These food celebrations paired with travel could be a recipe for disaster for your waistline. Try these tips to help you ring in the new year, feeling good about savoring the foods you love, and avoiding a few excess pounds.
1. Plan Ahead – begin thinking now about the foods that are non-negotiable. If it’s a special dish that only comes around once per year, prepare for it. This means, choosing wisely for what else shows up on your plate. Fill up on colorful veggies, and a lean meat to go with your favorite for a more balanced meal.
2. Don’t go to the party hungry – to maintain a steady blood sugar, eat meals as usual, and even enjoy a small healthy snack before you go to avoid overindulging. This will leave you with good energy to enjoy the real treat of the gathering, the social aspect.
3. Keep Moving – add physical activity on your calendar. How quickly our calendars fill up with family and social gatherings, but to have the energy for these events and all work that goes into them, we need to move our bodies regularly. This doesn’t have to mean marathons and heavy lifting. Set an alarm on your phone every two hours to get outside and move for 5 – 10 minutes. Published research supported by the American Heart Association supports these quick bursts of exercise to see positive shifts in our blood pressure, inflammatory response, insulin resistance, and overall health. Our mental health is also improved as just 35 minutes of physical activity a day has been shown to significantly reduce the odds of depression according to a research study conducted at the Harvard T.H, School of Public Health.
4. Plan for Snacks – With all the busy of the season, be sure you’re always equipped with water. Hydration is essential for maintaining good health, including improved brain performance, digestion, and energy. Having healthy snacks like nuts, air-popped popcorn, tuna pouches, or turkey jerky stashed in the car or in your bag may ward off an impromptu indulgence in sugar. Keeping blood sugar and mood regulated to finish your day strong.
Keep the focus on the memories you’re making, the traditions you’re beginning, and the reasons why you celebrate. When you focus less on the food, we become more focused on the fun.
Wishing you all a safe, healthy, and happy holiday season. If you are looking for healthy recipes, be sure to check out these recipes on Virgin Pulse.
