5 Tips to feel good inside and out during the holidays.

1. Taste food rather than eat it.
When the holidays arrive, it can be easy to overload your plate.
Those who eat larger portions tend to gain weight more easily than those who don’t so go with the intention to ‘taster food rather than it’.
It’s a great mindset to have because you can enjoy various foods without overdoing and potentially feeling worse of later.

2. Include exercise during the festive season
During the holiday season, many people have an “I’ll start tomorrow” mentality, which can end up prolonging unhealthy habits.
If you are exercising maintain your routine and if not now is a perfect time to start to counterbalance those festive calories.

3. Drink wisely
Alcohol and other calorie-rich beverages are prevalent during this time of year. These drinks can contribute a significant amount of sugar and empty calories to your diet, which can cause weight gain.
So rather than missing out why not choose wisely.
Champagne and prosecco (brut) are 80-89 calories per glass with 1-2g of sugar, and a regular vodka soda lime comes in at 95 calories with zero sugar.

4. Control your stress levels
Keeping up with the demands of the holidays can be stressful.
Cortisol is a hormone released when stressed, and stressed individuals with have high levels of cortisol levels which may cause weight gain, as they have been linked to greater food intake.
It’s important to keep stress levels under control in general — but especially during the holidays, when you might be busy and surrounded by unhealthy foods.
Plenty of techniques can help you reduce stress. Some options include exercise, meditation, yoga, and deep breathing and don’t forgot to share the load with all the holiday prep and planning!

5. Limit your dessert intake
Dessert is everywhere during the holiday season. This often leads to excessive sugar consumption, a common cause of weight gain.
Rather than indulging desserts, savour them by simply taking the time to eat them slowly — which may leave you feeling more satisfied and less likely to overdo it.
Also, remember the concept of ‘tasting’ food rather than ‘eating’ that way you don’t miss out on the experience, but you do in the calories, win-win.