Michele Russ shares Even more of her tips for celebrating a healthy holiday season

Many Americans count Thanksgiving as one of their favorite holidays—it is definitely one of mine! Families gathered around the dinner table sharing favorite holiday foods and focused on giving thanks. Holiday shopping and decorating begin in earnest and everything starts to feel more festive. This year was quite different with smaller celebrations, fewer people traveling and some of the gatherings taking place virtually or outside. But even so, by Sunday my body was feeling the effects of the extra helpings of food and drinks that I don’t often have. Perhaps you were feeling the same.

The good news is, we can pick right back up with our healthy habits knowing that we enjoyed each bite and every sip over the long weekend. Hopefully, we also remembered to stay hydrated and move our bodies a bit. As the holiday season gets hectic, it's really easy to justify skipping your workouts, self-care and even cutting down on your sleep. Before you let that happen, think about how you want to feel on the morning of January 1st. Groggy, bloated and achy, feeling like a massive detox needs to happen?  Or can we wake up this New Year’s Day knowing that we continued to take care of ourselves all (ok, most) of the season, ready to start the year with our best foot forward? What would it feel like to wake up on Jan. 1st full of energy and not feeling any remorse about our indulgences?

I’m not talking about being perfect. I’m not suggesting that we spend the holiday season depriving ourselves. The holidays are meant to be enjoyed! But enjoying ourselves doesn’t mean we have to go off the rails. Here are five ways that I have learned to be able to fully enjoy myself while still maintaining some semblance of a healthy lifestyle during this indulgent season. 

1. Plan Your Indulgences. We all have those special holiday foods that we look forward to each year. Allow yourself to have some and savor  every single bite! Think about which foods are the ones you love the most and have a serving, but take a pass on the dishes that you can take or leave. If you must have one of Grandma’s homemade buns, maybe you skip dessert. If sweets are your favorite part of the holidays, maybe you can skip the extra glass of wine or have smaller portions at dinner. Most importantly, once you’ve decided what you’d like to have, enjoy the heck out of it! 

2. Slow Down. How disappointing is it when you get to the end of your meal and you realize that you barely remember eating it? We’re busy talking or we’re so hungry that we gobble it down and have hardly paid attention to how each bite tastes. . Take smaller bites. Put your fork down. Notice how that pie melts in your mouth. Savor the whole experience of eating these special foods. You’ll feel more satisfied.and you may even stop eating before you’re over-stuffed. Which brings me to number three.

3. Stop Eating Before You’re Full. It was a huge turning point for me when I finally learned to do this. After one particularly overindulgent meal where I was busting out of my pants and feeling completely sick from over-eating, I decided that it was going to be the last time.  Remember, we are eating to fuel and nourish our bodies. Make sure you’ve filled your plate with some veggies, choose your indulgences wisely, and aim to stop eating when you’re about two-thirds full.  

4. Drink Moderately. Late nights celebrating with multiple cocktails or too many glasses of wine can cause us to drag the whole next day, not to mention the number of empty calories they add. After a big night out, we’re more likely to skip our workouts and reach for the junk food to top it all off. That being said, I do think adult beverages can fit into a healthy lifestyle so long as we don’t overdo it. Drink a glass of sparkling water between cocktails, or try my personal favorite, a white wine spritzer. Fill a wine glass or champagne flute halfway with white wine and fill the rest of the way with club soda. Drop a raspberry or cranberry in the glass to make it extra special and you have something sparkly to sip with half the alcohol content. You can always switch to straight club soda after your first drink or two as well.

5. Get Some Rest. Sleep is so important, and most adults love to get a good night’s rest, but we don’t always make sleep a priority. We start channel surfing or scrolling on our phones in the evening and before we know it, it’s way past an appropriate bedtime. Before you settle in on the couch, put your pajamas on and brush your teeth. This way, you can slip right into bed when you get sleepy. Better yet, get straight into bed with a good book and read until you feel ready for sleep. Sleep improves memory, reduces stress, increases productivity, boosts your mood, and allows our bodies to heal and restore. Who doesn’t want all of that? Get your eight hours of sleep as consistently as you can, especially this time of year.

As we move through this holiday season, I hope you’ll enjoy some of your favorite holiday foods, but slow down and stop eating just before you’re full. If you drink, I hope you’ll drink moderately and make sure to get the rest that you need. Most of all, I hope you’ll look at this season not so much as a chance to overindulge, but to spend quality time with those you love. When January 1st comes, we can all wake up feeling satisfied, restored, and ready for the new year!

MICHELE IS AVAILABLE FOR PRIVATE AND SEMI PRIVATE (2-4 PEOPLE) WELLNESS COACHING AND CONSULTATION