Healthy happy holidays

It’s the most exciting season of the year. Christmas is just around the corner. How many Christmas parties do you plan to attend this year? I don’t know about you but I won’t pass the opportunity to enjoy delicious Christmas dishes and goodies after eating healthy for the past 11 months. However, I wouldn’t want to have a Santa belly after the holidays are over. Are you thinking what I’m thinking? Let me share some practical tips on how to have a guilt-free holiday.

BE REALISTIC. This is not the right time to start a weight loss program or go on a strict diet. Christmas only comes once a year so don’t be a killjoy. Don’t deprive yourself. Please don’t get me wrong. I don’t mean you should go overboard and forget healthy eating habits. Aim to just maintain your current weight whether you are overweight or not.

BALANCE what you eat during the day and during the party. Load up on fiber like fresh fruits, smoothies, salads, multi grain cereal, oatmeal, granola bar and non-fat dairy products like milk and yogurt throughout the day and just before going to a party. Fiber is best paired with water to make it expand and make you feel fuller.

DON’T DRINK YOUR CALORIES. Alcoholic beverages, soda, chocolate drinks and the like are calorie laden. A serving or less per day throughout this season will help you limit the amount of calories you consume. Go for water, sparkling water, sugar-free soda, teas, small servings of chocolate drinks and alcoholic beverages.

ENJOY THE PARTY AWAY FROM THE BUFFET TABLE. Parties are not just about the food. It’s about socializing and meeting people. Go around and greet your friends the moment you arrive instead of heading straight for the buffet table. Talking is zero calorie.

PRACTICE PORTION CONTROL by going around the buffet table first to check out the food choices and decide on what you really want to have. Take small servings to be able to sample each and every food you wish to taste. Take time to properly chew your food and drink lots of water in between. As I said, we shouldn’t deprive ourselves but we should eat in moderation so as not to gain weight.

STOP WHEN YOU’RE FULL. Don’t wait until you feel like your tummy’s going to explode before you stop eating. Trust me the feeling is awful. If you’ve eaten until you’re satisfied, stop! There will be more parties to go to this month. Besides, you ladies wouldn’t want to see bulges on your lovely and shapely dresses now would you?

KEEP MOVING to burn excess calories. I understand that days off from work are best spent catching on sleep or doing sedentary activities but with so much time on your hands, you can surely spare at least 10 minutes at a time to do brisk walking, use that treadmill that you bought ages ago, bring out the interactive video games, do household chores, play sports with your kids or follow online video exercises. Make the most out of your free time. Set the time to do a physical activity everyday and stick to it. Encourage your family or friends to exercise with you. It’s going to be more fun!

Enjoy the healthy happy holidays!

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