​HAPPY HOLIDAYS! What a happy time.   This usually means family, friends, fun, and the biggest F of them all FOOD!  During the holidays we join our friends and family for gatherings and parties, as we talk, laugh, drink and EAT. And with eating, we may sometimes get ahead of ourselves and overeat during an event or one sitting of a meal, and now with covid, we may be overeating because there is just MORE food in the house for less people to eat.  Whatever the reason, it happens, we all do it. 
So how do we cope with the guilt of overindulging? Many of us have felt guilty overeating. Here are 5 tips to help you get on track after indulging:


1. Eat Whole Foods. Avoid diets and cleanses. You want to make sure that if you “fall off” you can quickly get yourself back on track with healthy habits.  It’s not about going on a crash diet to feel miserable while you deprive yourself of things.  It’s about eating in a way that is sustainable for your lifestyle in the long run that will have you feeling good by boosting your metabolism and giving you a good balance with the foods you need and the foods you love. 
Whole foods.  Not the grocery store.  Think plant-based(fruits, vegetables, whole grains, seeds and nuts), minimal to no processed foods, lean meats, poultry, and fish. 

2. Drink Lots Of Water.  Our body is made up of about 60% water.  So we need it. Water helps the body function properly.  It helps to lubricate the joints, transport nutrients to muscles, and remove waste from the body.  It also helps our body regulate temperature, and is vital for cell development and muscle growth (which helps with weight loss).
How much water should you drink in a day? Women should aim to drink 2.7 Liters and men should aim to drink 3.7 Liters.

3. Balance Your Portions.  Balance is important. You want to have carbs, fats, AND, protein with your meals.  After a big feast, you don’t want to cut out any of these nutrients just because you ate a lot. Let’s focus on the healthy, nourishing, whole foods of these three macronutrients. 
Carbohydrates: These are vital for energy.  Carbs are the main source of fuel that your the body uses to break down and create energy.  Carbohydrates are not the enemy, they are important in our diet. Healthy carbs are fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.   Rather than cutting out this necessary nutrient, focus on the real whole foods and minimize or eliminate the processed carbohydrates.  The problem with processed food, is that they do not provide your body with necessary nutrients or help your body function optimally - Processed foods lead to higher caloric intake without sufficient nourishment. 
Fats: These are also vital for optimal health.  This nutrient is also used for energy, and has more functions that we may not realize. For example, fat helps in cell growth and Development, it is important in brain function, it helps to keep our body warm, it helps to absorb and transport some nutrients throughout the body, and it also helps in hormone production.  Our body needs fat. Some examples of healthy fats are: Avocado, nuts and seeds, olives and olive oils, salmon, eggs, dark chocolate.
Protein: Another nutrient that is important to optimize health. They are our body’s building blocks.  As our cells break down, they need protein to repair and grow.  Protein intake is based on an individual's weight as well as the type and level of activity they do.  But as a minimum protein intake, you can focus on .8 x body weight (in kg). So somebody who is 135lb would take in about 48grams of protein a day.

4. Consistency In Workouts.  Keep up with this habit - it’s a good one.  Your consistency is going to help you get to your goals and help you keep and maintain your goals. Cardio and resistance training will keep you fit and strong.  Cardio is important for your body because it helps you stress the strength and endurance of your cardiovascular system (your heart, lungs, arteries, and veins.)  It helps you utilize oxygen more efficiently throughout your body.  And oxygen is needed for burning fat. 
Resistance training is how we strengthen our body, build our muscles, and improve our bone density.  There are different forms of resistance training - you can use free weights, machines, bodyweight - you can do traditional weightlifting, powerlifting, bodybuilding, etc. After a training session your muscles have been worked and broken down.  This is the time they need to repair, rebuild, and grow.  This happens when your body is at rest, and your muscles need energy to build. Resistance training allows you to utilize oxygen more efficiently while at rest  which increases your metabolism, and ultimately increases the rate of fat burning.
Be consistent with both cardio and resistance training to help keep you on track. The minimum requirement for a healthy and active lifestyle is 2 days of resistance training (6-10 exercises) and 3 days of cardio at moderate intensity. 
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5. Consistency With Movement. Movement doesn’t only mean exercising.  It literally means to move your body.  Making sure you are getting any kind of physical activity.  Walking, dancing,  gardening, yoga, biking, and hiking, are all examples of physical activity. Anything that gets your body up and going above a resting level.  
There is probably more sitting now in our lifestyles than there was pre-covid.  Just because we are home more often, don’t let that be a reason to keep you from moving.  If you find that you are sitting for long periods of time, do whatever you can to get up and move throughout your day.
For example, you can set a timer to remind you to get up and walk around every 20-30minutes.  Take a walk around your neighborhood.  Walk up and down the stairs. If you are driving anywhere, park at a walking distance away from your location to help you get some steps in, you can even just sit and stand in and out of your chair for repetitions.