Healthy
Holiday Habits
By
Stephanie Wheler, Something Nutrishus Counselling & Coaching
From the Saskatoon Women's Network Newsletter, December - January 2012
For
many people the holiday season means lots of family, friends, fun, and
FOOD! We can probably all easily
identify a favourite or traditional holiday food that we enjoy and look forward
to. This holiday season, don’t deprive
yourself of your favourites, enjoy them with my three favourite words –
VARIETY, MODERATION, and BALANCE.
I
love Christmas baking, our traditional Christmas morning cinnamon buns, and a
turkey dinner to top it all off. These
foods can fit into your holiday festivities; it just takes some planning and
preparation. You can think about having
a calorie budget for the day, so make sure you spend your calories wisely. Many people feel that they need to deprive
themselves of their favourites, but this often leads to an over-indulgence of
that item later on or of other foods as we try to mask our craving. How can you make your favourite treats fit?
Stick to your routine
Eat
regular meals and snacks to keep your blood sugar and cravings under
control. If you’re skipping meals you
may end up losing control when you see a table full of food. You can also try eating a light, healthy meal
before going to a holiday event to help you have control over your
choices.
Be selective
Certain
foods might only come out certain times of the year for you, so this is a good
time to enjoy those treats. Skip the
familiar foods in order to keep your calorie intake in check and have room for
the special foods. Once you have what
you want, make sure you remove yourself from temptation; don’t set up camp at
the dessert table.
Find other ways to
socialize
Start
a new tradition that involves an activity such as walking, skating, skiing or a
hockey game to help you burn off some of those calories, but also to get away
from the house full of food.
Make the occasional
swap
Choose
raw veggies and dip or shrimp and cocktail sauce instead of fried
appetizers. Try club soda with lime
rather that your normal soda.
Control your portions
Often
just a taste can satisfy curiosity. If
something comes in a larger portion, feel free to share it with someone, but
also remember that you aren’t part of the ‘clean plate club’ and it’s okay to
not finish what you took.
Be
realistic with yourself and your goals.
The holiday season is only a small part of the year. It’s important to think about the food
choices you’re making between New Year’s and Christmas, not just to worry and
feel guilty about the choices between Christmas and New Year’s!
Happy
Eating!
