Many of us overindulge our cravings for food and alcohol during the holidays, but does it really have to be like that every year? You can enjoy the holidays equally without accumulating excess pounds and endanger your health, following these tips:
Self-Application
Make healthier choices and eat lots of vegetables
If you are the one preparing the feast try to include interesting vegetables in your appetizers such as tomato, basil and bocconcini, carrots, celery, cucumber and dip. Nutritionists advise you to fill at least half the plate with vegetables before you pour anything else (potatoes are not included!). Vegetables are rich in vitamins, minerals, and fibers that strengthen immunity and facilitate digestion. Fill your plate with salad and avoid vegetables and salads that are high in fatty sauces like mayonnaise. Go for home made dressing that are lemon juice based.
Portion Control
Use a smaller plate if you can. Choose to be the last to be served. Don’t go back for seconds and try to eat slowly. If you cut out totally your favorite foods chances are you will develop cravings so start by focusing on portion size. Instead of eating a whole block of chocolate, eat just a square. Instead of a whole bowel of ice cream, eat just s spoonful, instead of a couple of glasses of wine, use a smaller glass and stop at one glass.
Drink plenty of water
If you consume alcohol, try to drink one glass of water between every two glasses of drink – this way you will avoid being drunk and the possibility to overeat. Try to drink at least a liter of water per day to remove toxins from your body. If you don’t like water, add a fruit to it like lemon and mint or real orange juice.
Keep Yourself Busy
If you are the host you will eat and drink less because you are busy running around cooking and making sure your guests are happy. If you are a guest, try to remain standing and moving around. Don’t sit down next to nibbles, Try to position yourself as far away from the food as possible so you need to reach out to grab it. This way you will be more conscious on when you are eating as opposed to sitting next to a bowel of chips and dipping your hand in every few minutes.
Exercise
Even a half an hour of a quick walk will eliminate the throbbing, speed up your metabolism and raise your mood. After a big meal suggest a walk to the park, a game of botchy, cricket or soccer in the garden before the next course or after desert. You can also go and do your shopping on foot, hide the TV remote control, walk up and down stair and ramp up your general movement.
Rest the digestive tract
Prepare easier meals and try to refrain from alcohol in periods when you do not celebrate anything. These can be soups, salads or vegetables stored in any way.
Avoid buying snacks, sweets, and fast foods
Although this can look like an excellent way to save time and energy, it will contribute to the accumulation of excess pounds. Fill your kitchen fixtures and shelves with healthier substitutes. As a general rule fresh is best and the more processed the food and the more ingredients are on the pack the worst the food will be for you.
Never go hungry to the party
If you think that in this way you will reduce the number of calories you will enter that day, you are in great mischief. Moreover, it is likely that hunger, combined with the abundance of available foods, will lead to exaggeration and overeating
Coaching Application
As you know the trick to your clients achieving their goal is for them to come up with their own solutions.
Speak to your client to understand their triggers. Each person is different. Some of us drink a lot, other can’t say no to a second helping, whilst some of us fill up on unhealthy food such as chips and snacks.
Ask your client what goal they want to achieve and why that goal is important for them. For example they want to stay healthy because they want to be able to run after their kids or they want to have less back pain.
Then get them to visualize their goal – “what would your life look like if you were able to not over indulge?” Ask your client to focus on that potential self.
Teach your client to me mindful about what they eat, to eat more slowly, to savor each mouthful and to become conscious of what they eat, when they eat too much and why that happens.
Set realistic goals and allow your clients to forgive themselves, to have break days and focus on what they were able to achieve and what worked.
Remind your client that its never to late to start again.