals and tell someone –
you are more likely to follow through if you know someone is checking in on
you. Get creative and plan these days in
at the beginning of each week. You may
not be motivated or feel like you have the time to work out during all the
hustle and bustle of the season – but it is critical for your emotional and
physical well-being. Aim for 3-4 times
per week for at least 30 min. or 3 10 minute sessions throughout your day. Bundle up and get outdoors, sledding, playing
with the kids, building a snowman or snow fort, tubing, skiing, ice skating,
snowshoeing. Sign up for a winter run to
keep up your motivation. Use shopping at
the malls as a way to exercise – park far away from the stores, walk briskly
when you can and bring healthy snacks to the mall. Resist the temptation to let one month of bad
choices derail you from 11 months of healthy decisions.
Nourish yourself!
This is a
season of giving, but we must also remember to receive. If you do not fuel up your tank, there will
be nothing left and it can weaken your immune system. Have grace with yourself if you
find yourself overindulging. If you have
overeaten don’t fast the next day, just know every new day can bring about new
changes – make healthier choices the next day.
By fasting you are more likely to binge on unhealthy alternatives. Let go of the negative feelings and bashing
yourself and move forward with the new day!
Find time in the hustle and bustle of the holidays to do something that
nourishes your soul, a massage, a hot bath, a facial, a pedicure, a movie you
want to watch with no kids, reading, whatever that joy is, schedule that into
your day – you are worth it!
Be
Generous!
I saved
this for last because I truly believe this is the most important! Generosity makes you healthier. Being generous with a joyful heart has been
proven to improve your immune system and extend your lifespan. It reduces stress and gives us a sense of
value and purpose. When you are generous
and grateful it releases endorphins in your body (otherwise known as the “feel
good” chemicals) which dilates the blood vessel relaxes the heart. Being generous gets the focus off ourselves
and helps combat feelings of isolation and depression which can also be a
struggle for many during the holiday season.
We cannot separate our body and mind and when we nurture both areas we
become a more balanced being. Being
generous, eating healthy and exercise all can work beautifully together to
combat the holiday blues if they begin to set in!
By planning
ahead and setting intentions it is possible to enter 2014 with vibrancy and not
one extra pound. Surround yourself with healthy
foods at home and remember to take a high protein snack with your when you head
out to shop – it will hinder the temptation to grab a not so healthy
option. If you find yourself stuck
for ideas – search the internet, ask some friends, pose the question on your FB
wall, or hire a health coach. Coaches
like myself are great accountability partners to help you keep your goals and
healthy lifestyle moving forward. Happy
and Healthy Holidays!
Written by: Sheri
Engstrom-Rickard, Mrs. Colorado 2004, Holistic Health
Coach – Beautifully Designed Wellness
For more information or to contact Sheri call: 303-995-0511
