Congrats friends we’ve made it through the fall semester! Now we have a month filled with holiday cheer and all the wonderful things that come with it the food, the fun, and all of the free time. The holidays can truly be the most wonderful time of the year for your spirt but the worst for your waistline. There’s an abundance of sweets, dishes loaded with butter, and the opportunity to do absolutely nothing. So around this time we tend to consume an abundance of unhealthy calories and sit around doing nothing. All this is innocent in the beginning until we come back to school and have to wear something other than our sweatpants then find out our top button doesn’t close. If this sounds all too familiar then I have some tips for a healthier holiday break.
1. Don’t drink your calories
Tis’ the season of Peppermint Mochas, Hot Chocolate with whipped cream, and other warm and tasty drinks. I’m a fan of these as much as the next girl but with every delicious sip we’re consuming tons of sugar and fat. The seasonal lattes from Starbucks are some of the worst offenders with some having nearly 500 calories, more than 40% of the recommended daily amount of saturated fat, and more than 50 grams of sugar; to put that in perspective according to Sprudge.com (a coffee critic) you could eat three KFC crispy strips, corn on the cob and drink a medium sized Pepsi for the same amount of calories as many of these drinks. The problem is that not one of these calories is nutritious and so you wind up eating anyways, forgetting about the 400 calorie mocha you drank only an hour ago. Instead try and swap tea with honey or stevia to warm yourself up; tea offers a host of health benefits for example green tea which promotes weight loss, increases energy, and fights free radicals (hello gorgeous skin). There is also chamomile for better sleep, peppermint to soothe the throat, black tea for a caffeine boost, and a whole lot more. Many teas have added flavors like pomegranate, orange, and jasmine which increase the chances you’ll find a match. For the times when you absolutely can’t pass up the festive holiday drinks order a tall, substitute whole milk for fat free, soy, almond, coconut, or hemp, skip the whip cream and ask for the sugar free syrup. Also remember to drink water, no matter how cold it is your body still needs it.
2. Only indulge on the holidays
It’s hard not to eat all of the tasty foods that come along with the holidays the entire month of January but these foods only come around once a year for a reason. That reason being they are some of the most unhealthy foods we consume, from biscuits to macaroni and cheese to sweet potatoes with marshmallows to honey glazed ham you’re in for a caloric bomb. Restricting yourself on the holidays can be tough, especially when your grandma just pulled her world famous pie out of the oven or your aunt brought the cornbread that melts in your mouth. So indulge in all of the treats on the actual holiday itself. During the rest of the break eat typical foods or small portions of the holiday leftovers. There’s nothing wrong with eating a salad or baked chicken in December.
3. Park as far away from the mall as possible
Sometimes we forget that we still need to work out. There are so many people to see, presents to buy and sleep to catch up on that working out takes a backseat. If you find this to be the case try and sneak in a little bit every day. One easy way is to park as far from the entrance of the mall as possible so that you have to walk further and when you come out you’ll get a little arm workout carrying all of your newly acquired shopping bags.
4. Give away at least half of the treats you bake or receive
The holidays are the biggest time for bake goods to be passed around. Especially when you come home from college and everyone feels bad for you because you’ve been without a home baked treat in so long. As much as these are appreciated they are also dangerous to your health. These pre-made treats are easy and convenient so they’ll likely be the first thing you reach for when you start to feel like snacking. Instead give half of the desserts people give you away to others. When you’re in need of a sweet treat try eating fruit, if the craving is still there 20 minutes later eat one single serving of that dessert. A serving size of cake or pie slice should be about the size of a deck of cards and cookies should be no larger than the palm of your hand. The idea is simple, if you keep bad food around you, you’ll eat bad food but if you keep good food around you, you’ll eat good food.
5. Use YouTube videos for indoor workouts
Many of us are returning home and going outdoors to workout is not a realistic option because of the weather. It’s easy to just forgo physical exercise and count reaching for the remote as movement enough but sitting on your butt all day is no good. The wonderful invention of YouTube makes it free to have someone almost as good as a personal trainer right at your fingertips. Plus since you’re at home it’s likely that you have good solid Wi-Fi to view various workout videos. This break is the chance to find what type of workouts you like, perhaps yoga, Pilates or Zumba. The possibilities are endless and free so there’s no excuse not to try.
6. Make your own schedule and stick to it
There is something magical about not having anything to do except for rest and it can be necessary for your health especially after the stress and lack of sleep finals can cause but you cannot spend your entire break in hibernation. Yes my collegiate friends you read that right I want you to get out of bed or off the couch. Sleeping in until noon can feel amazing but it will only make getting back into the swing of school come January that much harder, plus having a set wake up time is one of the healthiest ways to manage your energy. Also schedule eating meals including what you’ll eat and when you’ll eat it. You will also want to leave at least 30 minutes workouts four times a week. Doing anything that makes you move will keep you out of couch potato syndrome; instead of ordering food cook it yourself, listen to music that makes you want to dance, or instead of watching movies with your besties walk around the mall. So rip off that blanket put on a smile and get your day going.
As hard as it is to pass up a warm cookie straight from the oven or a freshly baked pie these are things we have to enjoy in moderation. The holidays are absolutely a time for celebration and cheer but we can’t let our health suffer because of that. Next time you want that second dessert or to skip a day of working out in favor of watching an entire series on Netflix remember that summer bodies are made in the winter. With that my friends find some indoor workouts you like, say no to that sugar loaded coffee drink, walk a little more and enjoy your holidays with less regret. Happy holidays to you and your loved ones!