Dirty Little Secrets to Surviving Holiday Parties
It is possible to maintain your nutritional style and even thrive your way through the party season—just follow these tips!
Eat first.
Counting on your holiday office party to serve healthy food won’t always work, so be prepared. Eat something before the party begins to keep your blood sugar even and help you keep your resolve. If you walk in feeling hungry, you’ll end up having that extra cookie, or driving too many crackers into the gooey dip.
Instead, eat a healthy protein at your desk or before you leave the house. The snack will stabilize your blood sugar and improve your personal staying power. Almonds, walnuts, nut butter on celery, a few bites of animal protein, or a Nutritional Style® smoothie all are great options.
Choose whole foods.
If you can manage to eat only or mostly whole foods when you go out, you’ll be ahead of the game the entire holiday season.
Whole foods are foods with just one ingredient, such as celery, nuts, carrots, salmon, salad, and so on. That means avoid anything baked, goopy, creamy, oily, cheesy, or fatty, especially if you don’t know the ingredients. If you have to compromise, choose something that’s high in protein to sustain you, like hummus or goat cheese.
Drink water.
Water is just as important right now as it was back in the summer.
Dry air from heating systems and long days out shopping or running errands require that you drink your water. Otherwise, you’ll face dry skin, hunger, and lower energy. Don’t be that person!
Remember to tote your water bottle along, buy some wherever you go if necessary (recycle the bottle), and drink a glass or two before meals or snacks. At parties, be the gal or guy who orders a sparkling water with lots of lime first, then, if you still want it, enjoy a cocktail or glass of wine.
But then again . . .
Limit alcohol.
Holiday parties highlight alcohol—from wine and cocktails, to eggnog with rum, to Champagne, alcohol is the centerpiece of many holiday get-togethers.
Too much alcohol can have some unwelcome side effects. Puffy eyes, dull skin, weight gain, a bloated appearance, and a tired look are all the after-effects of over-imbibing. Your energy levels suffer, too, as will your brain’s capacity for clear, focused thinking.
Try alternating sparking water with wine or a cocktail, or enjoy sparkling water with just a splash of wine or vodka. (If you can, make your own drink—bartenders have a tendency to give you full-strength drinks even when you ask for something lighter.)
Or decide not to drink at all, and look forward to feeling fantastic the next morning. Today many health-conscious people drink very moderately or not at all; you won’t stand out as a party pooper.
Carry snacks.
Just because your days are busier and filled with rushing around, don’t take that as a reason to skip eating. You may not have time to sit down to breakfast or lunch, but you still need to keep your energy up and your mind sharp. Stock healthy snacks in your handbag, desk drawer, car console, and wherever else you’re likely to find yourself feeling hungry.
Smart choices include organic protein bars, snack bags of almonds and dried berries, or a pressed green juice.
Dress for Nutritional Style success.
Getting dressed for a special holiday party? However gorgeous, don’t choose the loose silky top, or the smoking jacket that covers everything. Opt instead for the fitted dress that makes you look like a star, or the trim slacks that reveal your waistline. You’ll make healthier choices, as you naturally become more body-conscious and aware of what you’re eating.
My friend, Hannah, calls this a sneaky, mean trick but she loves it. She once was the queen of comfort, and used to shroud herself in loose black tops, dresses, and jackets in order to look thinner. What she didn’t realize was that this was allowing her to eat without thinking, because her clothing was hiding her tummy, and expanding with it. Dressing this way allowed her to rationalize that she’d begin to eat right tomorrow, but tomorrow never came.
She dresses for her shape now, looking thinner and feeling fabulous. She’s not adding 8 pounds to her petite frame this season!
Dine in slow motion.
No matter how much rushing around you do this winter, establish this rule for any time you eat, even if it’s on the go.
Chew your food in slow motion, and think about what you’re eating. Enjoy what’s in your mouth; savor the flavors, even if it’s a trail mix that you’ve been snacking on for three days. It’s delicious, it’s nourishing, and you’re taking care of yourself. Allow the food to become a pasty liquid in your mouth before you swallow.
Chewing mindfully will assist in digestion, as your mouth sends a signal to your stomach, alerting it that food is on the way. You’ll assimilate more nutrients from your food, and enjoy it more.
What are YOUR best tips for surviving the holidays with your nutritional style in tact?
Share with us, below. I look forward to hearing from you.
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PS. On New Year’s Day, 2014 I’ll open the doors to my signature program, Cleanse with Benefits—a gentle, whole foods based cleanse to reset your system in a healthy way. Guaranteed: no deprivation and guilt allowed! I invite you to join me, in health, to feel fab by February. Click here for more information.
