Nutrition at the holidays – everyone’s favorite topic. Only kidding!
I’ll be honest with you, holiday parties used to scare me. I was nervous about staying healthy while surrounded day in and day out by rich or unhealthy foods. How can I stay accountable to my goals and on track during the holidays? My options were to limit the number of gatherings I intended, eat nothing, or exercise to atone for the food I would consume. Believe me, that is no way to live.
The main issue with the above approach is that I made holidays synonymous with food and drink consumption. The holidays are about family, friends, worship, celebration, joy, time away from work, gift-giving, and preparation for a new year. Do a lot of these things come with an abundance of food and drink? Yes, but simply a shift in mindset about the reason for the season takes pressure off of the food. You can lift your eyes up from the table and look at your surroundings. You have an option to fill your heart and soul
instead of your belly.
Before I give you the idea that I throw caution to the wind and gorge myself with whatever comes my way at the holidays, I want to remind you that feeling good is still very important to me. How can someone strike the balance of enjoying the traditions and treats while still treating their body in a way that it feels amazing? There is nothing worse than that unbutton-your-pants-may-not-be-able-to-move-
for-another-hour feeling.
Here are some tips to help you strike that balance and feel amazing:
1. Stay hydrated. Your routine may be different but hydration should stay consistent. Drink your water.
2. Move your body. As I mentioned in last week’s blog, you will make better decisions about how you feel overall if you stay in your routine of physical activity. Make the time.
3. Eat your regular diet before the gatherings. Don’t save the calories for the party. This prevents you from showing up hungry and losing control.
4. Make your plate and walk away from the food table. Sit down and savor the food. Do not hover around the food table and pick at what is there.
5. Eat the things that you love, not just because it is there. If chocolate cake is the only dessert option, and you don’t really like chocolate cake, forego dessert. That simple.
6. Pitch-in and bring a healthy option to share. People will be thankful!
7. Choose red wine or simple cocktails over things loaded with extra sugar. Also, alternate your cocktails with water.
8. Don’t eat as a distraction not to talk to Aunt Mildred. Talk to Aunt Mildred – she is actually pretty funny.
These simple strategies will help you enjoy the holidays to the fullest. Strategies to help you stay on track without feeling anxious about food and drink. If you find yourself focused on food, remind yourself what the holidays are all about. Lastly, the holiday doesn’t run every day from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Eve. Keep your holiday behaviors to the actual holiday and come New Year’s Day, you will feel amazing.
About Laura Burdick
Laura is the Director of Sales and Operations at The Hot Room. She also teaches Original Hot Yoga, Inferno Hot Pilates, Hot Power Sculpt and Hot Power Vinyasa. As a certified health coach, Laura leads all of The Hot Room wellness programs. To contact Laura directly about your wellness questions, you can email her at laura@thehotroom.com. You can also read more about Laura on her bio page.
