Healthy tips for staying on track during the holidays

The holiday season can seem daunting for those that one to stay on the healthy side of living, but it doesn’t have to be. With holiday parties, family get-togethers, and everything in between, a cascade of emotions can cause a tidal wave of choices that may leave you feeling upset and in some cases sick from over indulgence. That’s not to say one can’t have fun during the holiday season. However, staying on track with your health goals can get you one step closer to your optimal health, and in control of your health care choices.

Below are some helpful tips that I and others have used to stay on track with healthy lifestyle choices during the holiday season.

mindset is key

I know it may seem weird, but giving yourself a pep talk prior to the holiday season can be very beneficial. Reminding yourself as to why you’re eating the way you are, or exercising the way you do, and making certain choices to further your health goals can be a very useful tool. Changing your lifestyle habits requires a change in mindset. Of course, it doesn’t all happen over night, but as your mindset changes so do your overall choices when it comes to the holidays.

Take for instance drinking at the holidays. I used to enjoy partaking in alcohol during the holiday season. However, when I had my own lifestyle change and attempted to partake in a dinner drink, I ended up paying for it later with not feeling well. I realized that if I wanted to stay in the status I had come to love and enjoy, I would have to relinquish drinking alcohol all together. And for me, I just told myself that with each sip of the drink I was poisoning myself and would feel awful later on that evening. And that worked for me. So figuring out how to change your mindset about what you put into your body, as well as its affects on your body can be a game-changer.

Plan, plan, plan

Real estate agents will always tell you that it’s ‘location, location, location’. Well, for healthy eating during the holidays it really comes down to plan, plan, plan. Making a game plan will take out any uncertainty in what you’ll be doing and leaves for less on the spot decision making, which could lead to a snowball effect. So, if you know you’re going to be attending a holiday party, plan on what you’ll be eating that day prior to the event, as well as what you may be eating during that event. Taking your own dish that fits with your eating-style is a great way to ensure you’ll be eating something that is “you approved”. Another option is to find out what’s on the menu for the event. If you know what some of the main dishes are, you can make a plan of what is going to be going on your plate before you even get there.

move around you’ll feel better

My grandmother used to tell us to “get up move around and you’ll feel better” when we didn’t always feel well. And I’ve got to hand it to her, she was right. Did you know that taking a walk after your meals can lessen your glucose spike in your blood? It’s true. Exercise, particularly walking, can be a great asset to you during the holiday festivities. It’s something you can do pretty much anywhere and it will help lessen spikes in blood sugar, as well as increase your body’s energy. Not to mention that it will help along the digestive process.

make your plate a pie chart

Okay, so you’re at your friend’s party and you’ve been doing good resisting some of the appetizers, but now it’s time for the main event. What can you do? Look at your plate like a pie chart or graph and divide it up so that at least 80 percent of your plate is filled with more wholesome food like meat, fruits, and vegetables and leave the other 20 percent for the slight indulgences. Of course, you can always change the ratio depending on your health goals and needs. The 80/20 rule seems to work pretty well for most people. And it’s just something to keep in mind during the holidays.

find your way to de-stress

For some stress management may be the hardest part of the holiday season. Many times the stress leads to the over indulgences. In our everyday lives, we may not always see how stress plays its part in our lifestyle choices, but it certainly does. It isn’t much different during the holidays other than the fact it may be more amplified due to the season. This is where finding a method of de-stressing yourself is important. A form of stress management for you may be doing meditation, getting into nature, taking a walk or exercise, or it could be just sitting and listening to the birds sing. It is different for everyone, but finding the best way it works for you is imperative. So, when your making your plan for the holidays, try to schedule in some time to manage those stressful situations with what works best for you.

get restful sleep

Sleep is so important for us to live healthy lives. Did you know that losing just a few hours of sleep in one night can increase your carbohydrate cravings the next day? It’s true. And not only can it lead to those carb cravings, but many times it increases the portion sizes of those carb cravings because your body is looking for the energy it didn’t gain with the lost sleep. Try to plan (oops, there’s that word again) on getting at least 7-8 hours of restful sleep every night.

You’ve got this

Although it may seem daunting and in some instances impossible, getting through the holidays still on track with your health goals is completely possible. It just takes some planning and the most important thing, consistency. If you remain consistent to your normal baseline of what you do, you will stay on track with what you’ve set out to do for your health goals. Consistency is the best tool in your box to get you to where you want to be. Keep consistency without too much of a veering off course can get you through the holidays unscathed. And of course, it’s always great to have a health coach in your corner that you can work with to set up that plan prior to your holiday events. But don’t lose heart because in the end you’ve got this!