Stay healthy during the holiday season with our nutritionists’s top picks and tips.
With the holiday season upon us, there will be a lot of food, drink and parties to distract you from your health goals. Instead of resolving to derailment, I recommend that you head into the season making a conscious effort to stay positive and on track by avoiding mindless overeating and continuing positive health habits throughout the festivities. This is also a time for celebrating, family time, togetherness and enjoying some of our favorite seasonal indulgences, and it can all be done in a healthy and fun way!
SET A GOAL: Start out the holidays with a health goal in mind, whether it’s to stay in fitness shape, maintain your current weight or just to enjoy yourself more regardless of the usual stress around the holidays. If you set a goal that is important to you, you can continually use that goal as an anchor to get you through the holidays the way you want.
PRIORITIZE FAVORITE FOODS: Whether it’s pumpkin pie or your dad’s famous mashed potatoes, prioritize the special occasion foods & minimize not so special foods (i.e. the ones that your pushy aunt shoves in your face while telling you “you’re not eating enough”). Additionally, try to focus on manageable portion sizes of all foods, including the healthy ones so that you can honor your hunger and fullness cues to feel your best.
MAKE NON-FOOD PLANS: Turkey trots and jingle bell jogs, volunteering your time, walks with friends, family football games, movies and board games can help you take the focus to non-food activities.
SOME SIMPLE TIPS:
AVOID:
- Skipping meals throughout the day to help avoid overeating
- Large portions, even of healthy foods – there are so many different foods to try, if you keep your portions smaller, you will avoid mindless overeating
- Eating in front of the TV / Computer Screen / Cell Phone Screen
MAKE SURE TO:
- Use a smaller plate & start with veggies; deciding how many times you are going to fill up your plate ahead of time can help you stay on track
- Eat slowly and check in with your hunger – being mindful about how you are eating will help you feel well-nourished and make your meals more enjoyable
- Exercise! And focus on other non-food related activities – Try to take the holiday focus off food (as much as possible!)
- Give away your leftovers – having excessive food leftover that you feel like you must get through before it goes bad can lead to overeating. Give your untouched food to your doormen, your coworkers or a local charity.
About the Author
Ten years after completing her undergraduate degree in Marketing, Alicia Blittner became a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, earning her Masters in Nutrition Sciences at Hunter College in 2015. Through pursuing her passion for helping people eat healthier to feel their best, Alicia works at FreshDirect as an on-site Corporate Nutritionist and Employee Wellness program manager. In addition to encouraging others to live a healthy lifestyle, Alicia also loves to exercise, and aims to eat as wholesome and nutritiously as possibly at every meal and snack. Her favorite fruit is an Indian mango and her favorite vegetable is brussels sprouts.