How To Stick To Your Diet During the Holidays

Many people have a hard time sticking to their diet without the temptation of suckle turkey, decadent desserts, mashed potatoes and yes gravy. You tell yourself, it’s the holiday season so I will give myself a break from my diet but the next thing you know Thanksgiving turns to Christmas Eve, Christmas Eve turns to Christmas Day, Christmas Day turns to New Years Eve and New Years Eve turns to New Years Day. The by the time the holidays are over yours pants are snug again. Let me just tell you that it is possible to thoroughly enjoy the holidays without completely breaking your diet, here’s how.

The first key to not over indulging on a holiday is to eat throughout the day, don’t fast in the morning in order to prepare for the evening meal. Fasting doesn’t make your stomach bigger but it does make you ravenous, causing you to eat much more than you normally would.

Before you leave your house to eat, or if you’re eating at home, grab a handful of nuts such as almonds, cashews, or walnuts. This food will fill your stomach with some healthy proteins that will make you feel less hungry and therefore less likely to overindulge in the holiday meal.

If you can’t swing having some protein before the big meal take only one serving of dishes such as mashed potatoes, gravy, rolls and butter or anything else with high fat content. Instead, eat multiple servings of vegetables. This way you can have everything you want but without the guilt and you will still leave the meal with a full stomach.

Try also to stay away from alcohol. When you drink excessively your liver stops absorbing sugars and cause your blood sugar level to drop causing your brain to think it needs to eat to raise it back up. Drinking one glass of wine or having one beer probably won’t do it but watch your alcohol intake to avoid overeating.

One last thing that will save your diet during the holidays is to indulge. When you are craving a piece of pie, a glass of eggnog or anything else, don’t deprive yourself because of your diet. Resisting what your body craves only makes it want it more so when you finally do give in you are more likely to overindulge. Instead, have a small slice, glass or serving that will give your appetite what it wants without eating too much.

For more information on how to stick to your diets during the holidays as well as to find healthy holiday recipes, click here!

How to Lower Stress During the Holidays

Next to tax time, the holidays are the most stressful time of the year. The weight of family, friends, buying gifts, decorating your home and cooking for upwards of dozens of people at times can be the source of tremendous amounts of stress, and therefore a major detriment to your health. While at time this can be sporadic, many suffer from seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a form of depression that manifests itself during the winter months. Whether you suffer from SAD or simply feel the weight of the mounting holiday pressures on your shoulders, there are a variety ways to lower your stress levels, center your chi, and experience a stress-free (or stress-reduced) holiday season.

A great way to alleviate the build-up of stress is through exercise. Not only can it help calm you down and release endorphins, it can help you stave off those nasty pounds that tend to accumulate over the holidays, which can be a source of stress as well. Simply doing twenty to thirty minutes of cardio a day can help keep you feeling good, looking great and best of all, stress-free throughout the tumultuous season. Examples of good exercises include cycling, jogging and swimming. If these don’t suit your fancy, simply going for a brisk walk or walking the dog after a meal can be beneficial.

Next to exercise, stress can be reduced through relaxation exercises. These include yoga and meditation, which can be easily performed within the comfort of your own home. There are also plenty of resources available to help you get started, including classes at your local gym and most likely a number of personal instructors offering their services. This is especially popular during the holidays, and is usually more affordable than having to join a gym. When in doubt, simply purchasing a book or video can help you get started so you can be well on your way to having a stress-free holiday season.

In the end, the stress of the holidays does not need to be overwhelming. The tactics outlined above, as well simple things such as giving yourself time to unwind and read a book, watch a movie or take a nap can be quite beneficial to your stress levels. Even taking an hour to play with your kids not only gives you much needed exercise, but it affords you the opportunity to spend some time with your children. For more great ways to reduce your stress and to stay healthy during the holidays, click here.

The Fattiest Holiday Dishes

Holiday dishes are DELICIOUS, the unfortunate reason, they are full of fat. Now this may be somewhat of a stereotype considering the many health conscience people in our world today who rely on health and nutrition websites, magazines, and other sources for low calorie and low fat dishes. But for the majority of us who still enjoy the flavorful traditional dishes, here are a few statistics to keep in mind that may keep you from reaching for that second, third, or maybe even fourth helping.

You’re not American if you don’t like apple pie right? Right, well considering the fact that America has one of the highest obesity rates what I am about to tell you next may not shock you. Apple pie is one of the fattiest holiday dishes made by Americans. One sixth of a piece of pie his 300 calories, 15g of fat, and unimaginable amounts of sugar. Now multiple that by two pieces and most women are at half of their daily calorie percentages.

Eggnog, a rum based drink enjoyed by many people in our country. Personally, I can’t stand the stuff but for one reason or another it has become a staple during the holiday season. Unfortunately, only one glass of eggnog contains 340 calories, 20g of fat, and again a ton of sugar. I know it can be difficult to give up a favorite food or drink but if you’re watching your weight you should consider moving to some hot spiced apple cider with whiskey.

Sweet potatoes with marshmallows is another holiday dish I have never enjoyed, however, it is found at most all Thanksgiving meals. I know your waiting for it so here it is, one serving of this dish has about 300 calories, with 49g of fat.

Now I realize that completely forgoing a holiday meal is unrealistic and eating the health mark stuff isn’t satisfying enough during this season so instead of taking multiple servings of a dish you know is high in fat, take just one. This will prevent a lot of guilt, I promise.

For more information on holiday dishes and some tips to make them healthier I you so please, click here!

The Many ways to Cook a Turkey

Having a turkey for thanksgiving is essential, this is why the famous Thanksgiving Day holiday has been coined “Turkey Day” by so many people. Everyone has their own style to creating their perfect Thanksgiving dinner, from the stuffing, to the place settings, to the pies, and of course the famous turkey, but who knew that there were so many ways to cook a turkey. In fact there are literally hundreds o ways to cook a turkey and each year new recipes and techniques are created. Well, if you are looking to change up your Turkey Day routine or are merely curious about all of the interesting ways a turkey can be made, check this out some of these popular ways to cook a turkey.

In the southern United States, in areas such as New Orleans, it is popular to deep fry your turkey. If you are trying to avoid a dry turkey, man is this for you! This method is best for small turkeys within the range of 8 to 10 pounds stuffed with different vegetables and sprinkled with seasonings. And cooking it is exactly how it sounds; you lower the entire bird into a huge vat of hot oil and fry until crispy and golden brown. Many people consider this preparation of a turkey to be extremely unsafe considering the huge vat of oil, but the upside to this form of turkey preparation is that it takes a fraction of the time as compared to putting the bird in the oven.

Barbequed turkey is also a fun way to spice up your Thanksgiving. It is also one of the easiest and most flavorful ways to cook a turkey because the excess juices run off and the flavor is sealed in resulting in a turkey with a crisp outside and juicy inside. To make the easiest, yet still delicious barbequed turkey you only need a few ingredients, olive oil, Worcestershire, and garlic pepper. This cooking method requires approximately 25 to 30 minutes of cooking time per pound so make sure your tank has plenty of gas in it. A couple of side notes for this cooking method is you can use some mesquite chips to give the turkey a little extra flavor but make sure you don’t stuff the turkey otherwise the inside temperature will not get hot enough to kill bacteria.

If you are a fan of stuffing in your turkey, braising is also a delicious way to prepare your turkey. In this method you simple place your defrosted turkey, stuff it with your favorite vegetables or stuffing and place it in a pan with a small amount of water or stock in a 325 to 350 degree oven. Cook the turkey until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 or higher, making sure to check the temperature in the thickest part of the breast. After the turkey is finished you can pour out all of the flavorful liquid left over in the pan and use it as a side dish of dressing. This method leaves your turkey lightly browned and moist inside.

If you are satisfied with the way your turkey comes out every year, there is no reason to change it, but I guarantee that if you try one of these ways to prepare a turkey you won’t regret it either! Who knows, many you will fall in love and the way you prepare your turkey will be forever changed.

For more great Thanksgiving health tips, go here!

How to Have a Healthy Thanksgiving

As the three-headed hydra that is the holidays begin to rear its simultaneously joyous and stress-filled head, a major topic of concern is how to stay healthy. Exercise is put on hold, copious amounts of delicious foods are consumed and alcohol is imbibed by the bucket load. Naturally, many of us try to come up with easy ways to cut down on the calories and prevent an expanding on the waistline. By following these simple steps and those found elsewhere on the web, your holiday doesn’t have to be an unhealthy one.

One of the best ways to keep your meticulously prepared Thanksgiving meal from wreaking havoc on your waistline is to come to the realization that recipes are not set in stone. High-calorie or high fat ingredients can easily be substituted with healthier alternatives. HealthCastle.com has a handy dandy table that lists the myriad of substitutes you can implement for common ingredients such as sour cream, eggs, butter and cheeses. For example, it can be as simple as replacing whole milk with skim or 1% milk, or a little more involved, such as substituting whipped cream with one part flour mixed with one part fat-free milk. These little changes can make your Thanksgiving meal much healthier without sacrificing taste.

While this can help cut down the calories in the meals themselves, it’s not going to make a lick of difference if you indulge beyond the point of being full. Many people think the holidays are an excuse to overeat but this simply isn’t true. Overeating is incredibly tempting during Thanksgiving, especially considering the wide variety of tasty foods typically available, but there are ways to prevent it. This usually involves a combination of willpower and advanced planning.

One common mistake is starving yourself up until the dinner is served. This leads to eating faster, which invariably leads to eating far more than you should. Eat a hearty, filling breakfast and skip the holiday wine in favor of water, which can help stave off hunger pangs and give you a greater feeling of fullness. By the time Thanksgiving dinner rolls around, the notion of overeating will be unappealing, forcing you to eat less. And just because you’re eating less doesn’t mean you have to forgo some of the dishes available. You can still sample everything through willpower and simple portion control.

Sadly, by following this advice, this means one thing: no fried turkey. There are many more tips and tricks to eat healthy and stay in tip top shape this holiday season here.

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