Amid all that food and fun, you might find yourself wondering about strategies for staying healthy by making some simple smart choices while enjoying time with friends and family. Dr. Jacob Mey, an assistant research professor at Pennington Biomedical Research Center who focuses on integrated physiology and molecular medicine, has lots of tips for maintaining personal health while making the most of the holiday season, ensuring you feel good on the backside of Fat Tuesday, too.
“I really want to have people shift their mindset away from worrying about weight loss during the holidays, or worrying about weight gain during the holidays, to enjoying it,” he said.
1.Keep your breakfast—and lunch—balanced.
Resist the temptation to skip meals on days you plan to attend a holiday dinner or party later in the day. Instead of starving yourself, Mey says, create a counterbalance by having a lighter breakfast or lunch than usual.
“It's changing that mindset and just saying, ‘Hey, I'm aware that there's going to be more calories later. I want to enjoy those. Let me just eat a little less at my normal breakfast. Let me eat a little less at my normal lunch.’ And so that's one easy tip to move forward,” Mey said.
If you’re not convinced, research shows that skipping those meals often results in over-eating later out of unchecked hunger. Play it safe by giving your body the energy it needs without overdoing it.
2. Practice mindful eating.
A popular concept in recent years, mindful eating encourages you to savor and enjoy each bite of food instead of speeding through a meal—either to get it over in an attempt to avoid feeling guilty, or by giving in to the temptation to stuff yourself with delicious treats. For starters, Mey suggests taking a bite of food, a sip of water, and then having a conversation before returning to your plate.
“That prolongs the eating period,” he said. “It lets your body understand fullness a little more, and also lets us savor and enjoy the eating times.”
This practice also allows you to slow down, be present, and not “just gobble up and go,” Mey added.
3. Keep to your normal exercise routines.
Another way to be present? Fight the urge to squeeze in a particularly long run or more intense workout pre- or post-holiday party to “make up” for ramped up caloric intake. Instead, focus on relaxing, while also maintaining your daily, healthy exercise routine.
That compulsion to burn extra calories is not a good mindset, Mey says. Not only does it feed negativity but, he noted, the calories are never going to match up: “You're never going to exercise as much as you're going to eat later,” Mey added.
Acknowledge that you’re going to be eating more and commit to keeping up with your usual exercise routine, even if it’s just walking 10 minutes a day or doing some light stretches.
4. Don't be scared of sections — or the dessert table.
The holiday season is about enjoyment and celebration. While practicing mindful eating, making healthy choices, and keeping up with physical activity, you don’t have to shy away from seconds—or avoid the dessert table.
“Don't beat yourself up over that,” Mey said. “It's about enjoying the moment, enjoying the time, of keeping everything positive.”
Try selecting your favorite dessert, taking mindful bites, while talking to friends and family, then checking in with yourself about how you feel when finished. If you still want more to eat, go for it: “The little extra calories you have at these sort of events really aren't going to be too harmful,” Mey said.
5. Experiment with healthier recipes.
Want to go a step further? There are countless versions of recipes that substitute healthier ingredients than the usual, from more fiber and extra protein, to increased nutrient density or quality. Pennington Biomedical’s Metabolic Kitchen offers many such recipes, including holiday-friendly favorites like a sweet and savory Green Apple Dressing or vegetable-packed Butternut Squash Soup.
Learn more about how to stay healthy—this holiday season and beyond—with Pennington Biomedical Research Center’s Small Shifts Campaign.
Visit www.pbrc.edu/smallshifts to learn more.
