How to Have a Healthy Holiday Season

The holiday season is a time to be with your loved ones and celebrate traditions. It’s also typically a time where your normal routine may get a little derailed due to holiday parties, “Friendsgivings,” and an overall busier schedule. How are you supposed to stay healthy when you have shopping to do, cookies to bake, and gatherings to attend?

The good news is that you don’t need to give up your favorite holiday dish or skip out on the work party to stay healthy during the holidays! Check out the tips below for how you can still enjoy the holiday season guilt-free.

Prioritize Movement

Your schedule is probably a little busier than usual during the holidays. It may be more difficult to find time to get to the gym or adhere to your normal workout schedule. That’s okay! Rather than focusing on trying to do your usual program perfectly, focus on simply getting movement in throughout the day. This could include throwing around a football with your friends, doing a Les Mills class on your Motivation Alliance app at home when you have a moment to yourself, and going for a walk with the family after dinner.

Eat Mindfully

You don’t need to ignore the dessert table to stay healthy during the holidays! You can still enjoy your favorite foods. Some tips:

Focus on enjoying your food (i.e., avoid eating mindlessly while on your phone) and recognize when you’re full. Remember, there are always leftovers!
If you’re going to drink, make sure it’s in moderation.
If you’re going to a potluck, consider bringing a more nutritious dish! This could be a vegetable tray, salad, or perhaps a fruit platter. Not sure what to bring? Check the Motivation Alliance recipe library for ideas!
Don’t show up to a gathering starving. Instead, make sure you’re still eating meals throughout the day and consider eating a high protein snack before heading to your party. This way, you can decide what you really want to eat and how hungry you are versus piling on your plate because it’s been hours since you ate.

Don’t Forget the Basics!

It’s still important to stay hydrated and get enough sleep. Make sure you’re drinking enough water throughout the day. If you plan to drink alcohol, drink a glass of water in between drinks. Make sure you’re also getting plenty of sleep. Lack of sleep can affect your appetite and make it harder to manage to certain conditions like Type 2 diabetes.

Balance is Key

Ultimately, balance is key! As always, it’s important to prioritize your wellbeing – but this should NOT prevent you from enjoying the holidays! Life is all about balance and your priority should be to making memories with your loved ones – just sprinkle in some healthier habits where you can.

Don’t Feel Guilty

Lastly, don’t feel guilty if things don’t go as planned. You may overindulge one day or find yourself watching holiday movies on the couch all day during a snowstorm. That’s okay! The holidays are a special time – enjoy the change in pace and try adding a few healthier decisions tomorrow.

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‌Disclaimer

We want you to be well and to live your best life. The content in this blog is provided for the purposes to educate and entertain you: our very important reader. It is not intended as medical advice or as a substitute for medical advice from a trained healthcare professional.

If you have a medical condition or are under the care of a medical provider, please always seek the advice of a qualified medical professional before undertaking a new health care regimen. To that point, never disregard medical advice or delay treatment for a medical condition because of something you read on this site.

Listen to your care providers as they know you and your condition best. Thank you for reading!

The Team at BSDI