Nutrition & Self Care During The Holidays
The
holidays are a busy and hectic time for most of us. We spend a lot of time
juggling family dinners, get-togethers with friends, work parties and shopping
adventures, leaving us little time for our own self care. As time becomes scarce
and stress becomes overwhelming, many times we eat unconsciously, forget to eat,
grab what ever is available and have little time and energy for activity and
relaxation. A study in the New England Journal of Medicine (March 23, 2000)
cites that most Americans gain one pound of body weight during the holidays
which is not lost. This adds up to many pounds over the years.
During
this hectic and stressful time it is important to remind ourselves that it’s
ok to take a break and ask for help. We may also want to evaluate our “to do
list” and see if there are things on it that we can let go.
Tips
for surviving the holidays:
-
Try
to get enough sleep
-
Delegate
projects and errands when possible
-
Try
to allow yourself 30 minutes or more each day of self care (massage, walks,
naps, yoga, meditation, dancing, reading, movies, music)
-
Eat
breakfast daily
-
Pack
along snacks
-
Practice
paying attention to when your body is hungry and comfortably full, and
respond accordingly. You may find that you need smaller portions.
-
Try
to put less focus on the food and enjoy the conversation and activities at
parties
-
Watch
the amount of alcoholic drinks as they can inhibit your ability to feel your
body’s hunger and fullness signals and you may end up over eating
-
Enjoy
the more exotic treats and leave the ordinary ones for another day
-
Set
up walking dates instead of lunch dates with friends
-
Try
to save some room for dessert, or consider eating it first if that’s what
you really want
-
Send
“Happy New Year” cards in the middle of January instead of holiday cards
-
Consider
low calorie and low fat options of certain foods and drinks
-
Don’t
go ravenous to parties; have a snack or small meal before you arrive
-
Watch
the extras: whipped cream, dressing, butter, dips
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