I would like to take a second to say thank you and Happy Holidays to all of our Healthy Tech Talkers — those of you participating by blogging and those of you who visit the site each day to follow along with your own healthy lifestyle journey.
The NAILS offices will be closed Dec. 24-28 and Jan. 1-4. Posting will be sporadic between now and January 5 because I’ll be on vacation back east with my family.
But before I leave I’d like to leave you with a few words of wisdom from our favorite Hungry Girl website.
Hungry Girl’s Top ATE Survival Tips for the Holiday Season
1. Stay active! Don’t sit on the couch like a slug all day, sucking down candy canes and chocolate Santas. Take a walk. If there’s snow, take some kids (young relatives, friends’ kids, your own kids) out sledding. Find ways to burn additional calories to make up for the extra chewing you’re probably doing.
2. The big meal(s)...don’t overdo it. This is definitely a time of celebration, so you should enjoy yourself. There IS, however, a big difference between “enjoying” and “gorging.” Make sure you balance out portions of your favorites with other lighter options. And what do we always say? Eat lots of lean protein and plenty of veggies!
3. Food gift advice. People LOVE to give edible holiday gifts, whether it’s a tin of cookies or a homemade fruitcake. This is nice, but don’t feel like you need to eat it ALL. If you’re an out-of-town guest, plead “no room in the luggage” and give it away to a pal. If you’re at home, have a little party and set out all the goodies people gave you.
4. Holiday shopping. Mall-crawling can be SO exhausting — all the people and the lights and the sales and the shoving. Eventually, you’re going to get worn out and need to eat. Don’t dive into a pile of food court fried rice or some greasy burger. Most malls have a Subway or some kind of sandwich shop. Stick with lean proteins and greens. And go easy on the dressing.
5. Drink lots of water! If you don’t, you’ll likely get cranky, mistake thirst for hunger, and make bad decisions. By drinking a lot of water, you’ll be fully hydrated AND you won’t feel like you need to eat everything you see.
6. Leftovers?! They’re a joy and a burden, especially if the big meal was at your place. Try to hand off the heavier foods to your guests before they leave. (HG Tip! Stock up on those cheapie disposable containers and freeze whatever you have too much of instead of trying to swallow it all before it goes bad.)
7. Watch the calories you drink, party animal. Celebrating is fun, but try and keep your beverages on the lighter side. Eggnog may be a time-honored tradition, but it’s also traditionally LOADED with fat and calories. Keep it simple with cocktails made from seltzer or diet soda and a shot of vodka or rum — skip juice-based drinks and heavy liquors.
8. Sneak in swaps wherever you can by bringing a guilt-free option or two for the holiday feast. Make sure your contribution is delicious (otherwise you’ll be wildly unpopular) but low enough in fat and calories that you can indulge in it.
So good luck on making healthy choices between now and the New Year. I’m sure many of you (like me) will be making New Year’s Resolutions to get back on track on our healthy lifestyles. I know we can all do it if we really want to! Join me in a cyber toast to a healthier you!
Ho, Ho, Ho — Hannah
Print | posted on Monday, December 22, 2008 2:36 PM