3 Tips to Maintain Healthy Habits During the Holidays

If you always find yourself off track in the diet department this time of year, you’re not alone. Some of my favorite foods are served during the holidays. Even on a full stomach these dishes can be hard to refuse. But if we partake thoughtfully this holiday season, we can still enjoy our favorite things without the guilt.

Pamela Redwine, a family and consumer sciences agent with the Mississippi State University Extension Service in Yalobusha County, shares her top three tips for navigating food-centered happenings:

1. Practice moderation. There are going to be a lot of holiday parties and family gatherings where you will be tempted to indulge more than usual. So, take that into consideration when you are choosing your meals for the day. For example, if you are going to a holiday dinner, choose a lighter lunch that day and breakfast the next morning with more fruits, veggies, and lean proteins.
2. Choose wisely. Although you know you are going to indulge a little more than usual, don’t eat everything! Spend your calories wisely. Choose foods that you love and only get the opportunity to eat occasionally or during the holidays.
3. Stay active. Don’t leave out exercise. During the holidays, it’s easy to get so busy that you disrupt your regular exercise routine. Try not to let this happen! Being physically active will not only help you keep those unwanted pounds off, but it will also help relieve some of that holiday stress. So, keep your exercise routine in check as much as possible during the holidays. 

Be on the lookout for more holiday fitness tips! Follow along with the 12 Days of Fitmas in the Extension Nutrition and Wellness Facebook group during December.