OK, no one wants to diet during the holidays. But it is possible to enjoy your favorite foods almost without guilt. Here are 5 easy holiday diet rules that will help you enjoy your holidays while maintaining a ‘holiday diet.’
Holiday Diet Rule Number 1: Eat Lots Of Vegetables
Eat lots of vegetables and salads as this will help you create a balance with the not-so-healthy foods. Dress your salads with olive oil, salt, lemon, a few herbs and spices of your choice. The simpler the dressing the better it is for you. No sugar and no commercial salad dressing, please! According to Dr. Kessler, as featured in the Washington Post, the combination of sugar, salt and fat in regular dressings hijacks our brain and makes us eat more than we should.
Holiday Diet Rule Number 2: Drink Lots of Water
Not coffee, not soft drinks, but water. Water not only hydrates the body, it also helps flush the system of substances that the body rejects, such as artificial flavors, colors, corn syrup and food additives. Plus, you will consume less alcohol and therefore fewer calories if you are well hydrated.
Holiday Diet Rule Number 3: Eat Healthy Fats
Healthy fats help you stay slim. Healthy fats send a signal to your brain: “I am satisfied.” Some of these healthy fats are coconut oil, avocado, organic peanut butter and almond butter. If you eat these healthy fats early in the day, they will help you control your cravings later. You can also easily add these fats to your breakfast smoothie. In addition, good fats promote deeper and healthier sleep, so you will be more happy and rested the next morning. See more on sleep below.
Holiday Diet Rule Number 4: Sleep
When you don’t sleep enough you most certainly eat more, you are also more cranky and less happy. You need good sleep so your body can regenerate and provide you with energy, so you don’t crave extra calories. Restful sleep also makes you happy, so you don’t need look for comfort in additional calories.
Holiday Diet Rule Number 5: Get Some Exercise
Most likely you won’t be able to get the same level of exercise during the holidays as usual, but you can do something. You can still go for a run or a long walk even if you are away from home. If you like going to the gym, you can find one almost anywhere, you just have to be determined. A little something is so much better than nothing at all. Then, when the holidays are over, you can go back to your regular exercise routine and won’t feel that you have fallen miles behind.
Try These Simple Holiday Diet Rules
We all need a break from time to time, and you well deserve one. However, if you give up your diet and your healthy lifestyle completely, you won’t feel good about yourself, will you? Try these 5 holiday diet rules and you will see that they make it so much easier on you. You will feel happier in your body, you will feel that you stayed true to yourself, and you won’t feel too much guilt about your holiday consumption. Besides, it will be so much easier for you to transition back to your normal routine rather than starting over from square one. Here’s to happy and healthy holidays! Did I miss anything? Do you have any comments or suggestions? Please post your comments and suggestions below.
