Top 5 Tips for a Healthier Holiday

It’s Christmas. It’s that time of the year when everyone is in a festive mood. Everyone is celebrating, partaking in feasts here and there. Unfortunately, if you are not really cautious, by the time that you will be returning for work come January or even right after Christmas break, you will find your clothes are a little more snug. Well, that’s one of the main concerns of holiday makers: gaining weight. Along with health-based Memphis diet plans, here are 5 tips to keep you healthy this holiday season.

1.       Plan what you’re going to do. 

Many individuals have this mindset of not planning anything during the holidays simply because, well, it’s the holiday season. You’re supposed to be having spontaneous fun and excitement. If you’re going to plan everything, where’s the thrill in that? However, planning does not really mean having to create a very strict rule book that you have to follow while the holiday season is in effect. What we mean by this is for you to plan ahead or have a goal in mind. 

With this goal, you will be able to make more purposeful decisions. For example, if you want to maintain your ideal body weight without really sacrificing the joys of eating a lot of your favorite foods during the holiday season, then you should write this as your goal. This also means that you will have a diet plan to help you achieve this particular goal.  

2.       Watch what you’re eating. 

It’s so easy to lose track of what you’re eating during the holidays. This is because it would really be quite silly to be counting all that calories that are present on the buffet table while everyone else is actually helping themselves to the treat. More often than not, you will be obliged to give in to your cravings and to join the crowd. Besides, it’s the season to be merry. How can you be merry if you’re clearly limiting your enjoyment to certain foods that don’t really mean much to you?  

You actually don’t have to sacrifice all the food that you love. You simply need to know which of these food items are good for you especially in terms of helping you lose weight. There are plenty of foods out there that can help you burn stored fat a lot more efficiently while also helping protect other organs in the body. There are also food items that will help curb your hunger so you will naturally be eating less. When we say you have to watch what you’re eating, we don’t mean for you to go on a strict diet that you’re going to starve yourself to death. What we’re saying is for you to choose the correct foods and replace your unhealthy food items with healthier versions. 

3.       Loosen up those muscles every day. 

During the holidays, people have the tendency to be not moving so much. Is it because it’s too cold? Or is it because of the notion that since it’s a holiday, then they are already entitled to limited physical activity? Contrary to what you may think, the holidays is one of the best times of the year to lose weight and establish a healthier body. Studies show that people who are exposed in cold weather can increase their levels of brown fat which helps in the more efficient burning of fat as energy. White fat is the version that gets stored. So, the more brown fat you have, the more efficient your fat burning mechanism. The more white fat you have, the more efficient your fat storage mechanism. Increasing your physical activity levels can further improve this fat burning process. That’s why an excellent weight loss plan always combine calorie considerations and physical activity. 

4.       Get your dose of proven diet and weight loss supplements. 

To help you with your weight loss and health and fitness goals for the holidays, you may need to look at weight loss supplements that have been proven to be effective in helping you shed those unwanted fat while also giving you other health benefits. Unfortunately, there are many products that claim theirs is the best. You can log on to your trusted online resource such as MediPlan Diet to obtain highly credible information on some of the products that have been shown in various clinical studies to be effective in increasing the body’s metabolic rate leading to enhanced fat burning processes as well as in suppressing the brain’s appetite control mechanisms so you will not be eating as much. Both of these processes can lead to substantial changes in your weight so you’ll be returning from the holidays feeling fit and healthy, not fat and gloomy. 

5.       Treat yourself to a healthy heaping of sleep. 

Studies show that many of today’s health problems can be attributed to our lack of sleep. Of particular importance is the effect of insufficient sleep on weight gain. Researchers say that lack of sleep increases the body’s production of the hunger hormone which tells you to eat more. At the same time, your body’s production of leptin – the substance that tells your body to stop eating – is reduced. Technically, what you are essentially doing if you are not sleeping well is that you tend to overeat. And we often say that you are compensating for the lack of sleep. Additionally, lack of sleep has been shown to increase the levels of cortisol, a stress hormone that has been shown to increase appetite. Cortisol also favors the storage of fat which can further enhance the process of weight gain. That is why during the holiday season, you need to pamper yourself with a really good night’s sleep. At least you will not be worrying about anything else.

Sticking to a diet program during the holidays is not really easy. However, if you are really motivated to keep those excess fat off your body, then it is a must that you have the correct mindset to help you stay healthy and fit during the holiday season.

Learn More Weight Loss Tips and Tricks Here!