Embracing lifestyle habits for a healthy holiday season

The holiday season is upon us, and it can come with a mix of emotions if you have been trying to focus on your health goals. An increase in festive parties, family gatherings and seasonal foods can mean increased temptations to eat more often.

There is a common thought that “When January comes; I’ll get back on track.” Unfortunately for a lot of people, “getting back on track” is difficult to accomplish. Here are some tips to be intentional with your lifestyle habits and not find yourself frustrated with a lack of motivation when the New Year starts.

• Change your mindset. Approach the holiday season with a more holistic outlook. The special treats and foods are lovely but not the sole enjoyment of the season. Seeing loved ones we do not see often, making special memories with seasonal events and providing support/resources to those who are missing loved ones or struggle with basic needs can provide joy.

• Do not take off from the gym or whatever physical activity you have been doing. When time constraints arise, exercise is the first thing to go. Avoid the trap of all-or-nothing thinking – meaning if you cannot do your normal 45-minute exercise class/video/workout, what can you do instead? Do you have time for 10 minutes? Can you be smarter about your time management as opposed to working harder? Increase movement in the day by taking the stairs, getting away from your desk more often or parking farther away. Would this be the time to explore seasonal activities with your loved ones, such as going sledding, snow shoeing or walking around the neighborhood? In physical movement, something is better than nothing at all.

• Avoid skipping meals. Whether it is a busy schedule or thinking you can “bank” your calories for the festive meal later, skipping any meal during the day can affect your hunger/fullness hormones. When we skip meals, the hormone that tells us to eat increases, and the hormones that tell us we don’t need to eat decreases. That’s a recipe for overeating.

• Aim for balance. The nutrients we eat help our body function for everyday use. If we are not eating essential nutrients that we get from a variety of food groups (fruits, vegetables, whole grains, protein and dairy) each day, we cannot feel the energy and control of our hunger. That can increase our chances of eating quick, highly processed foods that are stripped of nutrients, which can leave us feeling hungry more often and sluggish. To keep up with the busy holiday season, fuel your day with a variety of foods from the food groups and aim to eat about every three to five hours.

• Hydrate: Our body is at least 60 percent water; therefore, we need to stay adequately hydrated. Staying hydrated can get away from us during the busy season or the cooler months, since we may not feel thirsty. A rule of thumb is, if we start to have some signs that indicate we are dehydrated (dry lips; tiredness; dry mouth; passing urine less often, or when we do pass, it is a darker color), that will indicate mild dehydration. Water is the best option to hydrate, but if you want flavor to your water, aim for noncalorie, noncaffeine options. Caffeine can act as a diuretic, meaning it can make you to want to go to the bathroom more often, causing issues with dehydration. For every cup of coffee (12 ounces), add an additional 8-ounce cup of water to your daily goal. A good goal for total fluid intake to hydrate is half of your current body weight in ounces. So, for example, if you are 200 pounds, half of your body weight would be 100 in fluid ounces as the goal to stay hydrated.

• Progress, not perfection: We live in a society that often makes it hard to reach our health goals. Try to focus on what you have control over, as opposed to what is out of your control. For example, you can’t control what is served by a family or friend at a get together, but you could control the amount you eat (portion control). You can’t control the weather (too cold, concerned about slipping on ice) but you can control exercise indoors, such as doing an exercise video or chair exercises.