Uh oh, it’s that time of year again!  Don’t let the holiday hustle and bustle sabotage the hard work you’ve put into staying healthy!  Have a game plan, stick to it and avoid diet disaster this holiday season!  Here are a few tips to help you overcome pitfalls and holiday temptations:

Healthy Holiday Game Plan

1.  Stay Active:  Make time to exercise everyday…yes, I said everyday!  It doesn’t have to be much, a 20 minute walk will do!  Maybe you can pop in an exercise dvd before everyone wakes up or plan a family activity such as a nature walk, ice skating or football game.  Still sound like too much of a commitment?  Then just put some music on and dance around the house!

2.  Stay Hydrated:  Most of the time we think we are hungry, we are actually dehydrated.  Keep a bottle of water with you at all times.  Drink a tall glass of water before each meal to prevent overeating.  Aim for 8-10 glasses per day.

3.  Keep a Regular Eating Routine:  Don’t skip meals to “save” calories or carbohydrates for later in the day.  This only leads to the feeling of deprivation, becoming over-hungry and eventually over-eating.  Stick with 3 meals and 2 snacks per day.

4.  Go Green:  Have a large salad or green smoothie for at least one meal per day.  Raw, green veggies will provide you with enzymes and chlorophyll to boost energy and keep you going all day long!

5.  Fill Up On Fiber:  Eating fruit or veggies with every meal and snack will keep you full and prevent you from over-eating.  Eating a low-fat plant based meal at least once a day will also keep your calorie count in check!

6.  Power Up On Protein:  An hour before a big holiday meal consume a snack packed with lean protein such as a hardboiled egg, shrimp cocktail, hummus and veggie sticks or a protein bar.  Protein will keep the hunger pains and cravings away so you don’t fall victim to the fat-laden artichoke dip and chips!

7.  Take Your Supplements:  Stay healthy by keeping your immune system running strong with the top 3 supplements for winter!

8.  Eat Mindfully:  Before diving into your meal, take a few deep breaths and take a moment of gratitude.  Chew slowly and taste your food…you took all day to prepare it, you might as well enjoy it!  Put dow the fork in between bites.  Check in with yourself before you start eating and mid-meal to assess your hunger scale (1 being famished and 10 being busting at the seams full), eat until you are at a 6 or 7.

9.  Set a Holiday Intention:  How do you want to feel this holiday season?  Alive?  Healthy?  Happy? Write this intention down in a journal and keep reminding yourself that you are in charge of your health.  Make decisions that will bring you closer to your intention.

10.  Make Your Cake and Eat It Too!:  Holidays are for enjoying savory meals and scrumptious treats!  We all are entitled to a little “wiggle” room!  If you eat healthy 90% of the time, you can “splurge” for that last 10%.  So let’s do the math.  If you eat 6 small meals per day, you have 42 meals per week.  Which means you have about 4 meals per week to eat outside of your healthy diet.  Remember to practice portion control with your 10% foods to stay moving in the right direction!  A piece of pumpkin pie is ok, a whole pie is not!