The holidays are an exciting time of year full of celebrations, parties, and lots of really good food! Wellness has some tips for you to enjoy the holidays to their fullest while keeping healthy.

Holiday Pantry Cleaning
Get yourself in the right frame of mind by creating an environment that supports your healthy goals for the holidays. You’ll have lots of opportunities to indulge at parties and events, so make your home a safe haven by removing temptations! We challenge you to clean out your pantry of chips, cookies, candies and other unhealthy snacks!

• Do you have leftover Halloween candy? Toss them or give them away! Bite-sized snacks might seem harmless because of their small size, but they can add up quickly.
• Have a sweet tooth? Stock up on fresh fruits! Some of us just need a little something sweet and fruit can easily satisfy that craving in the moment. Even canned and frozen fruits can be a great treat (like a bite-sized popsicle!) as long as they don’t have added sweeteners. Be careful of dried fruits like cranberries, raisins, and dates. While they may be delicious and high in fiber, they can also pack a caloric punch due to their condensed size, so eat them in moderation.
• Look for alternative snacks! There are plenty of options at the grocery store; all you have to do is look – and read the labels. Try snacks like freeze dried fruit, apple chips, air-popped popcorn, or edamame!

The Bottom Line: If you don’t want to eat something that’s bad for you, don’t make it easy to get your hands on it!

Build-A-Plate
It’s out with the food pyramid and in with the plate method! It’s pretty simple. All you do is look at your plate in sections, giving more real estate to fruits and vegetables. You still get to eat all the delicious meats, cheeses, and carbs, just not as much as the fruits and veggies. It’s all about balance, moderation, and portion size! Build yourself a balanced Thanksgiving meal tomorrow, so when you reach for plate two you won’t feel as guilty!

• Enjoy all your favorite treats! After all, they are only here once a year, but eat them in moderation. If you need some extra help building that plate, grab a smaller plate to build your meal on. That way you have to spoon smaller quantities to fit all the goodies on there!
• Try using a 2-1-1 ratio. Half of your plate should be fruits and vegetables, and then split the other half into quarters, one for proteins and one for carbohydrates.
• Remember your drinks hold calories too! If you love your soda, try to substitute sparkling water every now and then. Alcohol is also incredibly high in sugars. If you want that second glass of wine, maybe skip the second helping of pie!

The Bottom Line: Eat the foods you love and skip the ones you can live without - remember moderation is key!

Savvy Snacking
We have all had those moments when we get a pang of hunger and look upon the clock to see we are right between two meal periods. To eat or not to eat? The answer is to eat, duh! Many nutritionists agree that one of the best ways to maintain a healthy weight is to eat regularly, in small portions, throughout the day. However, there is definitely best practices for savvy snacking!

•  Start off by reducing the size of your major daily meals, then add in healthy snacks as needed in between. Snacking on the right foods can help you maintain your blood-sugar levels, keep your metabolism up and running, and lower your risk for overeating at mealtime.
• Plan ahead and keep healthy snacks in your desk drawer, purse, and/or gym bag. That way, when hunger strikes, you can avoid the junk food in the vending machine. Some healthy snack ideas: carrot sticks, nuts/dried fruit, apple slices with peanut butter, or celery sticks with hummus!
• Stay hydrated! Sometimes when we think we are hungry, we are actually just thirsty. Remember to drink water or other healthy liquids (unsweetened tea, fruit water, sparkling water etc.) throughout the day.
• Be a conscious eater. Snack when you’re genuinely hungry and not because you feel stressed, tired, or bored. And pay attention when snacking while watching TV or a movie; it’s easy to lose track of how much you’re eating.
• Remember it’s all moderation! If you know you have a dinner party planned for that day, reach for healthier options and save the calories for the real treats!

 The Bottom Line: If you’re hungry, then grab a snack! Just be mindful of what, how much, and when you’re eating!  

Get Movin’
Well, I don’t know about you, but sometimes I don’t want to think about how much, what kind, or when I am indulging in my favorite foods, especially during the holidays. I just want to enjoy! THAT IS TOTALLY OK! Enjoy those fancy foods, and if you can’t or don’t want to say no, then there are other ways to help combat those pesky pounds: Get up, get out, and get moving!

• Physical activity is something each one of us should incorporate in our daily lives all year round. But for arguments sake, let’s pretend like we don’t do planned physical activity at all (ugh oh, probably close to the truth!). If you want to say yes to those pfeffernusse cookies all day, every day, then I suggest you start a work out regiment! The more calories you burn, the more calories you can take in and still maintain your weight.
• Walk everywhere! There is a reason we did the 10k-a-Day challenge last summer. Walking gets your heart pumping, which is good for circulation, and keeps your metabolism active, which can help you manage your weight. The dreary weather outside may make you want to stay in, but walking knows no limits! You can walk inside the mall while doing holiday shopping, perhaps? You can walk on a treadmill at the gym (a little birdy told me we have an awesome discount for 24 Hour Fitness). Maybe you can walk to take care of your errands instead of driving? Or walk on your lunch break? Take a second to think about all the moments in your day you can fit a stroll in and you may be surprised how many opportunities you have to burn some extra calories.
• We like to use walking as an example for physical activity because it’s easy on the joints and accessible for everyone, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a massive list of activities you can partake in. You can go jogging, swimming, hiking, biking, climbing, dancing, and so much more. Get creative with your movement. Even chores and cleaning the house can burn calories (I mean there’s a reason Cinderella is so fit, right?)!
• If you need motivation to get up and get moving, find a workout buddy! Enlist a friend or family member who can push you when you are feeling lazy and vice versa. Read a book or watch a TV show on your phone while you’re on the treadmill at the gym to help pass time. Give yourself little goals and treat yourself when you make it to mile 2 or 1 hour! Try to make exercise fun. Remember that slice of fruit cake (wait, maybe cheesecake is more applicable) you want to devour at dinner; each step you take will bring you closer to not feeling guilty and not gaining weight!    

The Bottom Line: Up your physical activity, especially during the holidays, so you can prevent holiday weight gain and still enjoy your favorite feasts!