Stay Healthy This Holiday Season!
The holiday season is a special time of year. There are gatherings and parties with coworkers, friends and family to celebrate Thanksgiving, Christmas, the end of the year and the beginning of a fresh, new year. Although this time is special, it can also be stressful and too busy! The average American gains 3-7 pounds between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. This is quite a few pounds within 40 days! Moreover, individuals who are already overweight are more likely to gain more weight and not take it off compared to individuals who obtain a healthy weight. Below are a few tips and tricks to help get us through the holiday season, healthy and stress free, so it can be joyful and merry as it should be!
- Plan time for exercise, or try to stay moving! If you can exercise 30 minutes, at least 5 days a week, or work in movement throughout your day. For example: do 10-minute walks over lunch or in between meetings and stretches or cleaning after dinner
- Drink Responsibly! Drink a glass of water after each alcoholic beverage
- Plan meals at home ahead of time to reduce food waste
- Don’t skip meals. BUT most importantly, stop eating when you feel satisfied rather than when you feel “stuffed”
- If you overeat one meal, go light on your next meal by eating vegetables, especially dark-leafy greens coupled with a lean protein
- Bring a healthy side (salad, vegetable or fruit tray) option to a potluck party to ensure at least one healthy choice
- Limit your goodies and treats to one a day or less. Once you start having more than one, you can lose track…that’s scary!
- Start the day with a well-balanced breakfast! Think whole grains, like toast with almond butter and sliced bananas, eggs, or high fiber cereal with choice of milk
- Consider taking a Vitamin D supplement. Research has proven that Vitamin D plays a crucial role in mood and helps fight off depression, especially in the cold, short days of winter months
- Plan and pack healthy snacks for the work day. Not sure what defines a “healthy snack”? I recommend snacks that include at least 2 food groups, such as, carbohydrates and protein or vegetables and a healthy fat. Some examples: An apple with 1 tbsp peanut butter, 6 Triscuits and 1 oz of cheese, carrots/celery and hummus or guacamole
- Drink at least 64 ounces of water a day. Drink a big glass of water 30 minutes before the meal or going out. To find exactly how much water is adequate for yourself take your weight (in pounds) divide by 2. This is the number in ounces of water to strive to drink each day. Example, if you weigh 150 pounds, drink 75 ounces of water each day