Holiday Survival Guide

Slow Down!

We often eat so fast that we have significantly overeaten long before our body can start sending us signals that we are full.  By eating more     slowly, you will naturally eat less without having to try to cut down on your food quantity.

1. Take your time to really taste your food and be present.
2. Chew your food thoroughly.  Your stomach doesn’t have teeth!
3. Put your fork down between each bite.
4. Engage in conversation during the meal.

Turn Up Your Training!

With all of the extra stress we are dealing with this time of year:

1. Make it a point to exercise for even just 20 minutes.  This will decrease stress levels, improve your mood, give you more energy to complete your to do list and keep away that holiday weight gain.
2. Research shows that you can improve your fitness and boost your metabolism dramatically with very short training sessions.  Ask your Evolution Trainer to design a ‘Tabata’ style interval workout for you!

Hydrate… Early and Often!

Wake up and drink a bottle of water first thing (16oz.).  Get the day started right, and don’t let dehydration affect your energy and mislead you into feeling hungry when you aren’t.

Stop Stressin’ and Start Sleepin’!

Yes, there are a ton of extra errands to do, gifts to wrap, parties to prep for, and kids to shuttle around, but sacrificing too much sleep in order to get the to-do list complete will hinder your body’s ability to recover from both your workouts and daily activities! Seven to eight hours of continuous sleep will improve your focus, energy level,     and boost your immune system!

Bulk up!

Let’s face the facts – we all over eat during the holidays, so how can     that be good for our fitness?  Well, one way to take advantage of     increased calories is to turn it into MUSCLE.  Perform heavy-resistance,     short-repetition workouts split up into different movements each day for maximum results!

Choose your Booze!

Many people increase their alcohol consumption significantly during the holidays. If you choose to enjoy holiday cocktails, pick the alcoholic beverages that are lowest in calories (avoid high-calorie, sugary mixers) and then make sure you determine a realistic, measurable “drinking” strategy that you are willing to commit to during the holiday season.  Options can include:

1. Choose a set number of drinks that you allow yourself to indulge in per week.
2. Drink a full 8 ounces of water after every alcoholic drink you consume.  

Veggies Baby!

Pile your plate with extra veggies this holiday season.  This will leave less room for indulgent items, and will also help slow down your digestion. This slowed digestion will decrease the amount of insulin your body produces. Insulin is one of the biggest culprits in causing our bodies to store fat.

Eat Smart and Set the Tone!

1. Set the blood sugar and energy tone for the day by eating a healthy breakfast every morning, and make sure to include lean protein in that breakfast.  The result will be less hunger and less inclination to over indulge throughout the day.
2. When you know you will be having a big meal or going to a party, don’t under eat prior to it in hopes of saving up your calories.  This will lower your blood sugar, causing your body to release cortisol (a stress hormone).  At the party you will likely eat faster and overeat significantly.

Try it all… ONCE!

Something about this season, big gatherings encourage us to try and set a personal record for food volume at meals.  When you have a big meal with a lot of different options (think traditional Thanksgiving meal), go ahead and grab a little bit of everything… but make sure it all fits on one plate and don’t go back to fill that plate up a second time.

Share with Grace

The social discomfort of clean eating, or leading a healthier lifestyle than those that you may be enjoying time with during the holidays, can be awkward and may hinder your own nutrition, exercise and sleep habits.  So if you’re heading to an event and you know the host will most likely be serving food that could lead you into a personal danger zone, offer to bring appetizers or entrées for additional options and share your personal values of health with those you love.

Practice YOGA

Try YOGA or make sure you get in your regular Yoga sessions!  Yogis are more likely to eat mindfully and less likely to gain weight over a 10-year period than non-practitioners are, research in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association shows.

Make the Time and Take the Time

It’s quite simple really.  This time of year is for celebrating those in your life that bring you joy and happiness along with allowing yourself to rest, rejuvenate, and enjoy. Make the time to do something each day that makes you happy.  Take time, even 5 minutes, to sit with an old friend and catch up, write a card to a family member, or enjoy 5 minutes of stillness and silence, allowing you to relax. One of the most essential elements of our health is our psychological and emotional well-being.  So make some time and enjoy!