It鈥檚 the time of year when whole grains, lean proteins and green juices get dumped for a steady diet of cookies, cocktails and cheese platters. But it doesn't have to mean disaster for your diet.
It鈥檚 the time of year when whole grains, lean proteins and green juices get dumped for a steady diet of cookies, cocktails and cheese platters.But just because there鈥檚 figgy pudding aplenty, doesn鈥檛 mean you鈥檙e destined to pack on the pounds. Dr. Donald Hensrud, a specialist in preventive and internal medicine at and medical director of The Mayo Clinic Healthy Living program, says you can enjoy the holidays without falling off the wellness wagon.鈥淓verybody鈥檚 going to relax a little bit and indulge, but it doesn鈥檛 have to derail efforts completely to manage weight,鈥� he said.Scroll through the gallery听for听his best health tips for surviving the holidays. 听
(Thinkstock)
Thinkstock
Plan and portionDon鈥檛 just wing it and graze on every hors d’oeuvre in sight. Hensrud says you should approach the holidays with a plan 鈥� even if it鈥檚 just an outline.If you鈥檙e cooking, swap out the carb-heavy dishes for a pan of roasted vegetables. Replace starchy mashed potatoes with or , and consider replacing your holiday roast with fish.鈥淚f people are going away from a traditional meal, they can include a Dijon and Parmesan-crusted salmon or even quinoa cakes for a little variety,鈥� Hensrud said.If you鈥檙e a guest at someone else鈥檚 dinner, enjoy the food that鈥檚 served, but don鈥檛 overdo it with seconds and thirds. Keep to the .And remember, that one meal you eat on Christmas or New Year鈥檚 Day isn鈥檛 going to completely shatter your scale. There are lots of lunches, dinners and appetizers consumed throughout the holiday season.鈥淚t鈥檚 also important to include fruits, vegetables, salads, healthier low-calorie foods, in meals other than the holiday meal to try to stay on track,鈥� Hensrud said. 听
(AP Photo)
AP Photo
Incorporate activity into your dayDon鈥檛 worry: Hensrud isn鈥檛 going to tell you that you need to schedule time on the treadmill during the holidays. And you don鈥檛 need to start training for a marathon either.鈥淛ust staying active throughout the day 鈥� going for a walk and trying to get some activity every day to help burn off some of those extra calories that we鈥檙e consuming 鈥� that can be effective as well,鈥� he said. 听
(Thinkstock)
Thinkstock
Don鈥檛 get discouragedIf you went crazy on the cream cheese dip or ate your weight in cookies, don鈥檛 get discouraged and continue to overdo it because 鈥渢he damage is done.鈥� Just restart your healthy habits the next day.
鈥淧eople may indulge, they feel guilty and then that makes it even worse. One of the most important things is being kind to ourselves, and I see this a lot that people tend to be their own worst enemy and beat themselves up because it鈥檚 very challenging managing weight,鈥� Hensrud said.
(Thinkstock)
Thinkstock
Change your attitudeDon鈥檛 let 鈥渄iet鈥� be a bad word in your vocabulary. Hensrud, who is the author of the second edition of 鈥�,鈥� says reaching a healthy weight starts with maintaining a healthy lifestyle.鈥淲eight management doesn鈥檛 have to be drudgery; it can be an enjoyable experience,鈥� he said.听鈥淭he attitude that people start with is incredibly important. If they approach this in a positive manner 鈥�听‘I鈥檓 going to be more active, I may lose some weight, I鈥檒l feel better’听鈥� that can make all the difference in the world.鈥�听
(AP Photo)
WASHINGTON 鈥� Just because there鈥檚 figgy pudding aplenty, that doesn鈥檛 mean you鈥檙e destined to pack on the pounds.
Dr. Donald Hensrud, a specialist in preventive and internal medicine at and medical director of The Mayo Clinic Healthy Living program, says you can enjoy the holidays without falling off the wellness wagon. Here are his best tips.听
