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Title: Stay Consistent and Healthy This Holiday!
Holidays can be a time of celebration and fun when it comes to food, but for those trying to stay consistent with their healthy lifestyles, they can become stressful. Use these tips to help you stay healthy and strong, while still enjoying your day!
1. Ask the right question; "How can I nourish and fuel my body best today with the options available?" Rather than "What can I avoid?" Nutrition is never about avoiding the fun stuff, but instead about giving your body what it needs to thrive. Ask yourself how you can make sure your body is getting what it needs, so that the extras or the things that may cause inflammation are less offensive! An example of this would be aiming to eat a protein (meat) and a veggie as your meal before you reach for dessert to make sure your blood sugar is protected and stable!
2. Keep meal times as close to consistent as possible. No skipping meals here! If you have a weird lunch/dinner time, make sure to still get in something with protein every 5 hours or less. No fasting to "save room" for a big meal. This always sets your body up for failure!
3. Protect your blood sugar: If you're eating excess sugar, always pair it with a protein buddy. Example) Cupcake WITH a burger patty and not on its own. If protein doesn't exist around you, then make sure to drink a full glass of water and take a 5 min walk after consuming a sugary treat.
4. Bring the dish you want to eat: If you have the ability to prepare food and bring it to contribute to the party, bring things you know you can eat and feel confident with! For example, can you sign up to bring the veggie option? Or the grilled chicken? Salad? If you know going into the event that you will have no good options available, pack a protein dense snack with you. Example) A grass fed beef stick.
5. Stay hydrated: For every alcoholic (or caffeinated) drink, recover with 2 glasses of water! If outside and sweating a ton, sprinkle a bit of salt in your water for best absorption.
6. Avoid foods that have been sitting out in the heat for long. Food borne illnesses and parasites are easy to contract on hot days where food is sitting outside for too long. Particularly avoid things that contain mayonnaise, meat, egg, or dairy in them!
7. Enjoy the day! Holidays are meant for celebration, relaxation, and community! Make the day less about food and health and more about those things. Food is meant for joy as well as nourishment! It's all about how you can help you body handle food best, not about restriction.
Happy Independence Day to You and Your Family!
Curious about digging deeper into your own health?
Book a free 15 min phone call with me to see if functional nutrition is the right thing for you!
Always rooting for you!
- Allie CHN, FDN-P
Allie is a Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner located in Birmingham, Alabama. She helps women and men across the country online and in her hometown office dig deeper into their root health issues and find holistic healing!
