How to Survive the Holidays

Enjoying time with family, opening presents and eating lots of homemade baked goods is what we all look forward to on the holidays.  There are a few small adjustments you can make that will help you avoid the sugar-overloaded, bloated, painfully-full feeling that many of us experience around this time of year.

Here are 10 tips to get through the holidays without completely derailing your nutrition:

1. Skip the Doggy Bag - 
What I mean by this is, don't bring home the leftover tin of sweets or the full fat mashed potatoes your Aunt made. Enjoy yourself on the holiday, but don't set yourself up for sabotage by taking home temptations.

2. H2O Please!!! - 
Drink LOTS of water. Spice up your water with lemon, orange, mint or strawberry. Drink an 8-ounce glass of water before you eat and it will help you feel full faster. Lemon water helps with digestion and supports immunity as well.

3. Make your Plate Green -
Eat lots of greens and salad if at all possible. Leafy greens take longer to digest so you will feel fuller longer. Also, filling up on this will prevent overeating.

4. Use a Plate -
Do not eat out of the appetizer bowl  - always use a plate, so your are portioning out your food.

5. Eat, Drink and Be Mindful -
Be aware of what you are eating, enjoy the food, chew slowly and focus on the conversation you are having. It takes around 20 minutes for your stomach to tell your brain its full, so take your time!

6. Pre-Workout - 
Get a high cardio workout in the day before the event, this will be sure to increase your metabolism so you can splurge a little on the holiday.

7. Grab a Glass of Vino - 
Skip the high calorie, sugary, processed drinks and go for red wine if you are going to drink alcohol. It is high in antioxidants and helps lower cholesterol. 

8. Bring the Health -
Always try to bring a healthy option to contribute to the food, but also as a sneaky way to make sure you have a good choices to add to your plate.

9. Hot Tea -
Drink a glass of hot tea before you eat dessert - this can help cut down on sugar cravings.

10. Eat Before you Eat-
Eat a snack or a serving of Shakeology before you head out to the holiday event, this will be sure to prevent over-indulging. 

I hope you are able to apply a few of these tips to your holiday get together. Happy Holidays everyone! Stay safe, stay warm, enjoy time with your family, splurge (in moderation) and be mindful of your health.