Keeping Your Holiday Calories in Line with Your Waist Line ...

Keeping Your Holiday Calories in Line with Your Waist Line

Posted by KathyB on Monday, December 17, 2012 ? Leave a Comment?

The holidays are a festive time of year, filled with family, friends and food.? Lots and lots of food!? Childhood memories and favorite traditions seem to be forever linked with gustatory delights; cookies coming fresh from the oven, creamy noodle kugel tickling your taste buds, the family dinner with the table groaning under the weight of all your favorites.? Is it possible to enjoy the holidays without tossing your healthy lifestyle into the ditch?

You may say, ?Well, it?s the holidays. They only come around once a year.?? If you entered all the holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, special events in your calendar, you?d see that there is something that ?only comes around once a year? happening every week.?? Rather than giving ourselves carte blanch to let it rip, consider how you can give each it?s due without tipping up the scale.

First, don?t deny yourself a taste of the holiday, just do it judicially.? What holiday food really sings to you?? Don?t waste your health on cardboard cookies someone brought to work; save it for a thin slice of your grandmother?s chocolate cheese cake.? If golden latkes dipped in sour cream and apple sauce are a must have, be sure to choose steamed vegetables and crispy salads to round out your plate.? Know what you want and don?t settle for less!? Just stick with moderation.

Second, when confronted with the endless party buffets, use the age old skills to keep your calories in line with your waist line.

• Eat a small, healthy meal before going to the party.
• Fill your plate with healthy options first before taking a dessert (and then only choose one!)
• Drink sparkling water rather than high calorie beverages.
• Stand across the room from the food table, not within arms? distance.
• Bring a healthy dish so you can eat to make sure you have a good option.
• Focus your attention on the conversation rather than the food.

Finally, create new traditions where food isn?t the focus.? Maybe you go to a holiday light display which requires walking.? Perhaps you make a non-edible gingerbread house with the kids while traditional holiday music is playing.? It could be time spent with a grandparent talking about their childhood holiday memories and writing them into a family book.? Be creative and focus on what matters to you.
Food will always be an enjoyable part of the holidays.? The trick is to keep the food as a side dish, not the main course!? Happy, healthy holidays to all!

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Source: http://www.wellnessnowjcmh.org/?p=3138

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