'Tis the season to spend time with family and friends amidst much fanfare, festivities and, of course, loads of food. Temptations are everywhere and we go on a bingeing spree during this time of the year. Be it at home or at parties, or on vacations, we devour decadent delicacies without any guilt. In fact, when the holiday season rolls around, we give a little lax on our diet and physical activities, which we typically maintain throughout the year. While this is absolutely great for the soul, let's agree, our health gets majorly. By the end of the season, we put on extra kilos, our skin loses its glow and often blood sugar level shoots up. What if we say it doesn't have to be this way? You can take a few conscious decisions and make your holiday merry and bright (not guilt-ridden). We curated a list of some quick and easy diet tips that you can follow while enjoying the spirit of the season. Read on.
Also Read: 10 Ways To Beat Holiday Stress With Fitness & Nutrition
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Healthy Eating During The Holidays | 5 Tips To Keep Your Diet Healthy:
"How can I stay healthy over the holidays?" This is probably the first question every fitness enthusiast searches on the internet. And trust us, the internet comes up with a pool of results, often leaving us confused to the core. Here, we narrowed down the search and found five smart hacks that everyone can easily incorporate into their daily diet. Take a look.
Here're 5 Health Hacks To Get You Through The Holidays:
1. Start Your Day With Proper Hydration:
By now, we all know how important it is to keep hydrated throughout the year. Loading up on an adequate amount of water (and other fluids) helps maintain water balance in the body, further promoting overall health, skin and immunity. Celebrity nutritionist Lovneet Batra suggests, "Start your day with 500ml or 1-litre water to flush out toxins."
2. Add A Dose Of Antioxidants:
Antioxidants are chemical substances that help protect our cells from free radical damage. They donate an electron to free radicals, thereby reducing their reactivity. Hence, experts suggest loading up on antioxidants to promote gut health and immunity, manage weight, heart health, and more.
How to include antioxidants in your diet? According to an article, published in the American Heart Association journal, antioxidants should be taken before meals (or with meals) for optimal benefit. Hence, we bring some healthy, nutritionist-approved detox drink recipes, which you can add to your diet during the holidays. Click here for the recipes.
Also Read: 6 Wonderful Health Benefits of Detox Drinks
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3. Holiday-Proof Your Diet Plan:
We agree it is hard to avoid the yummy spread of delicacies. Hence, according to the Centre For Disease Control And Prevention (CDC), you need to make some smart choices at such gatherings.
- Load up on proteins and vegetables before going to parties. This will help you keep full for a long period, and you will end up eating less at those events (especially dinner).
- Eat close to your usual times to keep your blood sugar steady.
- Have a small plate of the foods you like best and then move away from the buffet table.
- Eat slowly. It takes at least 20 minutes for your brain to realise you're full.
- Avoid or limit alcohol consumption to avoid added health hazards.
4. Enjoy Your Meal In Moderation:
The CDC report further states that moderation is the key. While no one recommends avoiding festive dinners, it is also suggested to create a balance with nutrient-dense meals during breakfast and lunch. By keeping up this balance, you can make the most of the entire holiday season.
5. End Your Day Right:
Nutritionist Lovneet Batra states, "It is important to end the day in the right manner". And in order to do so, it is important to promote good digestion and metabolism. While a good-night sleep does half of the job, it is also important to load up on some healthy nutrients to keep the body working throughout the night, suggests CDC.
How To Promote Digestion At Night? Here we bring you some healthy drink recipes that you can include in your diet before calling it a day. Besides, if you feel bloated after a heavy meal, these drinks might help you stay at ease. Click here for the recipes.
Follow these tips and enjoy a happy and healthy holiday season, everyone!
Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.