I know a lot of us are concerned about falling off of our routine during the holidays. It’s something that can happen if we don’t purposely make the effort to take care of ourselves. Today I’m sharing 8 simple healthy holiday habits in hopes that you will remember to take care of yourself without feeling shame or guilt about the season’s festivities.
🍽️ Don’t skip meals.
Avoid bingeing by eating a well-balanced meal for breakfast and/or lunch if your holiday meal is your dinner.
You may think that skipping meals when you know you’re going to overindulge later can seem like you’re doing something good, but it actually can backfire on you, causing you to eat and drink even MORE than you plan to because you are so hungry.
💧 Stay hydrated.
Drink water throughout the day and refill your glass to avoid dehydration.
Be cautious of seasonal drinks and alcohol that usually contain lots of empty calories and sugar which can throw your blood sugar levels for a loop. These drinks tend to dehydrate us
🍠 Make healthy food swaps where you can.
Switch up holiday dishes to cut down on sugar and empty calories.
Choose healthier snacks when you can such as nuts, cheese, and fruit. Swap out the french fries for a side salad when available.
🍗 Eat nutrient-dense foods.
Fill half your plate with vegetables, and then cover the one-fourth with protein, and the last fourth with fruit and a small number of complex carbs.
Protein takes the longest for your body to process into fuel and adding more vegetables to your plate helps you feel fuller longer because of the fiber they contain.
Two books that made a huge difference in our personal eating habits is The Daniel Plan and The Daniel Plan Cookbook.
💖 Eat foods you love mindfully
Be mindful of what you put in your body while still enjoying and appreciating the delicious foods we have during this season. During the holidays we are often distracted by the people and events going on, ie the hustle and bustle of the holidays.
Enjoy the foods that are unique to the holidays. Don’t overindulge in something that you can eat any day of the year.
Pay attention to your snacking and be aware if you are eating because you are actually hungry or if you’re only eating because you are bored. Eat slowly. Savor your food.
🚶🏽♀️Keep moving
Don’t stop your exercise routine just because it’s the holidays. Keep moving your body every day. Go for a walk if the weather is nice after one of your meals.
Not only does movement help maintain your weight, but it also keeps your immune system up to fight winter colds. The endorphins we get from moving our body are a natural joy and energy boost to our entire mind, body, soul, and spirit system.
Choose whatever movement brings you joy! Walking, dancing, lifting weights, skating, etc. If you need some encouragement and enjoy walking join our Walking Everyday Facebook Group.
🛌🏻 Get enough sleep
I know you want to fit in as much holiday fun as you can, but your body needs the same amount of rest and sleep every night no matter what day the calendar says it is.
Try to go to bed and wake up at your usual times. Aim for 6-8 hours of sleep each night so your body has the opportunity to get enough REM sleep. Your body uses this time to repair and build itself.
Also, people who don’t get enough sleep tend to be hungrier and eat more calories.
😊 Don’t put hard limits on yourself.
The final healthy holiday habit is to enjoy holiday foods and indulge a little – it’s ok now and then! Anytime we tell ourselves to completely avoid something our mind tends to want to focus on that thing instead. For example, as soon as you say no more sodas then your mind is like “soda…soda. Soda!”
No one is perfect and no one expects you to be perfect.
One meal won’t change everything. Skipping one workout to hang out with family or friends isn’t the end of the world.
Spend time with your friends and family and ENJOY the holidays!
Which healthy holiday habit for the holidays will you focus on first?
