The cold wintery weather is returning. The holidays are upon us. It is the season of FOOD. Now comes the balancing act of enjoying holidays, indulging, but hopefully not putting on the holidays pounds only to resolve to lose them come January. Sound familiar? Here are some strategies that might help over the next few weeks:
- Fill up on the healthy stuff first. Eat your salad, veggies and lean meats before partaking in starches and dairy items.
- Pass on the bread basket. Bread items are added carbs/sugars that you could be enjoying in your dessert instead.
- Chew slower – you’ll feel fuller on less food! Go one step further and try putting your fork down between every bite to pace yourself. (I know that when I became a mother eating as fast as possible became a parenting strategy that years later I unnecessarily continued.)
- Say no to seconds. And remember, portion control is everything!
- Say yes to dessert, but only the dessert that makes you really happy. For example, if you’re not a cookie fanatic, pass on the office cookie tin today. But when your favorite cheesecake presents itself, indulge yourself with a small piece. Skip the sweets that aren’t your favorite and wait for that perfect, favorite treat!
- Go for a walk! Just a simple 30 minutes of walking per day can really improve issues with processing sugars and boost your metabolism.
- Try intermittent fasting. Or at the very least strive to put at least 12 hours between your dinner the night before and your breakfast in the morning. This eliminates night time snacking and allows you to sleep better too!
- Going to a party? Bring a fruit or veggie tray along for the table. Then you are assured that there will be a snack available that won’t throw you off course.
- Consider putting a diet plan in place over the holidays to create boundaries for yourself. This might be a beneficial strategy depending on your personality type and relationship with food. A good diet plan might be limiting your sugar intake to say 60g of sugar per day or going totally “paleo” in your eating plan to limit your sugar.
- If all else fails, know that you can have a chance at a fresh start in January. And we’re here to help with a 10 day Re-boot your system cleanse. There are two new cleanse kits to choose from: busting your sugar addiction or a formula for reducing inflammation. You can get info at the front desk now or come to the informational meeting on January 5th.