Healthy for the Holidays

The holidays are officially here! No matter what you celebrate, you are probably going to be surrounded (safely) around loved ones with lots of yummy things to eat! The holidays may look a little different this year, but one thing is for sure, we are going to have some moments of weakness where we want to over-indulge in some sugary and deep fried goodness. Which is totally fine, no one should ever guilt you into thinking you shouldn’t have some good food with your good times. These holiday tips will help you stay healthy for the holidays this year.

If you are trying to watch yourself this holiday season or have some newly developed food allergies, you might wanna keep reading to help guide you to stay healthy for the holidays and into the new year.

Your Health, Your Responsibility

Although we like to take the holidays as time to relax and not have to put much energy into things, we have to be concise about our health. For example, if you are someone like me with a few allergies and Type 1 diabetes, I need to be fully aware of what I am going to be eating or what I will be around.

If you are the one hosting, then you are probably in the clear. Nonetheless, if you are going somewhere else for dinner, then you might want to give the host a couple days in advance (the sooner the better!) to let them know that you have allergies or that you will be bringing your own things. That way if you do bring your own food, the host won’t be potentially offended that you didn’t enjoy their cooking! 😀

Let’s not forget that Christmas this year is going to be a bit different. We may not be able to have the usual big family gatherings AND THAT IS OK! We need to keep all our family members and loved ones safe. That means to stick to the health orders and rules in your area about gatherings. How about a zoom dinner to bring families together or a virtual wine night with friends instead of our usual ways of celebrating. The holiday health tips this year may be a bit different than what we are used to!

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Prioritize Portions

Portions are your friend!! Instead of focusing on how many carbs you are consuming, because let’s face it – that is the point of holiday food, but focus on portions. Instead of making yourself hurt from an overstuffed stomach, make sure you are listening to your body, enjoy the food at your own pace, and get a little bit of everything! I totally get wanting to get about 6 servings of grandma’s pumpkin pie, but always remember that leftovers are still a thing and most holiday food is better the next day, anyways. 😉

Healthy for the Holidays – Health is Wealth

Please don’t roll your eyes at this buuuut maybe offer to bring a healthy side dish for the family dinner. Are you done rolling your eyes yet? You and I both know that healthy doesn’t need to be a plain salad with no dressing, you can hop onto Pinterest (or ya know, look through all my deliciously healthy recipes here…) and find something that is both healthy and hearty! Even the pickiest eaters can’t resist my gluten free sweet potato gnocchi. I think the fam will thank you in the long run for some extra veggies so they don’t feel too guilty about all that cherry pie.

Depending on what kind of fam or friends you have, maybe you could even recommend that all of you go walking after dinner to look at the holiday lights or have a stroll through the local park so you can just enjoy the weather with those you love. If not, there is nothing wrong with recommending some backyard football to remind your cousins who the best cousin is (YOU).

If you aren’t able to get together with family, make sure you keep connected through the holidays. We all need the love and support of our loved ones during these challenging times.

Hit the Snooze Button & Drink Your Dang Water!

Make sure you are getting some sleep! Now more than ever is everyone needing a little extra pillow time. Sometimes I get a guilty feeling for sleeping in and I feel like I am behind in my day. But, if you don’t have any time commitments for the day, let yourself enjoy your bed and blanket for a few more minutes. You have my permission!

Also make sure you are drinking tons of water. Your sodium intake is probably going to go through the roof during this time, so make sure you are flushing out all of the bad stuff with water in your system. Water will also make everything easier to digest, make you full longer, and will help debloat your body after we’re being wheelbarrowed out of the house.

No matter how you are celebrating this year, take care of yourself and others around you. Be sure you are respecting people’s decisions during these difficult times as well as enjoying the time you have with the ones you love. Don’t feel guilty for indulging and letting yourself have a great time, okay? PROMISE?! Thank you. 🙂

Let me know if you have any other ideas that I should add here. I am sure you have other holiday health tips for staying healthy for the holidays, too.

Pin image credit; AlexMaster , FamVeld