How To Eat Healthily During The Holidays
The holiday season comes at the end of the year and is the perfect time to celebrate the end of another year with friends and family. It's also the time when so many individuals love to eat, drink, and be merry. However, this can also be the time when a lot of individuals put on quite a few pounds. Because there are so many delicious treats, snacks, and entrees to enjoy, most don't hold back as much during these times. Unfortunately, they regret many of those decisions when the new year rolls around. Not only do individuals struggle with buyer's remorse during the first month of the year, but they also deal with wanting to lose a bunch of weight as a result of gluttony during the holidays. If you'd like to change the trajectory and eat healthy during the holidays, understand this is possible. However, you'll need to put a few guidelines in place to succeed. Get to know some of the best ways of eating healthy during the holidays now.
Eat Mindful Meals
Too often, individuals eat when they're in a rush and thus, they constantly eat on the go. There are so many reasons why the fast food industry is successful and popular as it is. The majority of individuals like the convenience of fast food because they need to eat something quickly before they move on to the next thing on the agenda. They don't want to take time to sit down and eat their food. This is especially true during the holidays. Individuals book their schedules to the max during the holiday season. There are so many loved ones to see and so many places to be. However, when you eat mindful meals, you're able to be present and not mindless. You're able to remain in the moment and know what's going on around you. You'll also be able to think about how you feel in the moment, how you feel about the food you're eating, and savor it differently. When it comes to food, be mindful and not mindless.
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Control Your Portions
Portion control is such a major component of maintaining a healthy weight. If you really want to maintain personal health during the holidays, it's so important to monitor and control your portions. You don't need to become obsessed with each calorie on your plate, but you do need to be mindful about maintaining a sense of control. After all, healthy eating is the antitheses of the holidays. The holidays are the times when gluttony is completely welcomed. Know you don't have to do this. However, you don't have to miss out on all of the delicious food. If you see a piece of cheesecake and know you want it, cut the slice in half and wash it down with a glass of water. If you already know you're going to want fried chicken, eat one piece instead of three.
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Eat When You're Hungry
If you focus on eating only when you're hungry, this is half the battle. Many times, individuals eat because the food is right there. A great way to get through the process is to always walk with a large bottle of water. Add lemon slices and fresh mint leaves into the bottle or infuse berries for a different taste. Focus on drinking the water until the bottle is finished. If you are truly hungry, your body will let you know. Otherwise, continue to drink. The water will help you remain fuller for a longer period. You might be surprised at the amount of success you experience with more water in your system. It can really help individuals avoid excessive snacking and eating.
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Plan And Prepare Your Food
It might seem impossible to plan and prepare your food when you're walking into a party and you don't know what's going to be served. However, there are few things to consider. If you're planning on going to a Christmas dinner party, eat light in the morning and afternoon. Drink a green smoothie for breakfast and for lunch, enjoy a piece of lean meat and a fresh salad. This way, you'll be able to save most of your daily calories to enjoy food at the Christmas party. If you're at lunch with friends and you're ordering food, eat half of the food at the restaurant and eat the other half for dinner that evening. When you know you'll be on your own schedule, develop a meal prep practice where you make your meals at the beginning of the week. When you prepare your meals like this, it decreases your chances of binge-eating at restaurants. It'll also help you avoid running to the nearest fast food restaurant to hurry up and get something to consume.
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Eat Slowly
When you're used to eating on the go, eating slowly will feel like a foreign practice. Instead of sitting down to eat and watch television at the same time, work on setting aside time exclusively dedicated to eating. Don't turn on any electronics and don't scroll through social media. Instead, focus on chewing and digesting your food.
In many cases, individuals chew their food fewer than ten times before swallowing. In reality, you should chew each bite at least fifty times before swallowing. When you're able to completely digest and enjoy your food, you'll develop a habit of keeping your body and digestive system healthy.
Don't wait until the holidays to begin these steps. It's a great idea to start now and work toward improving. If you're disciplined and regularly work toward improving your relationship with food, you'll be able to see changes over time. If you focus on developing and perfecting this process during the holidays, it can carry over and impact the rest of your life.