There is so much to enjoy during the holidays. The decorations, gift giving and family traditions, but, it\u2019s the endless rounds of parties and festive dinners that can cause problems for people trying to lose weight, or even those looking to maintain a healthy lifestyle.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re worried about overindulging this festive season, check out my tips to help you stay healthy and happy.\u00a0Remember, careful planning is the key to getting through the holidays, and the next time you feel challenged, remind yourself\u00a0why<\/em>\u00a0you started on this youth preservation journey in the first place.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Let\u2019s be honest, eating some unhealthy food during the holidays is inevitable. No matter how dedicated and \u2018good\u2019 you\u2019re trying to be, the onslaught of parties and get-togethers means a mass of tempting treats, and always saying \u201cno\u201d can become a problem.<\/p>\n When you do succumb to the delicious food on offer, don\u2019t let your guilt spiral out of control.<\/strong>\u00a0Guilt can lead to additional unhealthy behaviors.<\/a>\u00a0If you overindulged in the party food one day, focus on returning to your regular eating routine the very next day.\u00a0Don\u2019t get caught up obsessing over the dessert you had last night, instead, concentrate on the delicious, healthy food you are going to eat today!\u00a0<\/strong>It’s easy to do when you make a shopping spree at\u00a0SpiceBox Organics<\/a>\u00a0in Hong Kong.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Holiday buffets, special seasonal menus and lavish parties present a never-ending selection of food to choose from. You can become giddy with the excitement of piling your plates with a little bit of everything, but, stop and think about it for a second.\u00a0Not all holiday dishes are created equal, and you really don\u2019t need to try everything.<\/strong><\/p>\n If you\u2019re going to take a break from your normal eating routine, make sure you\u2019re choosing the foods you are genuinely excited about and give you true enjoyment.\u00a0In other words, if you\u2019re going to cheat, make sure it\u2019s with something really worth it! If it doesn\u2019t make your heart flutter, skip it.\u00a0<\/strong>When I decide to indulge, I take a few capsules of\u00a0DuoLean<\/a>\u00a0and call it “damage control”. This is a natural supplement that binds glucose (sugars) and fat to eliminate them from the body before the damage is done. Ask Punam at\u00a0SpiceBox Organics<\/a>\u00a0to keep in your purse at all times.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Another tradition of holiday parties is the free-flowing alcohol. Bottles of bubbly and seasonal cocktails may help some people get into the holiday spirit, but if you are going to enjoy the odd tipple, don\u2019t go overboard.\u00a0Nobody enjoys dealing with a hangover<\/a>, but the effects of too much alcohol go beyond a sore head and a dodgy stomach the next day.\u00a0Drinking alcohol causes facial bloating, dehydrates your skin, robs the body of Vitamin A and is<\/strong>\u00a0proven to accelerate the aging process.<\/a><\/p>\n When you\u2019re celebrating with friends and family this season, make sure to alternate alcoholic drinks with sparkling water.<\/strong>\u00a0Not only will this help you\u00a0avoid consuming additional calories<\/a>, but it also keeps you fresh and fights the dehydrating effects of alcohol.\u00a0Water is wonderful and<\/strong>\u00a0you should be drinking more of it!<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n When faced with the massive and varied amounts of food on offer at holiday buffets, it\u2019s tempting to pile your plate with all the most mouth-watering offerings.\u00a0Eating without thinking leads to ignoring your internal cues of hunger and satiety.<\/strong>\u00a0Do you even like the seasonal dishes on offer?\u00a0Just because it\u2019s limited, you don\u2019t have to eat it!<\/strong><\/p>\n Start your meal by loading your plate with vegetables.<\/strong>\u00a0If you\u2019re worried that sounds boring, remember, there are lots of\u00a0fun, delicious and healthy seasonal side dishes<\/a>, packed full of vegetables.\u00a0By starting with the low-calorie options, you\u2019re increasing the nutritional content of your meal<\/strong>, and when you reach dessert, you will likely feel too full to have anything more than just a bite.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Before you go to a holiday party, do you think about skipping a meal to save up calories for the evening\u2019s festivities?\u00a0This means you\u2019ll be arriving at the buffet table hungry and are more likely to overeat.<\/strong>\u00a0When you\u2019re hungry, the cravings you feel for salty, fatty and sugary foods come from an increased level of cortisol \u2013 a steroid hormone that plays an\u00a0important role in nutrition.<\/a><\/p>\n The idea of saving up calories for later in the day can backfire big time.<\/strong>\u00a0\u201cEat your regular meals and snacks through the day, and fill up on protein-rich and high-fiber foods so that you have a nice, full feeling when you get to the party,\u201d suggests\u00a0Angela Dufour, a registered dietitian.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The spectacular selection of delicious and decadent desserts on offer over the holidays can be a minefield for anyone trying to live well and eat healthily.\u00a0The pressure you feel to enjoy traditional food while fighting against the temptation to overindulge is tough.<\/strong>\u00a0When confronted with yummy Christmas candy cupcakes, or a brandy butter covered pudding, try to follow the \u2018one bite rule\u2019 \u2013\u00a0allowing yourself one bite means you can join in with the food festivities, feel less restricted, and best of all, it won\u2019t change your weight management goals.<\/strong>\u00a0Obviously, you need the strength and willpower to ignore temptation and not eat any more.<\/p>\n Also, don\u2019t forget the seasonal fruits and nuts available during the holidays. Nutrient rich pomegranates, mandarin oranges, chestnuts and walnuts are appetizing alternatives to the sugar laden desserts you typically find at this time of year. Grab a box of beautiful nuts and dried fruit to bring as a gift, or make your own decadent sugar free, gluten free, dairy free and lactose free dessert like these “snowballs<\/a>“.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n A survey<\/a>\u00a0carried out in December 2014 found that 20% of the UK population was stressed about Christmas, a holiday that\u2019s supposed to have its foundation in peace and goodwill! When you think of the pressures behind shopping, cooking and fitting in all the festivities, it\u2019s not surprising people can end up feeling stressful and anxious.<\/p>\n The best way to manage stress successfully is to integrate stress-busting changes to your lifestyle on a daily basis.<\/strong>\u00a0Meditation is a perfect way to achieve this.\u00a0Not only will regular meditation keep you calmer over Christmas, it can help you live a longer, healthier life.<\/strong>\u00a0Scientific evidence<\/a>\u00a0suggests it can improve psychological conditions like anxiety and depression, which in turn can affect mortality.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n As the clock strikes midnight on December 31st, millions of people around the world will be making New Year\u2019s resolutions to lose weight and get healthier.\u00a0The statistics for sticking to resolutions are not good<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 25 percent of people will abandon their new plans before the first week is up. After six months, more than 50 percent of people will have failed in their resolutions.\u00a0New Year\u2019s resolutions don\u2019t work!<\/strong><\/p>\n If you want to become a happier, fitter person who lives a longer, healthier life, you need to work on making sustainable changes to your lifestyle.<\/strong>\u00a0Radical dieting and random detoxes won\u2019t help you. The changes you make should be part of a regular and committed focus on feeling good, reversing damage already done to your body and\u00a0increasing healthy lifespan,\u00a0not<\/em>\u00a0just lifespan and health separately.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Written by Zora Benhamou There is so much to enjoy during the holidays. The decorations, gift giving and family traditions, but, it\u2019s the endless rounds of parties and festive dinners that can cause problems for people trying to lose weight, or even those looking to maintain a healthy lifestyle. If you\u2019re worried about overindulging this festive season, check out […]\n","protected":false},"author":397,"featured_media":10763,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10761","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-punams-blog"],"yoast_head":"\n\n
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