The holidays are coming! It is the month of December and this means a lot of merrymaking! Be careful though, because you are likely to lose all the effort you have put to maintain your weight throughout the year. It is easy to relax on the healthy trajectory you have been to the whole year. You see healthy living is not just about losing weight it is about eating healthy meals as well.
This article aims to give you tips to help you live a healthy lifestyle amidst festivities.
i. Find Healthy Alternatives to your favourite meals
Healthy eating is not supposed to make you stop eating your favourite meals. It only means that you can find substitutes for your food. It also means you can reduce the number of things like butter and sauces in your meals. You do not have to overuse Ketchup on your fries for instance. Just use a little oil in deep-frying your potatoes or opt for healthier cooking oils. You can also use alternatives in your meals such as Yoghurt instead of mayonnaise or opt to bake foods instead of deep-frying them.
ii. Moderation
Moderation is a much-needed practise during the holidays. There is nothing wrong with celebrating with a little indulgence but keep it not be every day. Make sure you have healthy alternatives for all the meals you have. Eating in moderation helps you keep your health levels high! You do not have to eat all the food offered to you at the same time. To avoid overeating, make sure you have a healthy breakfast filled with whole cereal, healthy fat foods like avocadoes and protein. With a full stomach in the morning, you are unlikely to need to eat in between meals. If you need to snack though, choose healthy ones like nuts or wholemeal cereals or a cup of milk.
iii. Opt for homemade food
it is time with friends and family, you can cook more at home. Take this opportunity to substitute processes, canned and premade food with food made at home. Instead of buying the over oiled chicken, you can prepare one at home with moderate ingredients.
Most foods are preserved using sodium, which is unhealthy, making fresh food at home, therefore, means that you are living healthy. Making food at home makes you aware of what you have used hence you can be healthy about it.
Iv. Eat More vegetable & Fruits
While we try to eat healthy, adding more vegetables to the food is a great plus. Make sure to eat more vegetables and fruits. Try some twists on the vegetables, make salads, and try things like roasted carrots and sweet potatoes. These are exciting yet healthy recipes to try.
v. Slow Down during meals.
Many may not know this but there is a correlation between eating fast and adding weight. Take time to chew your food properly as this eases digestion. Also when you eat slowly, you give your stomach enough time to process signals to your brain that you have had enough. This helps automatically regulate the amount of food you eat.
Vi. Portion Control
Remember to always take care of your calories intake. What is on your plate at any given time? Eat a better portion of protein and vegetables and go slow on starches and carbohydrates. It improves your digestion also control your portions. A trick to make sure you eat less is using a smaller plate for your food!
If you follow the above steps, you will sail through the festive season as a healthy person and will have controlled your weight gain.