Now that the holiday season is here, we need to have a little talk about eating.
The holidays are full of delicious food, dinners with family, and high emotions. All of this can lead to overeating.
Eating too much can leave you feeling stuffed and uncomfortable. You may even feel guilty or sad. You may think you need to over-correct or “be good” to make up for overeating.
But this is not the case. There are simple, healthy ways to get your mind and your body back on track.
Plan your meals
If you are willing to spend time planning a holiday or spending time with family or friends, why would you not plan what you eat?
Spending a little time doing a weekly meal plan will save you time and money and enable you to make sure you have what you need to eat according to your best intentions.
If you have to decide what to eat every night, you are likely to eat according to what you have at home, which may not be ideal.
Start your day with a balanced breakfast
One of the things you can do after going a little overboard with eating is to make sure you always start your day off with a healthy, balanced breakfast. Start with a protein and fibre-rich breakfast to get your blood sugar going in the right direction.
Eggs and oatmeal or wholegrain toast with peanut butter and a side of Greek yoghurt are great options. This will help with feeling better throughout the day.
Ignore negativity
Snap yourself out of any negative self-talk. You may have gone off the rails for a week or so, but let us face it, you are not a horrible person. Notice when you are beating yourself up, and redirect that energy to planning your next meal.
Clean out the fridge and restock with only healthy options
Stock your fridge with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables and drink and eat them. This is a great time to consume extra light meals and enjoy plenty of fruit and vegetable-based meals, snacks and juices.
Avoid all alcohol, sugar, and processed foods, and eat only clean wholefood to reset your system.
Stay hydrated
The dishes have been cleared. The pie has been eaten. And you have a terrible stomach ache from eating too much green bean casserole. While you might feel as though you never want to eat another bite or drink another drop, staying hydrated can actually help you feel better.
Sipping water after a large meal can keep you hydrated, and those extra fluids can help with digestion and prevent constipation.
Additionally, herbal teas like mint and ginger can soothe an upset stomach and help with indigestion.
Spice up your life
Turmeric, cinnamon, and chilli are just a few that can help rev things up and help balance the blood sugar and control cravings. There is so much to learn about the wonders of spices.
Keep a food diary
Those bites, licks, and tastes can add up to big calories. Make this your mantra: if you bite it, write it. You might be surprised at where you are taking in extra calories that are keeping your weight loss efforts from taking off.
Plus, a journal makes it easier to find times during the day when you can pinpoint stress eating or overeating.
You can then use the journal as a tool to devise a solution to diet-destroying eating patterns.