5 tips for keeping it healthy during the holidays
💦 hydrate:
Hydration is so important to me, that my 2-year-old talks about it 🙊 (yes, I am one very proud Mama) Hydration is important on many levels, but especially for aiding digestion and energy. Staying true to my habit stacking, I drink a glass of water every morning before I drink my coffee. Sometimes it’s hard to wait that long for caffeine, but after trial and error, I know my body does better with this routine.
It also means that I have started hydrating first thing in the morning which always feels like an accomplishment! While I’m sipping my coffee, I fill up my water bottle, that way I have water at my disposal and can easily bring with me when we head out the door (on days we’re going somewhere, otherwise I just walk around the apartment with it haha).
if I’m at someone’s house, as soon as the host asks if I need anything, I say a glass of water please! I may also have a glass or two of 🍷 wine, but, taking a page from my college days, I alternate water and wine.
Remember to drink beverages before and/or after you eat, not during. Eating and drinking together can result in that stomach bloat we’re trying to avoid. Our stomach is full of good acids which helps break down foods we eat, but water and other beverages can dilute this acid making it harder for our stomach to break down the food, which is likely to get trapped as unwanted gas.
Really focusing on hydration during the holidays helps me fill up a bit so I don’t stuff myself when the main course arrives, and it helps my body digest all of that food. An added bonus is that I don’t walk around feeling parched!
🥜 Bring your purse snacks:
Sometimes it can be uncomfortable not eating what everyone else is eating, or asking for an alternative food, which is why I always bring my own! I always keep a stasher bag full of raw almonds, 88 Acres seed bars and Justin’s Almond Butter packs on hand. That way, I can discreetly (or not so discreetly, depending on your comfort level) satiate my hunger until there is something I can eat.
🥕 Fill up on veggies, especially sweet ones!
Most people don’t think of veggies when they think of Thanksgiving. More traditionally people talk about the turkey, mac & cheese, mashed potatoes (*yes they are made with a vegetable) and pie. All can be great (if you eat turkey) but if you are like me, and if you see those foods on the table, your stomach starts to bloat in anticipation, then try my “crowding out tip.” Try and fill yourself up a bit by eating veggies before the main course: maybe there is a 🥦 crudité appetizer or a 🥗 salad course, or offer to bring a healthful side like a Thanksgiving themed quinoa or this cauliflower mash so you’re guaranteed something that you know will make your body feel good. Bonus points if you consume sweet fruits and vegetables like sweet potatoes, onions, carrots, etc. Eating these sweet foods will help prevent you from craving dessert. Of course you should go ahead and have a slice of pie, cake, etc. but it’s always better when your brain can differentiate between wanting to have something vs needing it because your body’s balance is off.
🙏🏻 practice gratitude
This one is a good tip before eating any meal, but before you pick up that fork, take a breath, and think about something you are grateful for. Then look down at your plate. Think about what you are about to put in your body before you scarf it down and before you know it, have an empty plate in front of you.
🤤 chew
Please remember to chew. Your saliva is basically the same as liquid gold, breaking down the food you are eating before you swallow it, so your stomach doesn’t have to do all of the work for you. Breaking down foods into the particles that we absorb for nutrition and pass out of our system, is hard work. Your saliva is a big piece of this digestive process that many people skip because they’re often rushing or focused on something other then the food in front of them, and forget to actually chew! Your bloat-free stomach will thank you.
Happy Thanksgiving!! 🍂🏡💕🌽
