Holidays gone Healthy-ish

Les fêtes en mode green

Well, kind of.

It’s the season of family and friendly gatherings and indulgences (maybe over indulging). And while there’s no harm in sampling throughout dinners and festivities, maintaining a healthy spirit is always key. There are a few essential tips that make diving into the holidays a bit more healthful, leaving us more sane, lean and feeling better.

New Years is practically around the corner. Don’t save your goals for January 1st, start now gradually. You won’t gain 15 pounds over the holiday season, so take it easy, treat yourself, exercise and take it all in in moderation!

1. Don’t pig out to impress the host. There are different people with different tastes, so don’t feel the need to dig into every single dish.

2. Focus on the fun and company, not only on the food. Enjoy your surroundings and catch up with loved ones, instead of hovering over the cookie platter for hours…(although a mix of the two is always fun!)

3. Go for the special treats. You can have excellent pasta any time of year, but your aunt’s special homemade pie? That’s worth the splurge, it only comes around on certain occasions!

4. Find healthy alternatives. Cut calories when you can. Craving some creamy goat cheese? Lather it on a whole wheat cracker instead of a white piece of bread, anything counts!

5. Balance. It’s okay to be a bit lax around the holidays, but taking the time to exercise is a great help. If you go for a jog and cheat here and there, you won’t beat yourself up as much as if you skipped the work out.

6. Watch the liquor. Nobody wants to be that person sipping Perrier in the corner, so offer healthy mixers and cocktails, like flavored sparkling water and wine, instead of sugary juices and sodas.

7. Focus on intake. Resist the urge to keep piling up your plate with different goods. Serve yourself once and make it worth it, so you don’t have to keep adding servings.

By Alexis Bendjouia

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  1. Sylvia says:

    Sounds great, will try to stick to this plan!!