Holiday season has descended upon us, and the time to eat junk food has rolled in. We’ve all been there before. The holidays creep closer, and you find yourself eating too much junk that you start to feel gross and uncomfortable in your body. You find yourself alone at holiday parties staring at the dessert table, or overeating and having to unbutton your jeans. What is there to do to avoid feeling like this during the holiday season? Well, I have three easy tips for you that if you follow, you’ll be feeling great and also enjoying the holiday spirit at the same time!
1) Balance Balance Balance!
In my opinion, dessert is always the best meal. But, during the holidays, I’m way too full to even think about dessert. Or sometimes, I eat dessert anyway and end up feeling like I will give birth to my food baby. But, by including balance in your meals, you won’t feel like you’ll explode any second and you won’t feel gross in your body either. Eat some vegetables and fruit and enjoy the healthy sensations you receive from eating this. Eat a quick salad for lunch before you indulge in that vegan stir fry or fake ham and all the fixings for dinner. By eating some healthy before you indulge yourself, you’ll feel better mentally and physically and won’t feel so guilty for eating that last vegan brownie. Balance is key during the holidays. Yes of course you can eat that cookie, but make sure you balance it out with something healthy.
2) Make a healthier alternative
Since I’m vegan, I’m always having to make my own food which means making a healthier alternative to what I used to eat. By doing this, I’ve inspired lots of friends and family to do the same as well. Everybody loves chocolate chip cookies, but instead of buying them pre-made at the store, make your own. Add ingredients in them that you can actually pronounce. By doing this, you can enjoy your cookies guilt-free knowing they are healthier for you rather than store bought ones! Or, instead of buying ice cream loaded with milk and fat, make cacao banana nicecream! It taste exactly like chocolate ice cream. All you do is blend some frozen bananas, add cacao powder and your choice of a plant-based milk or water (but not too much or it won’t be thick like ice cream) and bam! You have yourself a healthier alternative to ice cream.
3) Exercise
Even though the holidays mean cold weather (well, depending on where you live), exercising can be hard. I find that even if I go on a 10-20 minute walk before a big day of eating, I feel better mentally which gives me confidence and just makes me feel better for stuffing my face later on. Sometimes when I don’t feel motivated to run, I make up my own work out indoors and make it fun. I ask my sisters to join me or I blast funky music. If you make exercise fun, you’ll feel more motivated to do it. Plus, when you’re eating all that junk food, balancing it with exercise and veggies will make you feel a lot better after eating your 5th vegan brownie.
Happy Holidays and I hope you stuff your face with all the vegan fixings! You’ll find me at the dessert table, stealing all the vegan cookies.