By Naomi Shaw
to Get Ready for the Holidays
Christmas photo created by lookstudio - www.freepik.com
The holiday season is a time of celebration and indulgence, but this season of enjoying the year’s end is not the healthiest time of year. Joining the holiday festivities with friends and or family is an essential part of the holidays, but rich foods and sugary drinks are not the best things for your health. Everyone wants to participate in holiday activities, and there are thankfully many ways for you to still partake, but keep your health and beauty in mind. You can still enjoy a holiday snack plate without overeating, and you can feel your most beautiful at any gathering with these tips and tricks to get you through this holiday season.
Why Bother
You may be wondering why you should bother eating healthy or looking your best during the holidays this year, but there are many advantages to staying mindful as the year comes to an end. Overeating during the holidays can mean your new year starts with surprise weight gain or other health issues like candidiasis that you don’t want to deal with. It is much easier to practice self-control and planning now rather than deal with the effects of unbridled and unchecked enjoyment in a few weeks.
Best Foot Forward
It would be best if you had a plan before you walk into a gathering or join a video call to celebrate the holidays. Plan your outside the night before, maybe even further in advance if you want to get creative and make your own tie-dye party outfit with disperse dyes. Get a good night’s sleep the night before and leave plenty of time to get ready before the event on the day of, so you put your best foot forward when you connect with other people. Part of your pre-planning should also include a game place for food and drink. Plan for how much you plan to eat and drink so you can stay within your personal moderation goals and put your best foot forward in the new year.
Christmas photo created by halayalex - www.freepik.com
Smart Planning
If you know you are going to have a decadent dinner with drinks and dessert, you may be tempted to skip a meal earlier in the day to accommodate the extra calories at dinner, but this is a bad idea. Skipping meals does not work how you want it to, and skipping lunch will not make your dinner any lighter or healthier. Skipping meals can actually do more harm than good, and you are much better off eating a low calories healthy meal instead of skipping that meal entirely. If you know you are going to have meat with sides, dessert, and drinks for dinner, focus on healthy meals earlier in the day. Balance a heavy dinner with a light salad with nuts for lunch and an equally light but healthy and filling breakfast.
Best Options
Once you are at a gathering, you have many food and drink choices to make. A buffet lets you choose your food so you can customize your choices to make the best healthy selections, but sit down meals are a little trickier. If you can choose your portion sizes, opt for smaller portions. You can always eat more if you are still hungry, but you can’t undo the food you have already consumed. Use smaller portions of the unhealthy foods to stay within your moderation guidelines. Add vegetables to your plate instead of heavier options like meat or rich sides.
Desserts and drinks can be deceptive. You may think a dessert tart with fruit isn’t that unhealthy, but sugar adds up. Many people also forget to factor in drinks after downing special three seasonal cocktails. Everything you eat or drink contributes to your health and what your health will be tomorrow or in a few weeks. Your drinks and desserts must be part of your planning and in the moment choices. Mindfulness is your best tool. Once you are aware of all the unhealthy indulgences, you will have an easier time controlling the urge to splurge.
New year photo created by freepik - www.freepik.com
The holidays are a magical time of year where we celebrate with our favorite seasonal food and drinks, but there is more to consider than what your next plate will hold. Plan ahead of time for big holiday meals so that your outfit is ready and you eat lighter meals the day of so you can enjoy reasonable portions of the special dinner. By using smart planning and good in the moment choices, you can enjoy the holiday food and drink without sacrificing your overall health.
No comments:
Post a Comment