Simple Holiday Food Rules to Keep You Eating Better

Holiday feasts are around the corner, and with that so are all delicious foods that we will enjoy and lead us to the happy overload of sugar and carbs. Ouch! Have you noticed that it is hard to control the urges when presented with variety of your favorite food choices, coupled with great company and alcohol? I’m there with you! So here is the best way to prepare us for the “fitter” feast, where we can eat all we can see and not feel that we have to create a diet resolution the next day.

1. Do not skip meals! YES, you heard that right! Even if you know that you are about to have a smashing holiday dinner, you have to make sure that you did not starve yourself, or substituted your regular food intake with snacks. While you don’t think so, the body does think its hungry, and will feel the need to continue the stuffing process. So eat, frequently and on time before the dinner.
2. Avoid too much alcohol. What is too much? Well once you got to feeling the buzz it might be a bit too late. By then you are on your third desert. Alcohol numbs our “I can stop eating now” signal in the brain thus creating a strong desire to eat more for full stuffing action. This is why when we have more drinks we tend to reach for more snacks and fried foods especially.
3. Be honest with yourself. Eat for pleasure not bulk so you can have place left for desert and favorite treats. Try little by little. Pretty up your plate instead of making it look like a volcano eruption.
4. Make your plate look greener, if you love the mash potatoes, go easy, add more greens and if there is a sweet potato mash instead then pick that one. Your body will be much happier with a hearty dosage of that vitamin D.

Enjoy the season and remember, less is more, literally!

Contributed by Anna Morari. Read her blog at fitbizmama.com.