4 Healthy Eating Tips this Holiday Season

With the Holiday Season upon us, we all know what that means, FOOD! And a lot of it. If you aren’t stuffing your face all day, than are you really doing the holidays right? Although we love the holiday season, with it comes the temptation to over eat. With all of the food, booze, and dessert to be eaten, here are some ways to make sure you don’t overdo it!

1. Drink plenty of water with your meals. 

Drinking water before you eat will help you feel more full, preventing you from being able to eat that extra scoop of stuffing. Drinking water during or even after you eat will also help aid in digestion by breaking down your food so your body can absorb the nutrients. And if you are anything like my family, water will keep you hydrated throughout the day so you don’t wake up from that food coma with a hangover too.

2. Replace simple carbs with complex carbs. 

Simple carbs are sugars and are usually highly processed. These carbs give you the satisfaction of being full for only a short period of time and contain little nutritional value. Some examples of these are white bread, soda, sweets, and juice.  Complex carbs are high in fiber and digest more slowly. This also makes them more filling, which means they’re a good option for weight control. Some complex carbs you might see on the dinner table are whole wheat bread, beans, and fiber rich veggies. 

If your family is anything like mine, they probably have never heard of complex carbs. If that is the case, offer to bring a side dish this year that is not only healthier, but also delicious! 

3. Exercise the morning of. 

Since you know you are going to be eating a lot over the holidays, what is better than giving yourself a little bit of room to work with! Go out and get some exercise the morning before your holiday feasts. If the weather is nice, go for a run or do one of our HIIT workouts. These can be done from anywhere (inside or outside). Not only will you burn some extra calories, but working out has been proven to make you feel less hungry throughout the day.

4. Enjoy the day.

 When it comes down to it, the holidays are about being with family and eating good food. Maybe you planned on this time of the year to be your last cheat day(s) until the new year. Just don’t stress out about the number of calories you consume on during this time. It’s always a good idea to be mindful of what you are putting in your body, but a couple of days will not ruin your progress.

Conclusion

Remember these 4 Healthy Eating Tips this holiday season and enjoy the time with friends, family, and time off from work. It has been one heck of a year and I think you owe it to yourself to end 2020 on a positive note.