7 Tips for Eating Healthy During the Holidays

Eating healthy during the holidays can be a challenge, especially if attending a party hosted by other people. Here are seven tips and strategies you can use to stay healthy and avoid weight gain and regret.

Ah, the holidays. A time when people around the world enjoy getting together with friends and family, wrapping and opening gifts, and…struggling not to abandon their healthy diet routines.

According to DietDoctor.com, the average person will gain 1-2 pounds over the holiday season (and that figure could be even higher). That extra weight can sometimes take months to come off (if it does at all).

Whether it’s from stress, social pressure, or emotional associations (“Aw, someone brought my favourite childhood cookies!”), there’s no doubt that the holidays create an environment where most of us are tempted to inhale everything we come across…particularly at holiday parties, where unhealthy food is often within arms’ reach at all times.

For those of us who are trying to keep up a healthy diet, especially those struggling with illness, the holidays create a special type of stress. Our willpower is severely tested at every turn:

• Grandma offers you some of her famous shortbread cookies.
• A coworker brings a box of store-bought chocolates to the office.
• A crazy uncle pours you a sugary cocktail without asking and leads the party guests in a boisterous chant: “CHUG! CHUG! CHUG!”.

Tina and I have been in similar situations, and every year it’s a struggle. And for those with an illness, the stakes become even higher. Because of my MS diagnosis, one slip-up here, another there, and weight gain could be the least of my worries…I could experience an exacerbation of symptoms, or worse, a full MS relapse.

The following seven simple strategies have helped us avoid temptation and stick with our diet plan, even when in an environment (like a holiday party) where we have no control.

1. Communicate your diet with party hosts

If you have strict dietary restrictions and are attending a party where a host (a restaurant, venue, someone’s house, etc.) will be supplying the food, try to give them a heads up. Most people are more than accommodating and will provide options that are gluten-free, dairy-free, or sugar-free. And if you’re at a party and see a food that you think might be safe (but aren’t sure), ask the host what’s in it to be sure.

2. Bring your own snacks or beverages

If you’ve communicated with the host and think there still won’t be enough healthy options for you, smuggle in your own dishes or beverages (OK, you should probably ask the host first). This year Tina will be bringing her Fudgy Coconut Zucchini Brownies to a gathering on Christmas Eve, and I’ll be bringing kombucha tea to drink. That way we ensure we have healthy options available that fit our diet. And others get to enjoy her brownies…a win-win!

3. Drink plenty of water

An old tip, but a good one. Not only does water hydrate you and fill up your stomach (so you’re less likely to be tempted to eat and drink unhealthily), but it also helps with digestion and lessens the impact of insulin spikes (i.e. inflammation) in the body when you do eat.

4. Fill up with healthy foods first

As a habit, Tina and I try to eat a small, healthy meal shortly before going to a holiday party, and then immediately look for a veggie tray when we arrive. When we get hungry, we fill our stomachs with nourishing vegetables first. By the time we move onto other foods (and dessert, if we get there), we’re already pretty full and aren’t tempted to overindulge.

5. Look for homemade food

When scanning a holiday buffet table, make a mental note of which foods are homemade vs. store-bought or packaged. As a rule, we always opt for homemade foods and avoid anything packaged (ex: crackers, cookies). At the very least, homemade food won’t contain preservatives (but it could still have unhealthy ingredients, so be careful). Note: beware of packaged food that has been placed on a plate to LOOK homemade.

6. Avoid drinking sugar (or alcohol, preferably)

It’s now well known that consuming sugar, especially in large quantities and spread out over time, leads to chronic inflammation and for many people, contributes to illness. Eating sugary food such as pastries and chocolate is bad enough. However, drinking sugary beverages, especially on an empty stomach, leads to a much quicker spike in insulin and negative impact on the body. Beware of alcoholic beverages also – most cause a spike in blood glucose and have the same negative impact as sugar (if not worse). If you must have alcohol, try to limit to one or two drinks and stick with healthier varieties.

7. If consuming sugar, eat it with other food

Speaking of sugar, if you do decide to indulge in a sweet treat (hopefully a healthier form, like the coconut sugar in Tina’s Walnut Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies), make sure to eat it immediately after a protein-rich meal. Consuming protein triggers the release of glucagon, which helps stabilize and regulate insulin levels (and thus, reduces potential negative impacts on the body) (source).

 

While the above tips focus mostly on eating, there are many other strategies you can follow to remain healthy over the holidays. Be sure to keep up your exercise routine and make a regular habit of de-stressing through meditation or another calming activity. It can be a struggle with the hectic nature of the holidays…but your health depends on it.

We’re not going to lie – we’re human, and we’ve slipped up on occasion since we revamped our diet almost four years ago. However, each year becomes slightly easier as we learn more about our optimal diet and food sensitivities and as friends and relatives get to know our way of eating (and often begin eating healthier themselves).

These seven strategies have helped us stay “on the train” when attending parties and gatherings – not just on holidays, but in general. We hope that they can help you too.

What are your favourite tips to stay healthy over the holidays?