The holiday season always starts simple with a few bites of cookie dough while cooking and getting ready for thanksgiving. Next thing you know you have eaten 10 cookies and thanksgiving isn’t even here yet, maybe not in one setting but over the course of the week. Oh wait, that was me. Then comes thanksgiving where we all end up taking bites of everything and having more dessert. Next there are leftovers, then holiday parties with more desserts. Holiday events replace working out. Alcohol often replaces water. Parties replace sleep. And then here comes Xmas/Hanukkah followed by New Years Eve. Those few cookie bites in mid-November has now turned into nearly a two month binge. No wonder when you get your labs done in January the sugars are high, your cholesterol is high and you feel swollen, have more headaches, joints hurt and have gained 10 pounds. Let’s do things differently this year.
READ ON for 5 tips to tackle the holidays a little differently….
- Follow the 80/20 rule. The idea of having to avoid all sweets just backfires and you end up overindulging. Eat right 80% of the time and indulge 20% of the time.
- Don’t skip meals prior to an event. Eat something healthy before you go so you are not going to be as tempted to overeat.
- When you have a cheat day, don’t keep cheating the next day. Don’t make it a cheat week. That’s when you wake up two months later, ten pounds heavier.
- Take a walk after overeating. You don’t need to hit the gym and get your heart rate up. Just get moving within 30 minutes after eating. This makes a big difference in bringing your sugars down.
- Don’t forget to eat healthy foods when you can, stay hydrated, have non-alcohol days and sleep!
I hope you all have a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving next week. I will catch up with you after!
To your health,
Laura
