It is especially hard to eat healthy during the holidays. There are work holiday parties, kids’ school holiday parties, mom’s freshly baked cookies, and family celebrations. The cookies, treats, snacks, and unhealthy foods are plentiful. How can you avoid overeating during the holidays?
First, it’s important to understand that you really are what you eat. While foods that aren’t good for you tend to taste really good, they also negatively impact your health. When you eat junky foods with lots of sugar, white flower, and preservatives, your body can function at it’s best. When you eat healthy foods like vegetables, lean meats, whole grains, and fruit, your body with function much better. This also means that you will stay healthier during the holiday season so that you can truly enjoy it!
Here are some easy healthy eating tips for the holiday season:
- Drink plenty of water. The general recommendation we use is take your body weight, divide by 2 and that’s how many ounces of water you should drink per day. Coffee, soda, caffeinated tea, and alcohol count as negative water.
- Eat out less often. Food prepared in restaurants if often prepared with a lot of oil, cream, and fat. Rather than going out to eat to celebrate, have friends over for a home cooked meal.
- Bring your own lunch to work. If there is food being catered in for lunch, eat part of your lunch first. This way it will be easier to avoid overeating and choose the healthiest options from the catered lunch.
- Limit alcohol intake. Not only does alcohol count as negative water for the day, but it hinders your body’s ability to absorb nutrients from your food.
- Eat 25-30 grams of fiber per day. Some good sources of fiber are: whole grain breads and cereals, beans, nuts, and some fruits and vegetables. This will slow digestion and decrease the likelihood of digestive problems, heart disease, and colon cancer.
Drs. Quintin and Katie Sleigh advocate overall wellness for their patients. They feel that diet is a big part of the results and health of their patients. If you have questions or concerns regarding diet and nutrition, please call to schedule a consultation with Dr. Quintin or Dr. Katie at 847-788-0880.
Source: The American Chiropractic Association www.acatoday.org/HealthTips
Photo credit to: fun.familyeducation.com