Holiday Eating: Party Hearty Without Putting on the Pounds!

The holidays are definitely a special time of year. These days,
however, many women wonder whether “special” means happy — or
stressful. Do you know anyone who doesn’t feel more stress
during the holiday season? One thing is for sure: Stress is a
six-letter word that can spell added trouble for many women who
struggle with food, eating and weight.

A national survey of women conducted earlier this year revealed
that women see stress and lack of energy as two of their top
health issues. But here’s where it gets interesting: Women were
twice as likely as men to snack as a way of dealing with stress!

So how do you enjoy the famous holiday party time that seems to
start with coffee breaks at work or weekend brunches and last
through dessert parties late in the evening without overdoing on
all those wonderful foods? Here’s a list of ideas to consider
that can help reduce holiday stress, boost energy and maximize
your ability to make smart choices to support you in your
efforts to feel well and stay healthy.

Keep It Simple

The absolute first “must” for enjoying your holidays is to keep
it simple. Be realistic in what you want to accomplish…and what
you expect others to accomplish, too. Discuss holiday plans with
family and friends. Consider paring down your “to do” list, and
get a commitment from others to share in the extra holiday tasks
that create extra fun for everyone.

Feed Yourself Well

A party later in the evening doesn’t mean skimping on food
during the day. All that will do is set you up for overeating
because you get too hungry. Instead, eat regular, balanced meals
and snacks that include grains/starchy vegetables, protein foods
and fruits and/or vegetables every 3-5 hours when you are
hungry, and stopping when you are satisfied.

Likewise, if you overdo it at one meal or party (and who doesn’t
on occasion?), don’t try to “make up” for it at your next meals.
Go back to your regular eating plan as described above.

Dance the Night Away!

Physical activity may provide the biggest boost to your ability
to cope during the holidays. Not only is it a natural outlet for
tension (and consequently another way to cope), physical
activity boosts our energy level and our motivation to keep
going.

Be creative! Break out of your mold by adding the opportunities
of the holiday season, such as dancing, skating, sledding,
skiing, snowshoeing, caroling (all that walking)…even trimming
the tree (there’s a lot of stretching there). Make fun physical
activity the primary focus of your parties, instead of depending
on the food to make or break it.

Realistically, many people find that physical activity early in
the day is the best way to make it happen. A walk after
breakfast is one of the best strategies for boosting energy and
helping you feel well the rest of the day. Don’t forget those
walks around the shopping mall or the long brisk walk in from
the parking lot count for something, too! (See FitBriefing
Moving for Life).

Put on Parties that Work for You

This is where stress can send you straight for the Christmas
cookies or Hanukkah chocolate. First, plan parties where you get
help. How about just being responsible for the “centerpiece”
dish, such as a main dish, beautiful salad or dessert, and let
the supermarket, bakery, and/or deli do the rest. Or if you
don’t already have a pot luck tradition for family gatherings,
now is the time to start!

What will be on the menu? A simple, healthy meal with some added
festive touches will not only impress your guests, but it will
truly be enjoyed by all – especially you! Many holiday menus
start with roast turkey. Roasting a turkey or turkey breast is
relatively simple, but most grocery and/or meat markets will
roast it for you. Serve it with Brown Rice Pilaf or Wild Rice
Pilaf (both recipes from the new edition of Green Mountain’s
cookbook Recipes for Living). Add dried cherries or cranberries,
chopped toasted pecans and chopped fresh parsley for a festive
touch. A colorful tossed green salad could be as simple as a bag
of mixed field greens with orange segments and red onion rings.
Garnish with a slice of herbed chevre (goat cheese). Serve with
Honey-Balsamic Vinaigrette (another Green Mountain favorite).
Take advantage of the sweets and other treats of the season that
your local bakery will surely be making; order a tray of
assorted cookies, for example. Serve with a scoop of raspberry,
lemon or tropical fruit sorbet in holiday dishes. Or if you want
a real “wow” but simple dessert, try Marinated Strawberries in
Phyllo cups.

Make Yourself a Priority

This is the bottom line for holidays that you really enjoy.
Remember, if you take care of yourself first, then you’re much
better equipped to take care of everyone else. But women just
don’t tend to do that. A survey last month of 1000 women
revealed that while almost all women would enjoy doing something
for themselves like taking a walk or an aromatic bath, most
spend less than 30 minutes a day nurturing themselves…and almost
10 hours a day caring for others! Clearly, we’re out of balance
here. Now there’s a great gift – the gift of more time for you!

No More New Year’s Resolutions to Lose Weight!

The staff at Green Mountain at Fox Run wishes you the happiest,
healthiest holiday season ever. Our other wish for you is that
you approach the New Year not with another resolution to take
off pounds gained during the holiday season. Instead, we wish
that you enjoy the season without thinking about body size,
instead caring for yourself in a way that allows you to go
through the season feeling vibrant and well. The truth is that
most of us may put on a pound or two during the holidays when
wonderful foods abound. But if we’re tuned in to feeling well,
and supporting our bodies with sensible enjoyable eating,
regular physical activity, stress management and positive
thinking, those extra pounds won’t be permanent. With this
lifestyle in place, we’ll find our weight returns to its
natural, healthy place once the abundance of the holidays
subsides.

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