How to Stay Fit over the Holidays Recap!

Eat, Move, and Live Better!

The holiday season can be a tough time to stay healthy or even improve on your current health. One of the tactics Jonathan Senger from Sweat Equity Fitness and I discussed at this nutritional seminar were ways to identiy potential roadblocks, come up with a strategy, and consider possible options to deal with those roadblocks

​Some of those nutritional roadblocks we identified included: holiday parties, travel, bad weather, family visits, holiday stress, and dining out. Stategies to deal with those stressors included bringing healthy options to outings, eating before going, drinking plenty of water, continuing exercise, travel packs of healthy food, and planning events around activity instead of food. The options included fruit and veggie plates, air popped popcorn, noncaloric fluids such as mineral water or tea, and homemade miso soup or oatmeal packets for travel. Remember the 3 ounce rule when traveling since many store bought options don't follow this rule but you can buy 3 ounce containers and fill them with peanut butter or yogurt and bring them in your carry on bag. 

In an attempt to keep it simple, I attempted to reduced nutrition guidelines to a couple of simple rules. These rules include: hydrate; consume high quality nutrient dense foods; pay attention to serving sizes; moderate appetitie with frequent small meals; and plan ahead. There are plenty of charts out there on serving sizes but refer to your palm and hand if needed. Your thumb is two tablespoons, tip of the thumb is a teaspoon, palm is three ounces, and fist is one cup. 

Another topic we discussed is mental wellness over the holiday season. Continue to try to get as much sleep as you need during the season to combat stress and getting run down. Plan time to destress and be proactive about it before you become a ticking time bomb that can explode at any moment. Sometimes even small amounts of time spread out throughout the week may help. Also try to be as efficient as possible on your busy days. When I am super busy, sometimes I turn the oven on bake and cut up whatever veggies I have available in my fridgerator. I spray them lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and dried herbs like sage and thyme. I place the veggies in the oven when I start to get ready to head out the door then turn the oven off before I leave (remember to turn the over off!!!). Sometimes I am leaving for a bike ride or a run and I plan my route around my errands. When I get back, I have roasted veggies still warm in the oven and ready for dinner. 
 
The last topic that Jonathan discussed was high intensity training. He has an amazing studio that focuses on training for busy people. His goal is to get all the exercise you need for a day into less then thirty minutes using minimal equipment and a heart rate moniter. Check out his website more of his story Sweat Equity Fitness.