Tips for a Healthy Holiday Season
Happy Holidays Hockey FIT fans! We all know that during the holiday season we can be challenged in many ways to stay on track with our healthy habits. We are here to give you some tips to help you stay on track this year while still enjoying the holiday season – treats, social events, and all!
Here are our top tips for a healthy holiday season:
- Stay Hydrated! Water plays an important role in our mood, energy, and immune system. Ensuring you drink enough fluids throughout the day will also prevent you from overindulging and searching for snacks when you in fact may just be thirsty. Here is more information on how much water you should consume each day: https://www.unlockfood.ca/en/articles/water/facts-on-fluids-how-to-stay-hydrated.aspx
- Bring a healthy holiday appetizer to your next holiday event. “Healthy” food doesn’t mean it doesn’t taste delicious! There’s plenty of delicious and nutrient-packed recipes that will be crowd pleasers at your next social event. Bringing a healthy appetizer will also ensure that there’s at least one healthy item for you to load up on if all of the other foods are less healthy. Here are a few of our favourites: https://www.foodnetwork.com/healthyeats/holidays/2013/12/25-healthy-holiday-appetizers
- Add colourful vegetables to your plate first! Before diving into the mashed potatoes and stuffing, try to add as many colourful vegetables as you can to fill ½ of your plate first. This will help you to fill up on nutrients and fibre first to avoid overeating those lower nutrient items. Great examples include brussel sprouts, carrots, squash, salad, mixed vegetables, etc.
- Watch your intake of liquid calories from alcohol and sugary drinks. Alcohol can affect our ability to digest carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. It is best to avoid consuming alcohol especially while eating, however, if you’re going to be enjoying a few alcoholic beverages or sugary drinks, try to mix in a tall glass of water between each drink to fill you up and decrease your intake. It is best to choose water as your primary source of hydration where possible!
- Stay active! Physical activity benefits both our mind and our body. It can help to reduce stress, boost your mood, and improve your energy. During the hustle and bustle of December, it’s important to take time to take care of yourself. Remember you don’t have to spend hours in the gym to hit your exercise goals – every little bit of movement counts! Schedule a walk with a friend, try a new fitness class, go skiing or snowshoeing, try an online yoga class, or wake up with a morning meditation and stretch.
- Lastly & most importantly, maintain good hand hygiene over the holidays. Especially now that things are feeling a bit more “normal” compared to the last few years, don’t forget to wash your hands to prevent the spread of germs and (as you all know) be sure to stay home if you are feeling unwell.
At Hockey FIT we strongly believe that eating everything in moderation, incorporating more vegetables, lean proteins, and whole food products in your everyday diet can lead to success in maintaining a healthy lifestyle! Restrictive diets are unsustainable and can lead to negative eating behaviours (overeating and overindulging). Together, let’s choose to eat more whole foods such as, vegetables, fruits, lean proteins (chicken, fish, turkey), and high-quality complex carbohydrates (quinoa, brown rice, whole grain products) to benefit our body long-term. Eating well and staying active work hand in hand. Don’t forget to sneak in active breaks throughout the holidays, get outside for a walk, and get your body moving wherever possible. Every little bit counts!
We hope you find these tips helpful, and we wish you a wonderful holiday season and a Happy New Year!