Tips For Eating Healthy During The Holidays

I’ll be the first to admit that dessert is my weakness. I’ve always loved dessert! I grew up coming home from school and my mom would have freshly baked brownies or cookies waiting for my arrival. I feel like dinner isn’t complete without a little sweet treat to top it off. While I make a conscious effort not to have a piece of chocolate or something sweet every night, the holiday season can be extra challenging to maintain this willpower. Sweets, cozy cocktails, or traditional comfort foods surround us this time of year which don’t make it easy to stay on track. 

If you’ve been reading this blog, you know I live by the 80/20 rule. Stay committed to your healthy habits 80% of the time and allow yourself to live in the moment and enjoy something no-so-healthy the other 20% of the time, totally guilt-free. That’s why this time of year I give myself a lot of grace, knowing I’ll get back on track, and having that dessert more frequently this time of year won’t set me back. I also try to cook or bake a lot of the things that I want to eat making them healthier than the traditional recipes and ensuring all of the ingredients are clean, whole foods, seed oil free, etc.  

With all the stress, crazy schedules, travel, family, being away from home, etc. it can be easy to let all of your healthy habits get pushed aside. And while it’s totally fine (and sometimes very much needed!!) to have a cheat day, that doesn’t mean you can’t still implement some of your healthy habits, even if it’s at a smaller scale. This way, you won’t feel the guilt and it makes it so much easier to pick right back up where you left off after you get back home from the holidays. 

The best thing you can do is prepare for it! Don’t tell yourself you’re not going to enjoy any dessert after dinner, or have only 1 cocktail, or miss out on the comfort food your family enjoys together if you don’t want to. Instead, make and commit to a plan for yourself that is realistic. Maybe it’s that you’ll still workout 3 days a week, or you’ll go for a walk with family members you haven’t seen in a while every morning (if it’s not too cold where you are), or you’ll have a clean, healthy breakfast to kick start your day with lots of nutrients and protein. Maybe you’ll carve out time to stick with your meditation practice once a day to clear your mind and de-stress a bit. And then you’ll let yourself enjoy this time feeling guilt-free for the rest of the day. Once the holidays are over and the new year hits, you’ll get right back on track without missing a beat. 

Knowing your 80/20 is key to staying on track but getting to actually enjoy yourself (and all the amazing food) during the holidays!