In this episode of the Summit County Healthcast I’m joined by Shelley Worley (Health Promotion Director) and SaRene Brooks (Health Educator and Registered Dietitian). We discuss the importance of finding a balance during the holiday season, especially as it relates to your diet and exercise schedule.
Key takeaways
* Use moderation, plan ahead and enjoy what you eat.
* Remember the goal is to MOVE and be ACTIVE. Enjoy the season, celebrate with family and friends. Find the BALANCE.
* Plan ahead for travel — provides means to eat healthily and exercise when you reach your destination
Hardest thing about eating healthy during the holidays
* Holiday parties
* Eating is social and there is usually a variety of food to choose from.
* It is important to remember that these social events are meant to be enjoyed. Don’t avoid them or feel guilty when you all the good food and desserts. The key to surviving the holiday parties is to use portion control. You can try the food at the party, just have small portions and stop when you are full. You’re your plate with fruits and vegetables. Don’t eliminate the desserts, just have a small serving and enjoy it.
* Treats from neighbors and friends
* These treats are on the counter where it is easy to snack on them throughout the day, even when you aren’t hungry.
* One way to enjoy these extra treats is to put some away and limit the amount you eat each day. If they aren’t out on the counter, you will tend to eat less. It has been shown that the more available a food is, the more likely it is to be eaten. Just by having it out of sight, your intake will go down. Avoid mindlessly eating. Make a conscious effort to eat only when you are hungry and limit the portion size.
* Busy schedule, hard to plan ahead
* Planning ahead is one of the secrets to success with healthy eating. With all the extra distractions of the holidays, it is difficult to stay in a routine.
* It is important to take time to write a menu and a grocery list so you will have food available to prepare for meals and snacks. If you have food at home to prepare, and you know WHAT you are going to fix, you will be more likely to eat at home and less likely to grab take-out.
* Travelling during the holidays
* Pack a cooler
* Like at home, have plenty of produce available to snack on and share
* Take time for physical activity even when you are busy or away from home
Hardest thing about getting exercise during the holidays
* Actually, the challenge is maintaining a BALANCE during the season between clean eating, working out, and a little indulgence. You don’t want to avoid parties because you need to be at the gym.
* Striking the balance is difficult when we are competing with so many other activities
* Parties after work, during work, at our children’s school
* Parties and other temptations often provide us with excuses to slack on our regular physical activity
* Let me say here if you do not practice regular physical activity, the holiday season can be a great time to start. Don’t wait until January….take advantage of the fun holiday spirit and try some new things.
Why is it important?
* Staying active will not only help us maintain a healthy weight but can help boost our energy levels (especially when our daily routine is out of the norm), and reduce stress and tension…and there is plenty of this during the holiday
* Also, if we are not careful, we can create a bad habit is difficult to break in January.
5 tips anyone can use to keep weight gain to a minimum during the holidays.
* Enjoy what you eat, eat what you enjoy, but eat reasonable portion sizes and pay attention to your hunger and fu...
