Welcome to the Eating Season!
The eating season kicks off quite strongly with Halloween and a massive calorie consumption.
[ctt template=”8″ link=”S4OBj” via=”no” nofollow=”yes”]In fact, according to verywell.com, some news sources have estimated that children consume between 3500 and 7000 calories from Halloween candy each year. [/ctt]
As people move further through the eating season (ie the holidays) they will often forget their SMART Goals and intentions of living a healthy life.
They will go through the holiday season partaking in the gluttony of food, sweets, and the eggnog until it all catches up. At the end of all of this, they are left feeling lethargic, unhealthy and frustrated with themselves.
The thing is that this does not have to be you.
There are so many ways to enjoy the holiday season feeling wonderful, enjoying the festivities and indulging in a few treats too.
Read on for 10 tips to holiday health plus links for some of my favored recipes.
- Enjoy active family fun such as building snowmen and riding sleighs.
- Prepare food ahead of time so that as you are rushing around for the holiday fun you can stay well nourished and full of energy.
- Give the gift of health in the form of exercise passes, fruit baskets or health gadgets.
- Have your treat and enjoy it. Yes, I said to have it but the key is to enjoy it. Make sure that any splurge is actually worth the splurge. If it is not really good then skip over it.
- Do not have more than one splurge in a row. Splurges can be a slippery slope. When we have more than one it may be hard to get back up again.
- Stay hydrated throughout the holidays, especially if you are drinking. Drink in moderation, try to drink a glass of water in between each alcoholic drink and stay away from sweet drinks.
- Keep snacks with you at all times. Think in terms of raw nuts, dried fruit, and healthy granola bars.
- If you will be out for the day then step it up. Bring an emergency supply that includes things such as beef jerky, hummus, and boiled eggs.
- Practice your deep breathing during any difficult situations so as to relieve stress and feel great.
- Do not give up exercising. Even when on vacation you should still be exercising each day. It may even be the perfect time to try out some new exercises like hiking, Hot Yoga or Spin class.
Now about those recipes…
[ctt template=”8″ link=”akCe0″ via=”no” nofollow=”yes”]I am offering my Fall Cookbook for FREE for all of my blog subscribers. [/ctt]
This book is filled with delicious vegan and gluten-free options for your holiday table. Delights include yummy appetizers, a great entree, several side dishes and, of course, dessert.
Sign up HERE and I will get the Fall Cookbook right over to you.
I have also pinned many recipes to Pinterest boards so be sure to check those out HERE.
What do you have planned for the holiday season? Are you hosting? I would love to know.
Please share in the comments below.
50 thoughts on “Welcome to The Eating Season”
I agree that splurges are slippery. We need to be mindful even during the holidays. Otherwise, we could get sick during and after the holidays. That is definitely not fun at all. I also like your tip to think of active and outdoor fun for the family.
Yes and that high sugar can really make us quite sick. I am glad you liked my tip.
Hi Elise,
These are great holiday tips for sure.
I especially like the part about limiting your splurges.
We try so hard to have fun that we sometimes just make ourselves sick.
So yeah, do that once in awhile, but don’t go overboard.
I also like the idea continuing to exercise because that kind of helps you keep those splurges under control, doesn’t it?
-Donna
IT certainly does. Exercise definitely helps to even the playing field. IT is also good to limit splurges and eat really well on the other days.
All of these are such great tips! Every year, I prepare Thanksgiving dinner and we expect a lot of family members to attend. I love it but it’s exhausting. I’m going to try to do more prep this year so I can relax more and enjoy the day more. Thanks for the reminders.
I too have been in that situation. Remeber to delegate more too. Your guests will especially appreciate that you will be able to spend more quality time with them in this way,
Couldn’t agree more on this. When ber months is here, expect those calories that we will intake. Staying active is our one way of atleast getting even with it.
Indeed activity does help to even things out.
Hello Elise! I really enjoyed all 10 of your tips to holiday health! I just spent the past week at my son’s house and ate more then my share of sweets ( Mostly From Halloween Candy) LOL
So Yes this was my Splurge as you say HEHE This is something I will have to keep in mind here through the next few months.
Great Share My Friend!
Chery :))
Ahhh…that Halloween candy. Well, it seems that you are not living with it anymore so you should be okie dokie.
Hi Dr. Elise,
All that you have said about the tendency to want to eat uncontrollably during the holiday season are quite true. You have done a great job by giving us tips on how to eat healthy during the holiday.
Thanks for sharing.
Wonderful. I hope that they are of much help to you.
These are great tips. Planning ahead saves me so much time. I don’t want to spend all day Thanksgiving or Christmas in the kitchen cooking. I prep and get the kids involved. It makes everything so much easier.
YES! We are kindred spirits.
Hi Dr. Elise,
Tis’ the season of gluttony, eh? Funny but serious, too.
Your common sense tips are wonderful ways to remind ourselves to not throw our health out the window just because it’s socially accepted for the season.
Edward
It is true. Overindulgence is completely socially acceptable at this time of year but our bodies are not so accepting.
Great tips to stay healthy during the busy holiday season, I like the idea of building a snowman. It is a great way to spend time together and have fun.
Indeed it is. I hope that you will do it 🙂
Hi Elise,
Some great tips there! Typically this season sees me eat a lot of food (both good and not so good). I end up a bit like a bear and end up sleeping it all off. This year I’ll put your tips into practice and try stay on the healthier side of things.
Who knows I may end up not sleeping through the festive season.
Thank you again Elise good info as always!
You are so welcome. We definitely do not want you to sleep through the season. I do not want you to miss all of the fun and sleeping after eating is definitely not healthy.
You have to just keep at the healthy eating no matter what and balance in some exercise when you can from my perspective. But it’s a pain in the butt but you have to. At least I hate candy corn. Makes saying no to it easier.
LOL, it is much easier to say no to the thing you do not like, that is for sure. I agree it is all about balance.
Elise, I love the thoroughness of this list. If a person keeps every tip in mind, s/he will sail through The Eating Season in fine shape! I never have more than 6 teaspoons of sugar (any form) in a day, so I’m pretty particular about what I “spend” that allowance on. And I always carry nuts or other protein with me so that I’m never “forced” to indulge in junk food while I’m out and about. This is the perfect list!
I love what you shared. You have got a system that is really working for you. That is fabulous.
Great tips! I like the point of doing activities together outside like building snowmen. I definitely need to remind myself to stay hydrated — drinking your water is so important! Thanks for sharing!
And water is such a large struggle for so many at this time of year. Snowman building is fun and gets the body moving.
Because I know this season is good for over-eating, I’m going to be very careful in the next few months to watch what I consume. It’s so easy to get carried away!
It certainly is. I like your plan.
Great tips Elise. With a little but of forethought the holiday season can be both healthy and a little indulgent. By the way I love that you have a vegan and gluten free recipe book! Awesome
Yes, with forethought we can be healthy, indulgent and happy too. Thank you regarding the cookbook. 🙂
Fantastic tips! The holiday season is such a hard time to keep up with a healthy lifestyle. I will definitely be remembering these tips in a few weeks. 🙂
Wonderful. Thank you.
A great read! Very practical advice for heading into the tempting holiday season.
Wonderful. I hope you find it useful.
Staying hydrated is so important, especially as it starts getting colder and I’m less tempted to guzzle water. Great tips!
Yes, ma’am and I am guilty of the same. Let’s both drink up.
These are really helpful tips as I struggle with overeating during the holiday season. It’s so tempting to eat more than usual because of how much food is available this time of the year. Love these tips!
So many of us feel the same way. It truly does seem as if the entire season is about eating.
Great tips! I’ve been practicing deep breathing lately and I can’t believe the difference it makes.
That is fabulous. I am so pleased that you find it helpful.
Thank you for the reminder and the tips for avoiding all that over eating that comes during this time of the year. I try to keep a bag of almonds in my purse at all times.
That is a marvelous snack. It is the perfect combo of fiber, healthy fats and protein.
Great tips! I need to up my water intake just in general – I don’t drink alcohol, but still, being hydrated is important. and I try and bring healthy snacks with me when I can too!
-Lauren
Water is the very best thing we can do for our bodies yet it is most often sighted as something people struggle with.
These are great tips for eating at the holidays…so many eating bad food and over indulging…
Great reminder to eat well!
Thank you. I am pleased that you like them.
I love these tips, I’ll definitely be preparing some things ahead of time. The on-the-go snack ideas are perfect too!
Great. Those are two awesome things you can do for yourself.
Thanks for these great tips. I couldn’t agree more with your 10th point. Staying active is the best way to keep our bodies happy 🙂
You are so very welcome. #10 is definitely key to a healthy and happy life.