3 Things to Keep You on Track this Holiday Season
It can be all too easy to lose sight of your health goals during the holidays. Endless desserts, high-calorie drinks, and less movement are a few of the things that most of us find challenging. In today’s post, I’ll share three things you can do this holiday season to help you stay on track while still having fun!
Share healthy treats
It is hard to avoid all the delicious desserts this time of year and I’m a firm believer that you don’t have to avoid them completely. But one thing that can help is trying to balance the less healthy sweets with some healthier ones, as this can often help you feel less deprived. Deprivation often makes us want something more, so if you can find ways to reduce your sugar intake while still eating something delicious, I’d say it’s a win.
To make your favorite baked goods healthier, try to:
Lower the fat or use avocado in place of butter to make your dessert more heart-healthy
Increase the protein by adding nuts or seeds to your cookies or use plain Greek yogurt in place of some of the butter
Substitute part of the white flour with whole grain flour when baking cookies, cakes, or other desserts
Reduce the sugar - many recipes turn out great if you add less sugar than called for, but proceed with caution as this can sometimes alter the texture of the baked good (or look for a recipe with less sugar!)
For my full list of ideas, check out this blog post on healthy holiday baking. Another thing that helps when baking anything is sharing what you bake! Instead of leaving the whole batch at your house, bring some to work, school, or a neighbor’s house so you aren’t tempted to eat the whole batch.
Focus on water
Staying hydrated is always important, but often all the extra salt and sugar we consume during the holidays can leave us feeling a little bloated. Water doesn’t completely fix the issue, but it can help you feel a little more refreshed. It is recommended to consume at least 64 ounces of water per day, but drinking more than this is okay too.
Also, focusing on water instead of alcoholic or sugary drinks can help drastically reduce your calorie intake. Did you know that a standard 5-ounce glass of wine has around 100 calories, while mixed drinks often have at least 200-300 calories? It’s not just alcoholic drinks that have a lot of calories; one cup of hot chocolate or eggnog can have as much as 300-400 calories!
Find creative ways to be active
Even though you may not be going to the gym or doing your usual workouts, try finding other ways to stay active. This can look like whatever you want it to look like as long as you are moving! Some things you can do are:
Hang Christmas lights
Put up decorations around your house
Shop for gifts at the mall instead of online
Go for a family walk after your holiday meal
Dance to Christmas music
As you can see there are several things to try that can help you stay on track with your health goals. Make your favorite desserts a little healthier, stick to water, and get creative when it comes to exercise. It’s important to still be able to enjoy the holidays, so hopefully the tips listed above will help!
