Holiday Healthy Eating

-
Image result for holiday eating
Food is such an important part of the Holiday Season. Let's be honest, it is the BEST part! It brings families together and is a part of family tradition and culture. From Thanksgiving to New Years, many people struggle to maintain their weight. This could be for lots of reasons such as tempting treats, emotional overeating, or in anticipation of the "New Year New Me" mentality that will start January 1st. Here are some tips to help enjoy the holidays without unnecessarily avoiding festivities for fear of weight gain!

1. Don't forget about exercise
Try to be physically active daily for at least 20 minutes. It doesn't even have to be consecutive! The AHA recommends adults are physically active for 150 minutes/week. This can help release stress, maintain regular appetite, and allows you to stay in a regular routine throughout the busyness.

2. Make your plate colorful
Incorporate plenty of fruits and vegetables on your plate! Fruits and vegetables have micronutrients and fiber that your body needs to keep going! Remember MyPlate throughout the day to make sure you are getting all the necessary food groups.

3. Substitute while baking
Experiment in the kitchen by replacing oil with applesauce. Reducing the amount of sugar in recipes and add cinnamon, nutmeg, or allspice to add more flavor! Try non-fat Greek Yogurt
instead of sour cream. There are many other options on Pinterest!

4. It isn't all about the food
Enjoy time with friends and family over the Holidays and don't obsess about the food! This is supposed to be a joyous time and overeating once will not cause weight gain. Just remember balance and moderation and that there are no "good" or "bad" foods.

5. Choose beverages wisely
Alcohol, Egg Nog, Pumpkin Spice Lattes, soda, fruit punch, etc. should be consumed in moderation throughout the Holiday season. Limit alcohol to 1-2 drinks per occasion. US Dietary Guidelines recommendation is one drink/day for women and two drinks/day for men!

6. Don't go to parties hungry
It is not a good idea to go to a Holiday party without eating all day. When you are ravenous, it is easy to overeat and your craving for high fat, high sugar foods increases. Eat regularly
throughout the day to avoid overeating.

7. Ditch the "New Year New Me" diet!
Planning a diet and new exercise plan sets you up to overeat throughout the Holidays. Also, in the end, dieting is not sustainable and slows your metabolism, which eventually leads to weight regain (sometimes more weight than you lost). Instead choose to make mindful, intuitive choices that nourish your body all year!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Are All Sugars Created Equal?

-
Image
Are All Sugars Created Equal?  I think one of the most confusing nutrition topics for people is sugar. With so many conflicting stories out there, it’s difficult to separate the facts from the fiction. Not to mention, the types of sugars are endless. How do we know what’s best for our bodies? White or brown sugar? Cane or raw? Should we just go with Stevia instead? Is it even okay to consume artificial sweeteners? Should we avoid foods with high amounts of natural sugar in them? Each answer only seems to lead to another question!  Let’s start off with distinguishing the purpose of sugar in the first place. Do our bodies even need it? The short answer is yes! Sugars are carbohydrates (what we commonly call “carbs”), one of the three main macronutrients that our bodies need for fuel to function and survive. One of the major ways to categorize sugar is by separating the “natural” sugars from the “added” sugars. Natural sugars are, well, naturally found in foods. They give us the energy th
Read more

Do you struggle with pre and post exercise nutrition?

-
Image
What should i eat before and after a workout? First things first…carbohydrates, proteins and fats are important for the body before  and after exercise. Exercising muscle preferentially uses carbohydrates from stored glycogen, but fats are also an important fuel source for energy production during exercise. Fats and carbohydrates are the two major fuel sources during exercise. Fats must be translocated and broken down from their storage form before they are used. Typically there is enough carbohydrate stored as muscle glycogen for exercise but as muscle glycogen stores decline, the skeletal muscle will then use some amino acids (basic components of all protein). More specifically, the amino acid leucine is used for energy.              It is important to consume an adequate amount of carbohydrates exercise to delay fatigue and minimize gastrointestinal distress. It is also important to consume enough fluids to prevent hypohydration. Now, lets talk about pre-exercise me
Read more