Realworldweightloss.com is featuring a 12 days of fitness program on fitness and nutrition and I was thrilled to be asked to contribute healthy holiday 
eating tips. Other big names in health and fitness like Jillian Michaels and Brett Hoebel of The Biggest Loser, Ryan Halvorson, associate editor for the IDEA Health & Fitness Association and Rachel Elizabeth Murray,fitness model,personal trainer, and nutritionist also contributed some of their best tips. Below is a preview to my segment, featured on Day 1.
- Cut down on saturated fat in creamy dressings by mixing in yogurt instead.
- For a wonderful flavor enhancer, sprinkle roasted vegetables with vinegar or citrus juice. Add it at the last minute so the flavor is at its strongest.
- Substitute chopped vegetables for some of the bread in your stuffing recipe, this will reduce the amount of carbohydrates in the stuffing therefore reducing the glycemic load.
- Don’t starve yourself the day of the party so you can fill up on food that evening. If you eat healthy normal meals throughout the day, you’re much less likely to overeat at the party.
- Remember: The point of holiday gatherings is to celebrate, not to eat. Mingle with friends and loved ones instead of hovering around the buffet table, grab a plate and walk away.
- Don’t load up at the buffet table. Keep portion sizes small by putting your snacks on a small plate instead of a large one and limiting your trips to the buffet.
- Prioritize your food choices, if you love sweet potato casserole take a serving of that but skip the stuffing if it is something that you don’t have to have.
- Present food in various locations all over your home to encourage activities and mingling not just eating.
- If you are going to drink alcohol alternate the beverages with water, this will keep you hydrated and may curb the increase in appetite from excessive alcohol.
- Make sure you include protein and vegetables as your appetizers and throughout the main meal. The protein from meat and fiber from the vegetables will keep you feeling full and avoid bingeing on excessive sugars and carbohydrates.
- When choosing cocktails, aim for non-calorie mixers like sparkling water with the juice or limes or lemons, rather than heavily sweetened juices or syrup based mixers.
- Remain active throughout the holidays, maintaining lean muscle mass from strength training and cardiovascular activity will help keep your metabolic rate (calories burned at rest) high to offset the extra calories from the holiday treats.
This is a preview to an article that is featured on realworldweightloss.com. Read the full article HERE.
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