By Brenna Meyer, Senior Nutrition and Dietetics Student at Viterbo University, La Crosse, WI
It is definitely the most wonderful time of the year. Poinsettias are adding beautiful color, Christmas trees are being decorated with ornaments, and snowflakes are covering the outdoors. While there is a lot of excitement around this time of year, there can also be concerns about staying healthy throughout the holidays. To help, here are 8 tips to a healthy holiday season:
1. Eat intuitively
Delicious food is all around this time of year! Instead of restricting food, eat intuitively! As defined by Be Nourished.com, an intuitive eater is someone “who makes food choices without experiencing guilt or an ethical dilemma, honors hunger, respects fullness and enjoys the pleasure of eating.” Intuitive eating involves being in tune with one’s hunger and fullness signals and eating when hungry and stopping when full.
2. The slower the better
It takes about 20 minutes for one’s body to know it is full. By being in tune while eating and consuming food slowly, individuals can avoid overeating. Plus, eating slowly allows time to really enjoy the tasty food!
3. Focus on fruits and vegetables
According to the 2015-2020 U. S. Dietary Guidelines, about three-fourths of the population does not eat enough fruits and vegetables. It is recommended that people on a 2,000-calorie diet consume at least 2 cups of fruit and 2 ½ cups of vegetables per day. An easy way to make sure you are consuming enough fruits and vegetables is to have a quarter of your plate filled with fruits and another quarter filled with vegetables at every meal.
4. Keep desserts in count
Desserts are delicious, but can contribute a lot of added sugar and calories to a person’s diet. Decreasing the number of desserts can be helpful because less additional sugar and calories will be consumed. Also, eating slowly and “mindfully” can promote a sense of satisfaction and enjoyment of every bite of that festive dessert.
5. Activate your activity
Even though it is cold outside, getting adequate activity does not need to slow down. Exercising at a local gym, walking outside, or even strolling through the mall are beneficial ways to stay in shape this holiday season.
6. Bring the best
Sometimes healthy food options are not served at holiday gatherings. No worries, though! Plan on bringing a healthy item to get-togethers. This way, you know that there will be a healthy option for you and others to enjoy.
7. Use SMART goals when making New Year’s resolutions
SMART goals can help people remain committed to their New Year’s Resolutions because they are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely. For example, instead of saying “I want to exercise more next year,” try using a SMART goal such as “I want to exercise 2 times per week for the next 3 months.”
8. Enjoy!
Holidays are a wonderful time to celebrate and spend time with family and friends. By enjoying every family get-together and celebration, people can be more thankful for what they have and enjoy the “now”.
Hopefully these tips help ease any concerns about staying healthy over the holidays and best wishes for a wonderful time of the year!
Brenna Meyer is from Winona, MN and a Senior Nutrition and Dietetics Student at Viterbo University, La Crosse, WI
“A realistic approach is to maintain weight versus gain during the holidays”
