Holiday Events Can Be Enjoyable

Here Come The Holidays

November is almost over and with everything going on at work I haven’t even had time to think about the upcoming holidays. Truthfully, I believe that being thankful should be a daily event, but that’s for another blog post.

Thanksgiving, for many people, is the start of the holiday season. It also can start a downward spiral of unhealthy eating that lasts until after the new year. Been there/done that? Don’t worry. There is no reason not to enjoy yourself at a holiday meal or holiday event; it just takes planning.

Why is this so hard?

Many holiday events take place in the evening. I have talked to men and women who will starve themselves all day so they can “enjoy” the food and drinks at the event. The problem is this shuts down your metabolism, and on a continual basis will keep your body in “fight or flight” mode. When that happens, anything that you put in your body will probably be stored as fat. It’s your body’s reaction to not getting consistent and enough calories.

A better solution would be to eat during the date and get in some additional activity — even walking helps. This will allow you to eat additional calories without as much impact. If it’s just one event as opposed to back-to-back events, it probably won’t be a big deal to indulge. One night isn’t the end of the world. But if you have several events over a short time period, planning ahead is a better long term solution.

Two other things that can derail healthy eating during the holidays — not being aware of the amount of appetizers eaten during the happy hour portion/while waiting for dinner to be served, as well as eating big meals late in the evening. If dancing is part of the festivities, then go and shake your booty to ramp up your calorie burn. At home or with family during the holidays? Turn on the music and get moving. If anyone looks at you strangely, make sure to get them up dancing too (you know they want to).

Recipes

If you’re hosting a holiday meal or bringing a dish to share, here are some healthy Thanksgiving recipes from InsideTracker. The food is not only delish, but also good for you. I’d say that’s a win-win!

So, what are your favorite healthy holiday recipes? Feel free to share in the comments.