Managing Diet on Holidays - Nutrition Tips - as part of the expert series by GeoBeats. Holidays can be a real hassle, particularly if you are looking at trying to maintain a new eating habit and a new lifestyle, and you are traveling; you are seeing family. Family has a tendency to get together and do what? Eat, right? Do not stress too much about that. What you really want to do is maintain your exercise while you are on your holiday, while you are visiting the family, and while they are visiting you. It will help with the stress levels, too, really important. If you are going to have that big Thanksgiving dinner, start with a little bit of all of the things that you really like on the plate, 'a little bit'. Have a scoop, have helpings, but make sure that most of what is on that plate is going to be vegetable. If there is a salad, make sure there is a nice big salad portion of your plate. If there is steamed broccoli, if there is green beans however Great-Aunt Emily makes them, have those; make that be the big focus. The turkey is fine, but keep the starches low. That actually saves you room for Uncle Alfred’s fudge. What you are really going to look at doing is minimizing the intake of those starchy things like bread, like potatoes, like pasta, because that is not really what you are interested in anyway. That does not have the flavor; that is what carries the flavor. Have the things that actually have the flavor for you. Have the gravy on your turkey; have the turkey. Have the carrots; have the salad. That is where you are getting all of the flavor. The sauces are great—awesome. Have those things. Have a little bit of that dessert as well. Engage in family; engage in the connection. Take your walk after dinner: really important. Again, it is stress reduction, but also for reminding the body what it is supposed to do with all of that food you just took in, rather than kick back on the couch, throw your feet up, and go, “Oh there is the football game.” Make sure that at least at half time-guys, I am talking to you-half time you are up doing something. Enjoy! Enjoy your family; enjoy your holidays. Do not stress too much about it. Eat well.
