Halloween has swiftly passed, triggering all things “holiday”. While the beginning and end of the holiday season differ from person to person, one thing is pretty standard amongst all of those who celebrate throughout the holiday season: food.
Sharing meals with loved ones is an exceptional way to spend the holidays. Whether you are gathering around a table for Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas festivities, or the new year, food is the center piece; giving every reason to ditch dietary restrictions and simply indulge.
This is the epitome of a balanced lifestyle. Drinking wine, filling up on turkey and potatoes, going crazy over pie and all things sweet is a treat. Presuming that these are things that you don’t enjoy at a typical dinner throughout the year, indulging and enjoying during the holiday season is something that you should look forward to and enjoy alongside those that mean the most to you.
Unfortunately, adopting this mindset can be used to justify over indulging throughout the holiday season. If you treat yourself without gentle limitation from November to the New Year, chances are you will reverse the progress that you made in your health and fitness journey from the months leading up to November.
Lucky for you, with proper balance you can get the best of both worlds -- maintaining and even continuing to progress in your health and fitness while eating and drinking just like the holiday season begs you to do. Check out these ways to keep the holidays from hindering your health and fitness.
GIVE AND TAKE RULE
Imagine your health is the gas tank in your car. While a full tank is all the reason in the world to go out, explore and put miles on your vehicle, you have to keep an eye on your gas tank. Soon enough, you will be running on empty and you will have no choice but to fill up. So, just like your car, when you deplete from your body’s gas tank, fill it up with what you know it needs to run smoothly, whether that be sleep, a sweat session, or a full blown detox.
LISTEN TO YOUR BODY
Sometimes we want to eat and drink without limitation. Sometimes, we do so even when our bodies are telling us not to. It is okay to indulge -- especially during the holidays, but don’t stop listening to your body and respect it when it tells you that enough is enough!
HEALTHIER ALTERNATIVES
An amazing way to keep the holidays from hindering your health is to be proactive and find healthy alternatives. Switch out dairy products for non-dairy products or maybe trade out mashed potatoes for a light and buttery cauliflower mash! There are a million ways to incorporate healthier alternatives into your holiday meals without compromising your health or the traditional flavors that you love.
SAY NO TO GUILT
Eating good and in plenty around the holidays is something to cherish and absolutely nothing to feel guilty about. Before you have the glass of wine, go for a round of seconds, or savor a delicate dessert, tell yourself that you will not allow guilt to step in and ruin the moment. Feeling guilty is just that-- a feeling. Rid yourself of that toxic and unproductive mindset and enjoy the holidays knowing that tomorrow is a new day.
BE PROACTIVE
For many of us, the holiday season means a few things: carbs, carbs, and more carbs. From fluffy mashed potatoes and savory stuffing to mac and cheese and mouth-watering casseroles, carbohydrates make a true appearance at holiday meals. If you know that you will enjoy some of these warm and comforting foods at a planned meal, be proactive and take a supplement that contains a carb controller. Don’t know what this is? Check out Indulge, a patented carbohydrate controller that is clinically proven to reduce the digestion and absorption of starches by up to 66%.