With Christmas Comes Calories!

"My personal goals are to be happy, healthy, and to be surrounded by loved ones."
                                                 -Kiana Tom

Of course Christmas is a time for happiness and to be surrounded by loved ones, but health does not have to be neglected the way most people assume it does. Abandoning your wellness goals because of the time of year is just ridiculous.

So, due to Christmas only being about a week away, I figured that now would be  the perfect time to discuss how to incorporate wellness into your holiday celebrations. The annual Christmas party my mom throws every year is this Saturday, and the first thing I think of is all of the food that she is preparing. Cookies, pies, chicken wing dip and pretty much anything that is unhealthy. The worst part is that everything is incredibly delicious and hard to refuse.

I am sure that each of you will also be in similar situations, in which will power will play a large role in your wellness choices. To help with this I have assembled a list of tips that coincide with the array of activities you might be participating in during this season.

FOR HOLIDAY PARTIES: Because it is inevitable that we will all end up at some sort of Christmas party I have the most amount of tips to help with this. The tip I find most valuable is to bring a healthy dish to share with you, to the party. Almost every hostess would love to see her guests walk in with a dish to pass, so use this to your advantage. Bring something healthy that you love to eat and then fill up on that. It will help you to control your calorie intake and also help out others at the party as well. Another great idea for Christmas parties is to eat something before you go. If you're already full, you will not be as tempted by the food. Also, to help with temptation, if you know there is another health conscious person at this party, sit next to them and talk to them. Seeing how they make decisions can encourage you to stick to your wellness goals as well. Finally, we choose what we want to eat, partially because of what we see. When something looks appetizing we want it, so controlling ourselves visually will help us as well. There are two ways to do this. One is to keep evidence of what you have eaten around you. If you have eaten a plate full of food, keep the plate visible because it will remind you of what you have already eaten. Two, survey all the food at the party and then plan, consciously, what you are going to eat. Do not just go up to the buffet and start loading up a plate.

FOR HOLIDAY SHOPPING: No, Christmas is not about the presents but you know we each love giving them to our loved ones anyway, and because of this we each spend a lot of time shopping. However, malls can be a calorie trap. There are fast food kiosks at every turn, chocolate shops, and worst of all, there is the food court. All the unhealthy food you could ever want, all in one place. Just as with the Christmas party, do not go to the mall hungry. It is too easy and convenient to allow yourself to indulge. Also, if you go as a group, try to make dinner a special event. Plan on going to a restaurant (with healthy options) as a time to relax and have time with the group you went with. Having the extra time to decide what you would like to order should help keep you on track.

FOR BAKING/COOKING TIME: We are all probably around when food is being made especially for the holidays, whether we are the ones making it, or we are watching out mothers make it. Either way, smelling the aroma of delicious food is one of the worst ways it is able to taunt us. In order to combat this I suggest that we make healthy foods, if we are the ones cooking, or we keep healthy foods around us that will fulfill our wants. If an apple pie is being made, just eat some apple slices. Find comparable options to each unhealthy thing being made and keep yourself happy that way.

For each holiday situation you are in there are healthy options that you can take advantage of. However, these tips above are good for the body, but don't forget about what is good for the soul. I am not saying to abandon your wellness goals, but do not restrict yourself too much our you will have an unhappy holiday season, and remember, we are trying to be happy, healthy and to be surrounded by loved ones.


-If you have any other tips you think are valuable, please leave them in the comment section or email me them, and I will try to post them. Thank you!