The holidays are upon us! Do you feel excited, stressed, or a little bit of both? I’d say a little bit of both :)

With COVID restrictions and not being able to see family to all the extra food and alcohol temptations, it can feel more overwhelming and less fun.

Fortunately, with a few tips and tricks, it’s possible to maintain a healthy lifestyle year-round and feel confident going into the holidays.

Here are 12 tips for a healthy holiday!

1) Don’t Skip Meals

Don’t “save up” calories for the big holiday meal. This usually backfires and by the time you allow yourself to eat, your body is so overly-hungry and feeling deprived, which makes it hard to enjoy the food or to stop when you feel comfortably full.

Eat a balanced meal or snack before the big holiday meal. Pay attention to your hunger cues, and work to honor every instance of hunger that occurs throughout the day.

Try to make snacks into mini-meals that include at least two food groups. For example, turkey and cheese on a whole-grain pita, veggies and hummus, or apple slices and nut butter.

2) Stay Hydrated

With all the food and alcohol, we often forget to drink water which could cause us to eat and drink more.

That's because we often mistake the sensation of thirst for hunger. Before you make your big plate of goodies, drink some water first. You’ll feel fuller and you’ll be hydrated, meaning you’re less likely to swipe a second piece of pumpkin pie.

3) Sip Smart - Alcoholic Beverages

Try to follow the 1:1 rule, meaning for every glass of alcohol, have a glass of water (see tip #2).

Avoid alcohol on an empty stomach which increases your appetite and diminishes your ability to control what you eat.

Beware of hidden sugar and calories in a mixed drink. Your best options are red wine, vodka with soda water and a splash of citrus, dry champagne, mulled wine, and low-calorie beer.

4) Eat The Foods You Love

Avoiding favorite holiday foods causes cravings to increase not decrease which is always going to be a setup to feel out of control around these foods.

Sticking to the foods you label “healthy” versus permitting yourself to eat what you enjoy will leave lots to be desired and you will not feel satisfied.

For example, if you really love fudge and your grandma makes it once a year, have it!

Try asking yourself, “what sounds good to me right now?” and honor that. Try to eat mindfully and with intention.

5) Opt For Homemade

Canned, processed, and premade foods are loaded with sugar and salt. To avoid this, make some dishes yourself.

For example, to reduce sodium intake, make your own stuffing instead of using a boxed brand. Try making a homemade cranberry sauce to control the added sugar.

Making foods from scratch will make you more aware of what you’re eating and when giving you more control and awareness in the long run.

All the more reason to appreciate and enjoy the food!

6) Slow Down During Meals

Eating slowly gives your stomach enough time to send hormonal signals to the brain that you’re full. If you eat too fast, your body may miss out on hearing this signal which may cause you to overeat.

It’s normal to eat past the point of fullness during the holidays or to try a special cookie or dessert even if you aren’t hungry. This is ok! But it’s also ok to turn down food and say “no thanks” if you don’t feel like eating it.

7) Do Something Active

Dancing is a great way to be active and also have a ton of fun with family and friends. Even if it’s in your living room it doesn’t have to be a fancy affair. Get everyone up and moving and grooving to your favorite holiday tunes.

If you are at a family gathering, suggest a walk before the feast or even between dinner and dessert. Or go alone to provide some quiet alone time to de-stress and aid your digestion all at once.

Get everyone up and active with charades, freeze dance, limbo, whatever! Games are a fun way to not only move around but engage everyone and avoid a dull party :)

8) Get Good Rest

Sticking to your typical sleep schedule during the holidays can be challenging, but sticking to your sleep schedule will improve your quality of sleep.

Irregular sleep schedules can lead to poor sleep quality, fatigue, poor eating habits, and daytime sleepiness that can take time to reverse. Check out this article to learn more.

Try to go to bed and wake up the same time you typically do.

9) Be Choosy

Avoid the “last supper mentality” which is the idea that if you’ve eaten a “bad” food or had a “bad” day, then the day is shot and you might as well just keep ignoring your body cues – because you’ll start over tomorrow. Try to rid the mentality of “good” and “bad” foods and instead listen to your body’s natural cues.

Does your grandma make chocolate babka bread only for the holidays? Maybe choose that and skip over the store-bought cookies from Costco. Avoid the common, everyday foods that you typically eat and go for the special items you only find during the holidays.

10) Be Creative With Recipes

Cook from (and for) the heart - show family and friends that you care about them, be creative with recipes that use less butter, cream, lard, vegetable shortening, and other foods high in saturated fat.

Like our last tip, be choosy! If there is a family favorite that would throw everyone in an uproar if it was modified, then keep it. But if there are dishes that you know can be done in a healthier way that no one will see a big difference…go for it! You can be the change for your friends and family and get the conversation going about simple and healthy swaps.

11) Vow Not To Diet In The New Year

“The holidays are a wash; I’ll just go on a diet/cleanse/etc. in January.”

Your body knows that restriction and deprivation are around the corner. This upcoming restriction triggers mental deprivation and your body reacts like it’s in starvation mode. This then influences how you behave around food.

Start to shift your mindset around this idea of dieting.

Relying on a diet in the New Year – either consciously or subconsciously – is why you end up feeling like you can’t pass up the buffet or the appetizers at that holiday party. Why you can’t pass by the candy dish, and why you end up feeling stuffed and out of control all month long.

12) Set Boundaries

Being around friends and family during the holiday may mean opening yourself up to food, diet, and weight or body talk. Figuring out how to deal with comments – whether directed towards what you’re eating, pushing food at you, or just general weight/diet talk – can help you get through the day without as much anxiety or stress.

Some strategies to handle this:

Change the subject in a friendly way—like “I think you’re beautiful exactly as you are, and there’s so much else I want to catch up on. Tell me about [XYZ pleasant topic that you know they’ll want to discuss].”

Excuse yourself from the conversation - take a break if you find yourself getting overwhelmed with family socializing, all the food sitting around, your aunt talking about how she shouldn’t eat another piece of pie…whatever it is…know that you can step away from the situation for a pause at any time.

Remember, you have the right to have boundaries and to protect yourself!

Let’s make this the best holiday season ever!