Who’s still stuffed? I know I am. In fact, I am not just stuffed but feeling a tad bit glutinous. I ate my fill. And even with all the love I have for Thanksgiving, I can definitely see why it only comes once a year. But let’s talk about the holidays spanning from Halloween to the New Year.
This is a time filled with chilly weather, sweets and treats, feast upon feats, and more family gatherings filled with all your favorite foods than you can count. With that in mind, there are roughly about five to eight days that are there to celebrate, depending on your personal preference or religion.
With three months in that time span, people will often “give up” on healthy eating or physical activity, in hopes to start after the new year. Why do people continue this pattern for a couple days during the year? It is tricky keeping a diet or following a strenuous workout routine. However, a healthy lifestyle is nothing to shy away from because of the holidays!
A healthy lifestyle stems from everyday choices that don’t have to burden you but fuel you, refresh you and give you lots of energy. Not only that, but a healthy lifestyle will have you staying in a more positive mood all year round.
Now, how can you make healthy choices in your type of lifestyle? It is true everyone lives a different life and has a different schedule, so maybe a couple tricks can give you some guidance in your busy everyday lives:
Eat your veggies. It is so important to find some sort of green in your diet on a daily basis. Whether it’s having a small salad on the side with dinner, dumping some green beans from a can in your lunch, or even keeping those frozen vegetable bags in your freezer at all times.
One of the trickiest things about eating healthy on a daily basis is that it can be so time-consuming. But you do not always have to make everything from raw materials or cook like chef Gordon Ramsay. Yes, I am in college and eat green beans from a can. I have no shame in my game. Making sure to find that balance and get your nutrients anyway you can is key, if it comes from Trader Joe’s or Great Value.
Drink water as much as possible. Seems like a no-brainer, but during the colder months more people tend to drink less water because they are not hot, so they don’t feel thirsty.
Thirsty or not, you should always be sipping that water. Keeping a water bottle with you at all times is always a great idea. It is also important during the winter to continue consuming appropriate amounts of water, because it helps regulate your body temperature. So avoid the cold, drink water.
Lastly, choose to move. Anyway you can, anytime and anywhere. This doesn’t necessarily mean planning a daily workout with equipment or reps and sets. But instead of sitting on the couch asking the closest person to the kitchen to grab you a drink, get up and do it yourself, not because that person can’t do it, but because it is an excuse to move your body. During a commercial break, see how many crunches you can do until your program is back on, not because you have to, but because it is an excuse to move.
