Today I am sharing my secrets for staying healthy over a holiday weekend. You asked, Tara, “What easy things can I do to stay on a healthy path during Thanksgiving weekend?” So glad you asked! I am sharing my secrets that I use on holidays and every day to feel good! Let’s do this!
I’ve shared lots of vegetarian hacks with you over the years. I’ve kept you happily eating plants, lowering your cholesterol + preventing chronic illness one plate at a time. Every year when Thanksgiving rolls in, I get lots of questions about continuing on the path of the healthy habits we put together throughout the year. As a plant-powered athlete, DNP, mom of 2, wife of a busy surgeon, food blogger, and health enthusiast, I’ve got a lot of experience with keeping healthy habits in check on holidays and every day. Now onto my secrets …
Tara’s Tuesday Tips:
Secrets For Staying Healthy Over a Holiday Weekend
SECRET #1
Maintain Your Routine
Do your regularly scheduled activities first – whatever “regular” is for you! Then, and only then, on to the to-do list!
You do you + keep doing it regardless of the to-do list! Sleep, hygiene, exercise, nutrition, etc. With so much to do, it is so easy to exchange your hour of yoga or your walk with your bestie for baking a batch of cookies or going to get one more item from the store.
SECRET #2
Don’t “Save” Calories
Skipping your regular meals may save you room on the calorie calculator for later. This will also lead you face first into the pie plate as soon as you arrive at Thanksgiving dinner even though you don’t even like pie. You and your hangry self will end up with a belly ache and a bad mood.
Eat some protein, carbs, fiber, and drink water the day before and the morning of your holiday outing. Then, you can choose foods you enjoy not the ones your hangry brain deems necessary.
SECRET #3
Let It Go
Perfection does not equal happiness. Imperfection is ok sometimes. Embrace the imperfect moments + soften your expectations. Say no to feeling guilty if there is one less box checked on the to-do list.
Rethink your traditions, make new ones, and give yourself permission to be ok with it if they don’t look like they did before.
SECRET #4
Walk
There is ample research supporting that walking after meals lowers blood glucose without using insulin. Talk about gifts?!?! This is a gift! When we exercise, there are these fabulous glucose transporters that take up the sugars in our blood without needing the help of insulin. As little as 20 minutes helps our bodies use up the food we have eaten and even help us digest better!
Take your party outside after dinner + walk together!
SECRET #5
Embrace Food Freedom
Swearing off a certain food until the holiday season gives that food a whole lot of control over you + guess what? You WILL eat too much of it! Find peace with your “holiday” foods + enjoy them in the company of your favorite people instead of assigning them to “good” or “bad”. Never ever give anything that much control!
Ditch the food rules, don’t live in negative or positive, good or bad. Refer back to my article: The Vegetarian’s Guide to the 80/20 Diet. You can apply this to eating, life, and especially holiday weekends! Confession. I used to be the kind of girl that assigned morality to foods labeling them as “good” or “bad”. What I learned over the last few years is that this makes some foods “allowed” only at the holidays + this, my friends, is a recipe for disaster. Ditch the diet culture. If food choices have power over you, take the power back.
Food For Thought
Staying healthy during the holiday season takes a little planning + preparation but it isn’t impossible. These are my 5 secrets for a healthy holiday + I hope you find a place for them in your life too! Don’t fall for the diet junk every influencer you come across on social media is trying to sell you, the fancy fix for the problem of the day. Pay attention to what really matters, make mindful choices, pause + be present. Find joyful movement, spend time with your tribe, drink water, eat when you are hungry, stop when you are full, find something to be thankful for. Above all, enjoy good food in the company of good people this holiday weekend.
Happy Holidays + Be Well 🤍
Tara 💚
A Few More Tips To Help You Enjoy Healthy Holidays:
The Vegetarian’s Guide To Mood Boosting Foods.
Tips For A Merry Healthy Holiday
What To Eat On Thanksgiving If You Don’t Eat Turkey
Thanksgiving Survival Guide For Vegetarians
Welcoming a Vegetarian to Thanksgiving Dinner
10 Tips To Help You Stick To Your New Year’s Resolution
⭐Did you love reading Tara’s Secrets For Staying Healthy Over a Holiday Weekend? Have any more to add to my list? Leave a comment below!
📸I love to see your creations! Follow me on Instagram @myvegetarianfamily and hashtag it #myvegetarianfamily
📩Be sure to subscribe here to my weekly emails for tips + recipes so that you never miss a veggie thing!
