The holidays are a fantastic time of year filled with friends, family, and the nostalgic foods that bring us together. It can also be a stressful time for the same reasons…too much friends, family, and especially food! By the time January rolls around we are tired, lethargic, and usually in a complete food coma. With loads of decadent treats at the ready, many people find it difficult to maintain healthy eating habits during the holidays. So how can we enjoy the holidays without feeling like we’ve been hit by a truck come January? Why with these simple healthy eating for the holiday rules, of course. Don’t worry, you can still have pie, and even some stuffing too!
Take small tastes while cooking: When you are cooking, try to limit your tastes to two small bites; one before seasoning and one after. This will keep you from eating an entire meal before the festivities begin.
Eat before you go: This may seem counterintuitive after my first tip BUT, eating before you go to a party will keep you from over eating. If you show up starving, it is hard to maintain portion control.
Bring something healthy that you want to eat: By bringing a green salad or vegetable dish you are guaranteed at least one healthy option that you can rely on.
Don’t graze: Avoid taking a handful of this and a handful of that. If you want an appetizer, put a few things on a small plate and sit down to enjoy them.
1 plate club: Take a small serving of everything want to eat and walk away from the buffet. No seconds or thirds. This will allow you to taste everything without over doing it.
Limit alcohol: Go back and forth between a glass of water and a glass of wine/beer. This way you don’t get too intoxicated and forget about the 1 plate rule!
Focus on talking more than eating: Many times this is the only occasion we have to reconnect with family and friends. Make them the focus, not the food.
Practice saying NO THANK YOU: No matter how insistent the host, do not bring home holidays leftovers. These foods are perfect for the day of, but only create trouble when we eat them over the entire week.
Take every meal on its own merit: If you over eat or drink too much, acknowledge it as an occurrence for that meal and let it go. A single evening food slip up does not mean the entire week is shot and you should now eat everything in sight.
Get good self care: Exercise, napping, help with cooking, and alone time will all help refuel your body naturally and keep you on track.
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Jamie G. Dougherty is the owner and founder of JAMIE|LIVING, Health and Lifestyle Counseling. She is an AADP certified Holistic Nutrition Coach with a private and corporate practice that offers assistance nationwide. She is passionate about deliciously healthy food and specializes in helping her clients transform their lives through the power of nutrition and self-care.
To get more great health info and recipes become a JAMIE LIVING Facebook Fan, read the JAMIE LIVING blog at www.jamieliving.blogspot.com or follow her on Twitter.
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December 6th, 2010 at 9:06 am
[...] Soirees, gatherings and online networking—we are your guide to everything you CRAVE in your city. “healthy eating” – Google Blog Search This entry was posted in Healthy Living and tagged Company, Crave, eating, Healthy, Holidays, [...]
December 6th, 2010 at 11:41 am
[...] the article here: Healthy Eating for the Holidays • the CRAVE company • an urban … 此条目发表在 未分类 分类目录，贴了 city, connects-urban, crave, guide, [...]
December 8th, 2010 at 5:53 pm
Eat, drink and be merry.
December 9th, 2010 at 4:39 pm
This article was really great. Thank you. I hope to be able to share this with our readers – especially with the weight loss. I wish I saw this a few days ago before it was posted. Will reference. Cheers (low-fat eggnogg that is
)
December 10th, 2010 at 2:29 pm
Thanks. I’m so glad you liked it. Enjoy!