5 Tips to Stay on Track through the Holidays with your Nutrition Goals
by Scott Estrada
It’s very easy to get derailed from good habits during the holidays with all the social events involving the amount of food and drink we are offered. Especially when most of the calories are higher in sugars, bad fats and lower in vibrancy or what I call “dead calories”. Here are some simple tips to keep you mindful when making choices, and steering you clear of the usual pitfalls leaving you feeling lighter, more energized and able to perform better in you workouts.
- Begin and end each day with warm lemon water. First thing in the morning on an empty stomach to get your digestive juices going and support a more alkaline ph level. A powerful ritual that gets your mind in the right space to make cleaner choices and helps your body deal with residues from richer foods and alcohol. At the end of the night after dinner to neutralize digestive acids from breaking down foods all day, relieving stress on the digestive organs and helping you relax.
- Intermittent fasting during your day knowing you have a holiday gathering to attend later makes room for more storage of dense calories and glucose (glycogen). Eating lighter early in the day or even just having a light green smoothie, fresh green juice and keeping hydrated are good habits when you know a bigger calorie load is coming at an event.
- Take your enzymes. Always a good strategy is to pop a full spectrum enzyme capsule before a meal to help your digestive organs deal with the variety of foods and drinks you consume. This is especially good when traveling when food choices can be slim and subpar.
- Do your best to combine food for optimal digestion and less internal stress. Fruit is best eaten solo on an empty stomach; if you mix it with starches and proteins, you will most likely have gas, bloating and indigestion. Shoot for the “paleo” combo of proteins and greens/veggies vs. the classic meat and potato/starch combo that sits in your gut for much longer than you want while zapping vital energy that can fuel your workouts and help you perform.
- Share your desserts and be mindful of sugar intake especially if having beer, wine or cocktails. Spiking insulin from too much sugars lead to quick weight gain around the middle. Stop eating when your about 80% full.
Take away: enjoy the holidays with family and friends! Just be good to yourself and try a few of these tips to help curb the extra calories that temp you from every angle. Remember you can’t outwork a poor diet. Make good choices but have some fun too – balance is key!
