Healthy And Happy Holiday Tips

Nutrio Team

Our experts have a word of advice to give you this holiday season. Here is what they had to say ...

"One of the things that I find most helpful and encourage all of my clients to do is to really assess the term 'holiday season.' We tend to view Thanksgiving through New Years as one big holiday when, in reality, there are many 'normal' days during this time. If you can look at your calender and map out the true special occasions ... I think it helps you to balance your diet a little better.

"By taking this approach you can plan higher fat/calorie intakes for special celebration and try to keep the other meals geared toward healthy choices. In addition, I can not stress the importance of physical activity during the holidays. ... It may not be the exact same workout, but any movement can help you stay focused on healthy behaviors by reducing stress."

-- Terri Watson Brownlee, M.P.H., R.D., L.D.N.

"PLAN for some down time -- ime to do less (like take a walk with relatives you haven't seen for a while, and NOT worry about target heart rate) or do nothing. Often we have good intentions, and when we end up not exercising as much as we thought we would, we feel guilty. It's like taking work home over the weekend and then not getting to it. Sometimes it's just better to leave the work at work. The holidays are one of those times."

-- Michael Scholtz, M.A.

Don't let one day of less-than-healthy eating sabotage your whole week. Get over the guilt and simply get back on track the next morning with these tips:

1. Get in an extra workout or just walk a little more.
2. Keep track of what you eat and drink for the next 24 hours.
3. Always think before you eat (don't just eat certain foods because they're there), choose your foods carefully (have those you really enjoy), and savor every bite.