You may consider yourself a health-conscious, fit person who eats healthy, exercises regularly, and maintains a good work-life balance. But once the holiday season begins, we all seem to let go of our healthy habits. There’s just something about the holiday season that always takes its toll on your normal routine, energy and waistline. But you can choose to stick to a few healthy habits during holiday seasons, be it Christmas or any other.
In attempt to avoid overeating and other common issues during the winter holidays, most people rely on certain practices, which can actually backfire. Here are the most common mistakes and tips how to turn them into healthier alternatives.
You don’t eat before the holiday party
Whether it is the office holiday party or a cocktail, there will be plenty of delicious food. So, you may naturally decide to skip one meal in advance of it. But that’s the worst thing you can do, because you’ll arrive at the party starving and you will eat much more than you should. Having a healthy afternoon snack will be much smarter. In addition, you will look like a balanced person with good manners if you don’t stuff yourself with food.
You cut down on red meat and devour whole chickens instead
As a matter of fact, fish or skinless chicken breasts aren’t much healthier than red meat when in large amounts. Chicken has a lot of cholesterol and salmon – lots of fats. In addition, chicken is said to be full of hormones, which can harm your body in a number of ways. Simply try smaller-sized portions.
No limit for the olive oil
Olive oil is packed with healthy fats, so it’s considered a healthy alternative to other vegetable oils in various recipes. But it has just as many calories as any other kind of fat, so be careful with the amounts! More than two tablespoons a day may lead to a weight gain. A good selection of extra virgin olive oils for home use can be found here.
Buying “all natural” meat and turkey
In fact, the term all-natural, or even organic, means nothing specific and is quite open to interpretation – a turkey, injected with sodium and water will still be all-natural. Stick to products with certified organic labels.
Staying up late
December is a chain of parties for some people, so it’s easy to break your normal routine. You stay up late, but need to wake up early, so instead of enjoying the holidays by resting and reducing the stress, you can actually end up more tired than while you are at work. Try to sleep more and avoid watching TV late at night.
Washing your hands with antibacterial soap
Winter is the time of the flu and other infections, so protecting yourself with antibacterial soap may look like a good idea. But it’s not. In fact, antibacterial soaps kill good bacteria, too, causing redness, irritation and rashes. Besides, they contribute to drug-resistant bacteria. Simply stick to regular soap and water or alcohol-based tissues.
You plan a post-holiday cleanse
Detox diets and cleanses are very trendy, promising to help you shed the extra weight you’ve gained in December. But severe calorie restrictions are extremely unhealthy – you may lose weight, but you will also deprive your body of essential nutrients. Go for a simple diet with more veggies and whole grains, as the very successful one mentioned here.
There are many other health mistakes that people do, but these are the most common misconceptions that often leave us ill, heavier and more stressed after the holidays. The point is to have a good time, get rest and stress out, so try to keep it simple and don’t be obsessed about finding the perfect Christmas gifts or preparing the ideal festive dinner.
