5 Healthy Eating Strategies That Will Save You During The Holidays
The Christmas and New Year holidays are a highly anticipated time for many people around the world. They involve lots of cheer, good times and, of course, hearty meals. These delicious traditional festive dishes are what brings everyone together. And, getting together with family and friends for a meal during the holidays implies trying all of these dishes. In most cases, this means one thing and one thing only – serious overeating. If you are trying to control how much you eat and be mindful, holiday meals can be the enemy of your success. The end of the year brings a lot of days when you are mostly sitting down inside, which makes preventing overeating even harder. When it comes to a long string of holiday days filled with delicious dishes, things can get hard. But, don’t get discouraged because we are here to help you! In this article, we will show you some healthy eating strategies that will help you during the winter holidays!
If you want to enjoy your holidays properly, adopt some of these healthy eating strategies
Healthy Eating Strategies To Practice During The Holidays
#Set realistic goals
Restricting yourself too much from holiday meals can be stressful, difficult to accomplish, and not enjoyable. Instead of torturing yourself, just set some important goals to follow. The likelihood of being around tempting foods is high. So be moderate. Don’t binge on large portions, but make sure to try everything you want! Choose smaller containers that are easy to fill without feeling like you are depriving yourself too much. Don’t eliminate whole food groups. Think about balance. For example, instead of eating three slices of a homemade cake, take your time enjoying just one. Instead of munching on chocolate sweets mindlessly, save yourself a couple for after dinner. And, most importantly, instead of drinking multiple alcoholic drinks, choose just one and take your time enjoying each glass. Nevertheless, you can completely skip alcohol during the holidays!
Restricting yourself too much from holiday meals can be stressful
Instead of munching on chocolate sweets mindlessly, save yourself a couple for after dinner
Instead of drinking multiple alcoholic drinks, take your time enjoying each glass
#Eat slowly
When you sit down at the table, it is tempting to have a bite of everything and lots of it. Holiday meals are so delicious and flavorful that it is hard to resist. It is important to force yourself to eat as slowly as possible. That way you will feel full in time and know when to stop. Once again, it is important to stress that it is advisable to eat mindfully. Allow yourself time between trying, talk to your family and friends, take bigger breaks between bites. Chew your food well.
When you sit down at the table, it is tempting to have a bite of everything and lots of it
It is important to eat as slowly as possible and try to be mindful
#Serve yourself
A good strategy to prevent holiday overeating is to serve yourself. This way, you will be in control of which dish and how much you pour on your plate. Choose larger portions of vegetables and protein and smaller portions of all the other heavier and more calorie-dense foods on the table. Serving yourself is the best way to control what and how much you eat.
A good strategy to prevent holiday overeating is to serve yourself
#Eat mindfully
Mindful and conscious eating is very important to prevent overeating. Avoid getting distracted and eating without feeling like it, because this can cause you to ingest more calories than necessary and feel very heavy. Pay attention to the taste and smell of your food. Enjoy it slowly. Use all your senses, and enjoy every bite.
Mindful and conscious eating is very important to prevent overeating
#Force yourself to eat intuitively
Conscious and intuitive eating are two different things. Both are equally important. As important as it is to eat mindfully and pay attention to your nutrition without overeating, it is equally important to be intuitive and listen to your body. When you feel like you are about to overindulge, stop and give yourself time. Listen to your body and pay attention to the signals it sends you. Be mindful in terms of what foods you tolerate better and which you should limit.
Listen to your body and pay attention to the signals it sends you
When you feel like you are about to overindulge, stop and give yourself time
Now you know how to practice healthy eating during the holidays. If you follow this advice, you will be able to listen to your needs and choose what you eat more mindfully. Remember not to restrict yourself. Just seek the balance!
Now you know the most healthy eating strategies to practice during the holidays!
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