Finding Balance This Holiday Season

As many SPICES have already noted, it’s important to find balance throughout the holiday season to truly cherish and enjoy it. As they quickly approach, here are a few tips, pointers, and suggestions to help you embrace the holidays this year.

Activity

This is one of my favorite things to do during the holidays. Getting my body moving makes me happy, lightens the mood, and helps increase energy! When I’m able to do this with close friends & family, it’s even better. Our family tradition on Christmas morning is to wake up (early!!!), open gifts, eat breakfast, and go on our annual Christmas day hike. During this hike, each family member takes an animal (dogs, horses, chickens, goats, etc.). This is not only fun for us, it’s also entertaining for others… 😂 Other fun activities include sledding, skiing, & snowshoeing, if you have snow (which I’m predicting that most of us in the Midwest will).

Food Safety

Wash your hands before each meal.
Separate cooked food from raw foods.
Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.
Use or freeze leftovers within 3 days.
Cook foods to safe Internal Temperatures: Turkey/Chicken: 165° F; Beef/Veal/Pork: 160° F; Fish: 145° F; Eggs: 160° F; Leftovers: 165° F; Stuffing: 165° F

Nutrition

Avoid skipping meals to save calories. It is better to have a small breakfast before a large meal, so you are less likely to overeat.
Make your plate festive by choosing colorful foods & include foods from all the food groups
Drink 8 cups of water per day to help keep you hydrated on cold winter days and prevent overeating.
Try a new holiday recipe
Indulge in moderation, be aware of portion sizes, and follow them as best as you can. Instead of having 2 scoops of stuffing, try one scoop of stuffing and 1 scoop of salad.
Fill half of your plate with fruits and veggies – the more, the merrier!
Listen to your body (Intuitive Eating!!!!). If it’s full, it is time to stop eating. Sip on some tea or sparkling water while others finish their meal.