6 Tips For Healthy Choices During The Holidays

Yay!! It’s here. I feel like all year long I am just waiting for the holidays! I love everything about this time of year: the cooler weather, time spent with family and friends AND the FOOD! It truly is the best time of the year for me and every year I try to savor it the best I can.

As much excitement as this time of year brings, we can admit that sometimes it also comes with a little fear or anxiety about all the food. Or actually, it’s really fear or anxiety about whether we will have enough self-control during the holidays around all the food, right?

Well, hopefully, I can help free your thoughts from that. First of all, be free this holiday season. Don’t let thoughts about food (whether it’s to eat or not to eat) distract you from being fully present and “all in” with your family and friends. Enjoy every moment and if one must distract you from the other, let it be the other way around. Food is a great part of this holiday season, but it’s such a small part compared to all the joy and togetherness we get to experience.

Balance is a beautiful thing and I believe we can still hold it during the holidays. Here are a few tips keeping balance during the holidays.

1. Don’t skip your workouts. Do your very best to make exercise a priority this holiday season, not an after-thought. Not only will you feel better physically, but you will feel better mentally and emotionally. If it has to be the first thing you do in the morning before all the crazy happens in the day, wake up a little earlier and get it in! Your mind and body will thank you.
2. Choose water over soda or other beverages. With all the carbs and sugars you will already be inevitably consuming, there’s no need to wash it all down with even more carbs and sugars. Drink more water too, it will help you feel more full and stay hydrated.
3. Balance your macros and eat more protein. Macros is short for macronutrients and it represents your proteins, carbs and fats. In our American society, a typical meal is often loaded in carbs and fats and includes a little bit of protein. A balanced macronutrient meal is usually 35% carbs, 25% fats and 40% protein. Now, I’m not saying to go hyper-intense and count everything, but, while we all love the rolls and mashed potatoes and mac n cheese and tortillas and arroz and everything else, make an effort to add more protein to your plate and eat that first so you can fill up on the “good for you” stuff first. I talk more about counting macros in my post My Fitness Journey.
4. Choose active activities. Take your pups for a walk after your meal or take your fam out for a little walk, haha. Try to find ways to move around instead of just sitting on the couch the rest of the day.
5. Don’t overeat; if you’re full, just stay full. The food will still be there later. Actually, if you’re in my family, it probably won’t lol. The point is, don’t keep eating if you’re already full. Sounds like a “duh” point, but we all know we don’t always do that.
6. Don’t beat yourself up about enjoying the holiday food. You will probably eat more calories than you should and indulge here and that’s fine. Enjoy it. Eat the pie and don’t think about it afterward because after all, you are with family and friends having a good time.

We pray you have the absolute best time with your family and friends! Live in freedom and love your loved ones from there.