Growing up in my family, every celebration -- whether a birthday, anniversary or holiday -- was centered on what was being served, who was making what and how we were going to indulge. Proper nutrition never came into the picture. If a food happened to be healthy or helped with healthy
In fact, the truth is that you don't have to gain weight over the holidays. Instead, you can take great care of yourself and achieve healthy
Your family may be less food-focused than mine was when I was growing up, but nonetheless, food is very often the focus of group events with family and friends, so it may seem challenging to figure out ways to enjoy these celebrations in new, healthful ways that promote healthy
Have some special occasions coming up that concern you because you aren't sure how to stay focused on your healthy diet? Here are several ideas that may help you:
1) Plan celebrations around activities instead of food. This is a biggie, and I include it first because it's the solution that works most effectively and healthfully if you can manage it.
For example, one of the best "cures" for a junk food fix is to be physically active. So scheduling activities like a day outdoors, going skating or hiking, or even doing something fun like a scavenger hunt for adults and kids will be helpful to keep yourself and your family focused on healthy fun instead of unhealthy food. Look up information on a number of options well in advance, and you can recruit others to help get the whole family on board.
2) Getting out of the house is helpful. Spend time at a sporting event (minus the nachos, of course), a museum or really any special venue with your loved ones, and you'll see the rewards of healthy
3) You might also create a new family tradition like doing volunteer work and then enjoying your favorite healthier meal. Helping others really helps you and your kids appreciate what you have instead of focusing on missing traditional, but fattening foods.
4) Find a local restaurant that features plenty of healthy mostly vegetable-based dishes. Even if you're working on healthy
The most important thing to keep in mind is that no matter what, holidays are not really only about food. They're about fun, family or friends and having a great time. And you don't have to let these special days get in the way of your healthy
