Is it Even Possible to Be Healthy During the Holidays?

Have you ever been on a roll nutritionally, gaining momentum and improving your health, only to be derailed by the holiday season?

You know, that gauntlet of time between late November and January where it seems like delicious, and less than nutritious foods are literally following you around like an annoying little sister?

Or what about those other crazy times of life? (Yes, I know for some this is all times).

I am in a season right now where we are preparing to adopt 1-year old twins, navigating the holidays, and of course living normal life. Translation: Crazy Town.

Today’s post...a few tips that have worked for me to help you out during the holiday season (or any time where life feels like a whirlwind).

Tip 1: Make it a game - Ask yourself, “How can I improve this meal, just a little?” At a party, make your “main course” the healthiest food you see. Let the other foods be your sides.

Tip 2: Make the meals you can control optimal - Know you have a dinner party with less than optimal choices? Make breakfast and lunch that day as healthy as possible.

Tip 3: Have a plan of attack - Before you step foot into a situation where overeating or poor eating is likely, plan it out. Even more powerful, write it down. “I eat 1 brownie at the party tonight, not 21.”

Tip 4: Keep your exercise habit alive - It’s ok to suck, it’s not ok to skip. Do some exercise, even if it doesn’t even feel like exercise. Take a walk, do a 5 minute body-weight circuit of push ups, squats, or whatever other exercises sound fun. Just do something. Keep the habit alive.

Tip 5: Stop the spiral - For many, it's not the meal at the party, it's the compound effect after the meal. Eating unhealthy once..ok. Eating leftovers of that same unhealthy meal for weeks...probably not ok. Or even more dangerous..well I had one bad day..screw it...let's have a bad week, month, or year. Be aware of this, and stop the spiral in its tracks.

Tip 6: Let it be ok - First, let yourself enjoy the holidays. Think 80/20. Inevitably, for most of us, there will be moments where we are unhappy with how we ate. This is the crucial moment. Beating yourself begins an unhealthy eating cycle. Letting it be ok, accepting it with self compassion, and deciding to simply start again stops the downward spiral in its tracks and begins a new upward one.

These tips, more than anything, create an awareness of what you are eating. A simple formula for better eating in crazy times...

Increased Awareness = Increased Success

For some other helpful holiday eating tips, check out this article by Precision Nutrition.

So, let’s enjoy the holidays, being ok with imperfection, and increasing our awareness of the foods we are putting into our bodies...one-minute at a time.