By Dagmar Alayash, e-Management
The Thanksgiving weekend is upon us! So, bring on the turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, and the endless trail of delicious holiday dishes. Top the meal off with an array of spectacular desserts and we have a wonderful feast. So, how do we maintain our health during this challenging time? You know, the time of year when it seems to be okay to “forget” about being healthy.
Will desserts make or break you during this holiday season? Remember, there is always a healthier alternative.
This is the holiday season, after all, and we need to eat anything that looks absolutely scrumptious. Why should we worry about how much food to eat? Is there another approach we can take that won’t put too many restrictions on our food intake? Will the new approach ultimately help to relax our attitude towards food and our health during this season?
Start early!
Well in advance of the holiday season, begin to increase, or start if you haven’t done so already, weekly exercising, which could simply mean just walking a few hours a week (e.g. three 20-30 minute walks during the week). The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says adults need 2 ½ hours of moderate intensity activity every week for the greatest health benefits. That’s just under 22 minutes each day. The good news is that you don’t even have to complete the 22 minutes all at once. Exercising at a moderate intensity for at least 10 minutes leads to the same health benefits as longer sessions (Source: Walk Today).
No excuses.
No time to fit the exercise in? Well, check out the combined . A Mayo Clinic study results showed that on average 100 more calories an hour were burnt while walking slowly, less than 1 mile per hour than while sitting and working. Hop on the work station treadmill for your lunch break; what a great way to fit in some exercise and a little each day could reap huge health benefits in the long run – add the fitness device to your workplace wish list. 
Learn how to let go.
This early intervention could also include ’letting go’ of 100 – 200 calories a day. You could, for instance, substitute the muffin, bagel, or cookie with fruit or all natural yogurts. Whatever works for you. The goal is to maintain a healthy lifestyle prior to the holidays in the hope that this lifestyle will sustain us through the “tough times” (i.e., Thanksgiving dinner and the like). This allows us to splurge here and there with a moderate amount of indulgence. This is easy to talk about and the reality is that in practice it may not go so smoothly. So, let’s also consider the cooks and non-cooks during the holidays and look at the different challenges each group faces.
Consider this if you are cooking…
If you are cooking during the holidays, you have the advantage of selecting what to prepare and can choose from many heart-healthy meals to ensure the meal is a relatively wholesome and nutritious one. Also, more and more recipes are frequently being modified to make them healthier. For example, I use Cooking Light for healthy dishes. In, fact, there is a recipe makeover section on the website with eggplant parmesan, brownies and many other decadent favorites transformed into healthy, flavorful meals and desserts. Another source for good holiday recipes geared towards maintaining a healthy lifestyle is .
Consider this if you plan to show-up and eat…
If you don’t plan to cook this year, you are definitely one of the lucky ones! Relax and enjoy the food. To help stay on the right track, know what you are eating. Find out if the sweet potato dish is really packed with butter and sugar or perhaps it was cooked with a sugar substitute and a low fat butter. Either way you’ll get a better idea of which dishes you can eat all day to your hearts content and those that are best consumed in moderation. Now if only I can put all this into practice…
The final stretch…
Biggest challenge – the 4 week stretch between Thanksgiving and New Years Day, you’ve eaten well, watched the calories here and there, and generally kept on track. Then here we go all over again. Only this time it seems we are caught up in a feasting whirlwind and there is no point in ‘being good’ as the next holiday is just around the corner. Keep focused during this time, try to keep moving and most importantly enjoy the holidays!
What are your trade secrets?
What are you trade secrets for keeping healthy during the end-of-year feasts? Do you have any tips to share for transforming high fat or sugary foods to heart-healthy alternatives? Please share what’s worked for you. I’d love to hear your tips or ideas!
