With Christmas just around the corner, the sugar season is in full swing. We’ve got cookie exchanges, office parties and family dinners to look forward to (or not). So, how are we going to keep off unwanted pounds without depriving ourselves of all those Christmas treats? Learn my go to holiday health tips to keep you feeling good going into the New Year!
Make A Switch
We don’t want to deny ourselves the pleasure of all those tasty treats, especially when it comes to the season of hors d’ oeuvres and desserts. So, we tell ourselves that we will spend extra time in the gym or starve ourselves before the party in order to justify a splurge. But what we really need is a holiday mindset makeover. Here are a few simple mind switches to make this holiday season:
Deprivation
Instead of thinking you will deprive yourself of flavor and enjoyment when you pass by the triple decker, deluxe, death by chocolate cake. Think of the diabetes, heart disease, heart burn, joint pain and mood swings you will not have to worry about. Yes, you will be depriving yourself of a life of pain and suffering, but I’m guessing you’d be okay with that.
Click here to read, “Sugar And Cancer – How One Affects The Other.”
Flavor
You don’t have to eat the whole cake to enjoy the flavor. Choose smaller serving sizes. You still get the mouth feel, pleasure and taste but with fewer calories which means less weight gain.
Click here to read, “Sugar – Are you singing the sugar blues?”
Balance
Healthy behaviors don’t make up for unhealthy behaviors. There isn’t a scale where you put broccoli on one side and balance it with sugar on the other side. Healthy actions won’t erase the consequences of unhealthy actions. Exercise because it makes you feel good and energized. Not because you want to binge at the cookie exchange. Engage in intermittent fasting because it reduces inflammation in your body. Not because you want to save up all your calories for pigging out at a party.
Click here to read, “How Processed Sugar Destroys Your Body.”
Health Tips For The Holidays!
Now that we’ve changed our minds about a few things, here are some tips to getting through the season with your health intact:
1. Plan Ahead
You know what to expect, so plan how you will respond; write it down and say it out loud.
2. Use Positive Language
Instead of saying, “I won’t eat the death by chocolate cake,” say, “I will eat two or three bites of the death by chocolate if I feel like it.”
Your brain doesn’t register negative words, so when framed in the negative, it will just hear death by chocolate cake and you will end up eating the whole thing. When framing it positively, the brain will hear two or three bites of cake and it will be easier for you to stick to a smaller serving as you and your brain will be on the same page.
3. Change What You Can
If your friends want to do a cookie exchange, suggest a fun sock, holiday mug, or ornament exchange instead. It’s just as much fun, a whole lot less work and easier on the waistline. If you get to bring a dish to share, choose something without added sugar because there will be plenty of people bringing dessert.
Now you are all set to enjoy the holidays with all the flavors, textures and fun! Be sure to check out Family Health Advocacy daily in order to see today’s tasty holiday treat that’s also healthy as part of our 12 Day’s of Holiday inspired natural health recipes.
For more information click here to read, “Finally Quit Your Sugar Addiction With These Top Tips.”
Annette Presley RD, LD, is a functional nutritionist, author, speaker, and entrepreneur. She enjoys helping people live their lives well so they can stay out of hospitals and spend more time with their families and doing the things they love.