3 tips for a happy and HEALTHY holiday

Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone!

Time is flying by and now that the holidays are upon us, your health is as important as ever.

Here are my 3 tips for a happy and HEALTHY holiday season.

1. Everything in moderation – including moderation. It’s easy to overeat, over-indulge and under-exercise during the holidays. The best way to manage the increase in calories and decrease in movement is by planning. You know your schedule and you know your eating habits (and if you don’t, please set up time with me or Lori or nutritionist to get smart about your food). Give yourself permission to indulge on special occasions with your favorite foods and make a commitment to exercise on the days that you have holiday parties or special meals so that you can give your metabolism a head start.

2. Make sure the calories you take in are worth it! Oftentimes holiday food looks a lot better than it tastes, but if you’re hungry, everything looks good. Eat a healthy snack before heading to a holiday event so that you’re not starving and you can make better food choices.

3. Create healthy habits that will last well into the New Year. Resolve to start your good eating and exercising habits before the New Year by acknowledging yourself when you make healthy food choices and meet your commitment to exercise. Share it with people you care about to help keep yourself accountable and set a great example for those around you. For example, don’t be afraid to tell your friends or loved ones – “I had a big holiday party last night so I ate healthy all day, exercised and made sure I had a healthy snack before I went so that I could choose my calories carefully and make sure every bite was worth it. I feel great about my healthy choices!”

These tips will help you feel great as you head into the holidays and from the Essential Mind and Body team to you and yours, we wish you the happiest and healthiest Thanksgiving.

Thankfully,

Dr. Robert Koch