How to Eat Healthy at a Holiday Meal

So you wanna learn how to eat healthy so you don’t have to unbutton your pants at the table this year. I get it. It’s almost become an accepted way of life that a huge holiday meal equals planning to stuff yourself, then actually stuffing yourself, then beating yourself up for stuffing yourself. What if this year could be different? What if this year you planned on enjoying your favorite holiday foods, actually enjoyed the holiday foods in an empowered manner, and then congratulated yourself for enjoying the holiday foods and ending the day feeling great about yourself? Guess what? It’s not as hard as you think. Learning how to eat healthy is a skill that takes practice, but you have to decide to do the work. And what better time than now? I want you to enjoy the holidays this year, and ring in the new year in your same pant size. How great will it be to not vow to lose 10 pounds this year come January, because you never gained them?! There are 5 rules to holiday eating that I always share with my clients, and I’m sharing them with you today. How to Eat Healthy at a Holiday Meal 1. Be a Wo/Man with a Plan. Before you embark on your Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Hanukkah adventures, take a minute to decide what you are going to eat, indulge in, or taste. If you take a few moments before you begin to really think and plan, you will set yourself up to be successful. Sometimes a little planning is all you need to get you through the day enjoying your meal and feeling good too! 2. Take Control with a little Portion Control. Remember to load up on the cleanest cooked vegetables available, salad, and turkey breast, ham, or whatever lean protein is served. Limit the sides and desserts. Choose 2 tablespoons of 2 decadent sides to indulge in and keep the rest of your plate green and lean! Of course, you should enjoy your meal, but get the leftovers out of the house and definitely do not take a doggie bag home. Removing tempting indulgences will help you get back to your Nutritious Life as soon as the holiday is over. RELATED: The Best Portion Control Hack to Avoid Overeating 3. Drink Up, Up, Up! Unwanted calories from beverages can undermine your work. Have a full glass of water or seltzer (with lemon) before the meal and match each glass of wine with a glass of water. Avoid the eggnog and fancy coffee drinks—those calories take the worst revenge and can plump you up in no time. End your meal with an herbal tea instead. 4. Choose the Most Nutrient Dense Foods. Roasted chestnuts, a tablespoon of cranberries, roasted root vegetables, turkey breast, and a spoonful of winter squash are loaded with nutrition! Make sure you are getting these powerhouses in, in place of the stuffing, mashed potatoes and corn bread, which may be less healthful. Making these nutritious choices on the holiday will have you feeling proud and inspired to make better choices the day after and beyond. RELATED: The Power of a Healthy Breakfast: Setting You Up for a Healthier Day 5. Get Up and Go. Do the best you can to move during the day! If it’s snowing outside, build an enormous snowman or have a super competitive snowball fight. If the weather is nice outdoors, rally the family for a 30 minute walk around the neighborhood or a game of touch football. If you’re stuck inside, try a competitive karaoke session with mandatory dance moves or teach your family their first yoga sequence. If all else fails, just offer to chase around after the little ones, since they never can sit still. Their very tired parents will thank you. Remember: Listen to your body! Stop eating when you are slightly satisfied even if it seems to go against the spirit of “stuffing” on Thanksgiving or Ho-Ho-Ho-ing on Christmas. ENJOY your holiday. It is one meal that should be cherished and celebrated. Keep your Nutritious Life in the forefront of your mind and know we’re cheering on your holiday efforts! You’ve got this! (Image: Shutterstock)

9 Weight Loss Tips During Thanksgiving

You’re looking for weight loss tips because you want to do Thanksgiving differently this year, right? Usually, you eat until you’re stuffed, fall asleep on the couch, and wake up in the 4th quarter of some football game. If this is you, we promise you, you’re not alone. If football’s not your jam, you might retreat to a bedroom and pass out in a food coma on a proper bed. You tell yourself it was all that tryptophan from the turkey. But does the tryptophan in turkey really make you feel tired? Not really. Turkey contains an essential amino acid called L-tryptophan, which the body uses to produce the brain chemical serotonin. Serotonin can help us sleep by improving our mood and promoting relaxation. As it turns out, turkey contains almost the same amount of tryptophan as chicken, pork, and beef. What’s more, egg whites, soybeans and cheddar cheese have even more tryptophan than turkey. So, what are the real culprits behind your post-Thanksgiving marathon nap? Aside from typical overconsumption of food and alcohol, it’s usually just the result of too many carb-heavy foods and throwing your healthy diet out the window. Mashed potatoes, corn bread, stuffing, and apple pie—oh my! All of those starchy carbs can quickly raise blood sugar and may encourage sleep. This year, begin a new tradition. Eat a little less, drink a little more (water!), feel a lot better, and maybe you won’t even need the nap. You’ll be ready to show Black Friday who’s boss. 9 Weight Loss Tips During Thanksgiving 1. Begin with breakfast. Eat consistently throughout the day beginning with a well-balanced, healthy breakfast. 2. Eat before you party. Choose from your arsenal of healthy snacks before you go to a holiday dinner. To control hunger, try eating two high-fiber crackers with 2 teaspoons of natural nut butter or a hard-boiled egg as a pre-party snack. 3. Offer to bring a dish. There may not be many healthy foods offered at your party, but that’s OK. By bringing your own healthy dish, at least you’ll have one go-to—and you’ll know exactly what’s in it. 4. Turn on your healthy food radar. Load up on lighter and cleaner appetizers with healthy fats, such as crudité with a portion of hummus. 5. Set your sip limit. Give yourself a drink maximum before the meal begins. Remember to sip slowly and choose lower-calorie and low-sugar options such as vodka and seltzer or wine spritzers. 6. Exercise! An hour spent burning calories will also motivate you to make healthier choices later in the day. 7. Control your portions. This includes veggies. Unless you’ve prepared them, they could be loaded with sneaky ingredients such as margarine or sugary sauces. (Here’s a handy portion control hack for you to try.) Don’t let desserts derail your healthy lifestyle either. Slice your own pie so you can control the size. And skip that crust. 8. Listen to your body. Stop eating once you’re slightly satisfied. Period. You’ll have much better memories of a meal enjoyed than a meal overindulged in. Focus on your family and friends, not food. 9. Drink plenty of water. Drinking adequate water promotes what’s known as a thermogenic state, which increases your metabolic rate. This will help to keep you from overeating and help you feel full, so you don’t actually stuff yourself full. 10. Enjoy your day. And here’s a bonus tip for you. When it comes to Thanksgiving or any gathering of family and friends, don’t forget to enjoy your day. Consciously and wisely (with the tips here) indulge in your favorite foods and have a very happy Thanksgiving. Take Your Hunger for Nutrition and Wellness Knowledge to the Next Level If you love learning about the best foods, drinks, and lifestyle habits for total wellness, think of how awesome it would be to learn and share this life-changing info as a side hustle… or even your full-time job. Our Become a Nutrition Coach certification course gives you a solid foundation in nutrition science, plus techniques for coaching clients and growing your new business—all within a community of passionate, like-minded friends. It’s the perfect way to inspire the next generation of healthier people all across the globe. Request a sneak peek of the Become a Nutrition Coach program here and see how you can put your passion for wellness to work. (Images: Shutterstock)

How Many Calories Are In an Acai Bowl?

Rainbow-hued acai bowls remain buzzy on Instagram, with 2 million posts (and counting) using the hashtag #acaibowl. Just about every juice bar—even Costco’s—offers the delicious smoothie bowls. No doubt, they’re pretty and popular.  But what’s underneath that lovely layer of fruit? Is this tasty trend boosting your health or hindering it? And how many calories are in an acai bowl, anyway? We’re dishing with registered dietitian Jenna Werner, creator and CEO of Happy Strong Healthy, on all of the acai intel. The bottom line is no surprise: The answers to the questions above come on a case-by-case basis. While loaded with nutrition, acai bowls can also “pack a lot of calories, sugar, and even fat,” Werner says. “The nutrition varies based on where you get your acai bowl and how it’s made.” RELATED: 5 Healthy Snack Ideas That Require NO Skills to Prep What are acai bowls, exactly? Acai (pronounced ah-sigh-ee) is a violet-skinned, yellow-fleshed berry grown in the Amazon forest. Due to its solid supplies of antioxidants, vitamin A, calcium, and fiber, acai is often deemed a “superfruit.” Its flavor is similar to a combination of dark chocolate and blackberries, making it ideal for blending into smoothies for a dessert-like flavor boost. Acai bowls began as a specialty in Brazil. Due to its vibrant appearance and ice cream-like consistency, the food trend quickly spread to all corners of the globe. Served in a bowl or a cup, these smoothie bowls are made with acai pulp that’s usually mixed with frozen fruit like banana, and is accented with additional mix-ins and toppings. How many calories are in an acai bowl? As much as we wish we had a firm answer to the question, “How many calories are in an acai bowl?”, the answer is: It depends.  Take a look at the differences between a few popular chains and store-bought acai bowl options: Jamba Juice The Acai Primo bowl contains 520 calories, with 11 grams of fat and 8 grams of protein. It also has 11 grams of fiber and a considerable amount of sugar: 65 grams. (Image: Jamba Juice) Fresh Healthy Cafe The acai version of this smaller chain’s “Power Bowls” contains 510 calories, with 10 grams of fat and 4 grams of protein. It also has 45 grams of fiber and a whopping 73 grams of sugar. (Image: Fresh Restaurants) Juice Generation New York City’s Juice Generation offers a few acai options. On the leaner side, there’s the Aloha Bowl, with 259 calories, 9 grams of fat, 4 grams of protein, and a relatively low 26 grams of sugar. But the PB Bowl packs a lot more of everything (thanks in large part to the addition of peanut butter): 495 calories, 26 grams of fat, 12 of protein, and 40 grams of sugar. (Image: Juice Generation) Trader Joe’s The popular grocery chain’s frozen organic acai bowl offers one 10-ounce serving, which contains: 260 calories, 10 grams of fat, 4 grams protein, 9 grams fiber, and 18 grams of sugar. RELATED: How to Start Eating Healthy, According to a Dietitian (Image: Trader Joe’s) RELATED: How to Start Eating Healthy, According to a Dietitian How can you make a low-calorie acai bowl? Many cafes and juice bars blend in sugar, often in the form of honey, maple syrup or agave nectar, and pile on calorie-dense toppings to keep you coming back for bowl after tasty bowl. Such additions “can pretty quickly take the bowl from a meal to dessert, especially when chocolate and sweeter items join the ingredient list,” Werner says. That’s OK for a once-in-a-while treat, but if you want to make acai smoothies part of your regular healthy diet, it’s much better to DIY. “I encourage my clients to make their own versions at home,” Werner says. “They can be a great way to add in fruits and even veggies, plus homemade acai bowls can be customized to include your favorite ingredients.” Where to get your acai? Most grocery stores have packets you can find in the frozen fruit section, making it easy and economical to DIY your own bowls at home. We love the Sambazon brand, which comes in Original Blend or Pure Unsweetened, and is usually priced under $10 for a pack of four pouches. For the most calorie-smart, at-home bowl, select a smaller-sized vessel and stick to two or three toppings max. RELATED: Are There Really Good Calories and Bad Calories? Five delicious additions to your at-home acai bowl 1. Plant-based milk: You’re going to need a liquid to blend your frozen acai and other ingredients into, so choose your favorite healthy, plant-based milk. If you prefer cow’s milk, get a probiotic boost by using kefir instead. 2. Frozen banana: A frozen banana will add great texture, not to mention a boost of potassium. And let’s be honest: Smoothies and bowls are more fun when they have the same creamy mouthfeel as a milk shake! 3. Berry boost: More berries are never a bad idea. Blueberries, strawberries, take your pick. You’ll get an extra boost of antioxidants and vitamins, plus the berries’ natural sweetness can satisfy your taste for sugar. 4. Nuts or nut butters: For a boost of protein along with some healthy fats, add a tablespoon of almonds or cashews, or use creamy peanut butter. 5. Veggies: Smoothies and acai bowls can be a great way to get a serving of vegetables, too. Add a carrot, a beet, or even a handful of spinach into your mix! Want even more ideas for sneaking super-healthy acai into your day? Start with a low-sugar smoothie such as this Chocolate-Cherry Smoothie or this Raspberry Oat Smoothie, then add frozen acai. Or, opt for the easier-to-store, concentrated acai powder, such as Whole Foods Market’s 365 organic version. So, are acai bowls healthy? Seek out acai options that are as low as possible in added sugars and high in fiber and protein. “Remember that restricting something you love is never the answer,” Werner says. “But it’s important to

A Quick Primer on Healthy Portion Sizes

A Quick Primer on Healthy Portion Sizes  Ask Keri: If I’m eating healthy, whole foods, do portion sizes still matter? If so, how do I figure them out? Keri says: Most nutrition experts (including me!) agreed a long time ago that calorie counting is not the best strategy for eating well. That doesn’t mean, however, that portion sizes aren’t helpful. Overeating is still a real challenge for many people, and even nutritious foods like nuts (many of us can relate to that one!) and grass-fed beef can cause weight gain if eaten in excess. I’m not suggesting you start serving your quinoa in a measuring cup or count every single almond you put in your mouth. (You’re way too busy for that nonsense.) But if you learn what healthy portion sizes look like in advance, you can easily draw on that information at meal and snack times to eyeball the amount you’re adding to your plate and, of course, stay in touch with your HQ.  Below, you’ll find basic portion sizes for the major food groups. These will vary person to person, depending on gender, age, bodyweight, and how much activity you’re engaging in, so use them only as a starting point and then listen to your body. Healthy Portion Sizes  Vegetables The best news first: eat ‘em up! With veggies, you don’t have to consider portions. In fact, pile those greens as high as you can. (Unless, of course, your veggies are more oil than they are veggies.) This includes fresh herbs, too, which your taste buds will appreciate.  RELATED: Why You Should Add Spices to Every Meal Fruit Many fruits come in pre-portioned sizes, like apples, bananas, oranges, and peaches. If you can bite right into it, one is probably the magic number. But, if you’re eating an apple and you feel slightly satisfied after just a half, by all means, wrap up the second half. For berries and things you tend to slice, like melon or mango, keep it under one cup. Dried fruit is super sugary (even the no-added-sugar kind), so cut it off at two tablespoons. Finally, everyone’s fave: avocado (yes, it’s a fruit!) is filled with healthy fats, so stick to eating a quarter of one at a time. Grains Whether it’s whole wheat pasta, quinoa, or farro, a half cup (cooked) is usually a good portion size. For bread (you’re of course eating sprouted or sourdough, right?), one slice is a better portion size than two. So, make friends with “toasts” instead of full sandwiches. RELATED: A Modern Guide to Ancient Grains Beans Go with a half cup of cooked black beans, garbanzos, or lentils. But, if these are your only protein source for your meal, you may need more. What else is on your plate?  Nuts and Seeds For nuts like almonds, walnuts, and cashews, 10 or so is a healthy portion. That basically works out to one small handful. For seeds like chia, hemp, or pumpkin, go with two teaspoons. Lean Meat and Fish  For beef, chicken, turkey, and fish, four to six ounces is appropriate for a meal. Picture a bar of soap. If it’s for a snack, stick to two to three ounces. Eggs Two eggs. I recommend saying yes to the yolks, but if you’re sticking to whites, then up that to four. RELATED: Should You Avoid High-Cholesterol Foods? Cheese Go for an ounce of whole, real cheeses like feta, fresh mozzarella, or organic sharp cheddar. That looks like two small cubes, like two dice, or about a half-inch thick slice of a block (depending on the shape!). One last thing to keep in mind: Watch out for dressings, sauces, and condiments. Many people pour them on a little too generously, ruining a perfectly portioned veggie-grain bowl. Stick to just a teaspoon or tablespoon for flavor—and experiment more with no-portions-needed vinegars, herbs, and spices. Take Your Hunger for Nutrition Knowledge to the Next Level If you love learning about portion sizes and the best foods to eat for total wellness, think of how awesome it would be to do it as a side hustle… or even your full-time job. Our Become a Nutrition Coach certification course gives you a solid foundation in nutrition science, plus techniques for coaching clients and growing your new business—all within a community of passionate, like-minded friends. It’s the perfect way to inspire the next generation of healthier people all across the globe. Request a sneak peek of the Become a Nutrition Coach program here and see how you can put your passion for wellness to work. 

Are Bagels Healthy?

There is almost nothing more satisfying than biting into a warm, toasted bagel. You get the crispy, the chewy—and all the feels. There’s been a lot of debate over the decades about this baked favorite. We often get asked, “How bad is a bagel for you?” Read on to get the answer.  The History For a couple decades, many Americans thought eating a bagel was a breakfast hole in one (see what we did there?). It’s quick to prepare (toast and go), comes in a variety of flavors, and during the low-fat craze of the ‘80s and ‘90s, it was viewed by some as a healthy-ish choice. It’s cholesterol-free and low-fat, right?! Enter Atkins-era carb-phobia and bagels were immediately ghosted. Since then, the general consensus by the majority of U.S. eaters was, “No way—only on cheat day!” as they viewed the doughy “O”s to have too many carbs. Instead of relying on popular opinion and the latest diet trend rules, let’s crunch the numbers to find out. Bagel Nutrition Facts Bagel nutrition facts vary widely based on brand and size—just compare a New York deli bagel to a typical freezer version and you’ll have a visual explanation as to why there are far more carbs and calories in the latter. As a rough guide, here’s what you’ll find in a “regular” bagel (105 grams, like the size you would get at the grocery store or freezer aisle), according to the USDA’s FoodData Central nutrition facts database:  277 calories 1 gram of fat 11 grams of protein 55 grams of carbohydrates (including 9 grams of sugar and 2 grams of fiber) For perspective, on the typical 2,000-calorie-per-day diet, it’s recommended to consume roughly 50 percent carbs, 30 percent fat and 20 percent protein. So as a frame of reference, this would mean a daily total of about 350 grams of carbs, 93 grams of fat, 140 grams of protein. At Nutritious Life we generally recommend slightly less carbs and say to aim for roughly one-third, one-third, one-third calories from each of the macronutrients and that friend of yours on keto isn’t eating over 50 grams of carbs for the entire day! RELATED: Decoding the Macro Counting Diet  Bagel Pros and Cons PROS Bagels can be an easy way to score a couple servings of whole grains Choose a bagel that has whole-wheat flour or sprouted grains and you’re on your way to a balanced breakfast. Make sure to top it with natural pb or avocado mash and a hard boiled egg and you’ve got a well rounded start to the day. Reminder, consuming two to three servings of whole grains daily has been linked to lower risk for chronic diseases including type 2 diabetes heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancer. It makes for a quick and affordable bite Stock up on some healthy bagels for your freezer and you’re never more than minutes away from a hangry-fighting option. (See below about how to dress up a bagel to make it a meal!) Bagels are easy to digest Unless you have a gluten intolerance or allergy, a bagel can be a good energy-boosting pre-workout snack. CONS Bagels are fairly high in calories The typical size of a bagel has almost doubled in the past 20 years, according to the National Institute of Health, and that portion size edit is the main culprit behind the oversized calorie count. Some jumbo bagels can be more than 500 calories alone, and that’s before you add any spreads or toppings. What’s most significant here is that bagels are virtually nutrient devoid.  Bagels are high in carbs While these carbs are complex carbs (meaning they’re made up of longer chains of sugar molecules and are sometimes higher in fiber than simple carbs), the carbs found in bagels are refined, are essentially very similar to eating sugar due to the way they are digested. This also means they lack the important nutrients and fiber found in whole grains. You also want to look out for sneaky sugar bombs in sweeter styles like blueberry, cinnamon-raisin and cinnamon-sugar.  They’re rarely super-filling on their own Since the average bagel is low in fat, fiber and protein, the satiety factor can be fairly low and the blood sugar rise and fall can be more dramatic than a meal or snack that offers a more balanced macronutrient ratio.  Bottom Line Just like many nutrition decisions, the answer to “are bagels healthy?” isn’t yay or nay. You can certainly make bagels part of a healthy, well-balanced diet (and counteract most of the cons listed above). Try a sprouted grain bagel, egg, and avocado for your next morning meal and you won’t be disappointed.  And be careful with your condiments. Instead of butter, jelly or cream cheese, consider topping your serving with a source of protein and/or fat like: ¼ cup hummus + ¼ cup diced bell pepper  ¼ of an avocado, smashed + 1 teaspoon everything bagel seasoning 2 tablespoons nut butter + ½ banana, sliced 2 tablespoons Kite Hill Everything cream cheese + 1 ounce smoked salmon 1 scrambled egg or 1 hard-boiled egg, sliced RELATED: How to Choose the Healthiest Bread  5 Healthy Bagels You Can Buy Online With an eye out for total calories, carbs, portion size and quality of ingredients, we’ve browsed through the online supermarket “aisles” to round up a few healthy bagel products you can order online and have shipped to your door. Here’s five of the healthiest bagels you can buy: Silver Hills Bakery Organic Everything Sprouted Power Bagels ($5.99 for 5, target.com) Canyon Bakehouse Gluten-Free Bagel and Bread Variety Pack ($38.68 for two loaves and two bagel 4-packs, amazon.com) O’Dough’s Sprouted Whole Grain Flax Bagel Thins ($35.39 for three 6-packs, amazon.com) Dave’s Killer Bread Epic Everything Bagels ($4.79 for 5, target.com) Daily Kneads Cauliflower Whole Grain Vegetable Bagels ($3.99 for 5, amazon.com)  (photo credit: Shutterstock)

3 Ways to Start Mindful Eating Today

Mindful eating is the thoughtful and intentional practice of eating. It’s important for making better food choices, watching our portions and allowing us to be present to savor and fully enjoy our food. It’s also beneficial as a weight, stress and gut health management tool. Like anything else, mindfulness is a practice and as with any practice, repetition and habitual discipline improves its effectiveness. Mindful eating informs every aspect of our dining experience — what we eat, where we eat, when we eat — and helps us make better choices.  Your gut and your brain are closely connected through a pathway involving nerves, hormones and inflammatory cells. Called the “second brain” by Emeran Mayer, MD in The Mind-Gut Connection, the Enteric Nervous System (ENS) sends sensory information generated in the gut to the brain and the brain signals it back to the gut ultimately affecting your emotional, digestive and nutritional health. It takes 20 minutes to communicate from our stomach to brain that we’re satisfied.. According to the National Institutes of Health, the reasons people eat mindlessly is unknown. “The smartest person you know cannot explain why they ate a salad instead of soup this morning, or why they ate one breakfast food instead of another, but these mindless eating habits can easily be changed, not by education, but by essentially changing the environment.” Environmental factors that can lead to mindless eating could be the size of your plate, the convenience of food and whether or not we  are listening to our hunger cues. There are countless reasons to give mindless eating a try including helping you to make more healthful food choices and finally learning when you are truly hungry.  We have three easy ways to get started that have helped my clients: Practice gratitude before you eat. Be grateful for the farmers, drivers, grocery store clerks that allowed food to come to your table. Chew slowly focusing on the textures, flavors and smell of your food. Take an actual break to eat. Sit down. Turn off electronics during meal times. Mindfulness teaches us how to recognize and let go of any negative emotions we may have around food. Being fully present and aware every time you eat is a practice — one you can’t expect to perfect immediately. Be patient with yourself.  — By Laura Collis, nutrition and wellness coach + Nutritious Life Studio alumni  

10 Genius Tiny Tweaks for Weight Loss

Think of these as small edits that fit into the bigger picture.

Is the Weight Watchers “Freestyle” Diet Healthy?

The super popular diet plan just got a major upgrade you should know about.

Try These Strategies to Eat Healthy While Dining Out

Whether you dine out once a month or three times a week, it’s harder to eat healthy when you’re not the one prepping and cooking the meal (and when there are endless options). But going out to eat does not mean you have to fall completely off the wellness wagon and start binging on whatever’s in the bread basket. In this video, I’m sharing smart strategies that will help you stick to your diet at a restaurant, so you can enjoy (not ruin) the chance to socialize with friends or family over a delicious meal. I’ll explain what to look for on the menu, how to approach drinking alcohol, and the reason you should always order first. Bon appétit! How to Eat Healthy While Dining Out Photo: Jakup Kapusnak via Foodie’s Feed

5 Smart, Simple Strategies for a Lean Holiday Season

It’s officially the holiday season (yay!), which means festive soirees, gift wrapping, and…sweet treats that just keep on coming. And every year, although we swear we won’t do it again, it’s hard to avoid trying a bite of every glittery cookie, which leads to gaining extra pounds we then resolve to lose come New Year’s. This year, we’re ready to break that same-old cycle (without sacrificing even a moment of joy). Here are a few smart, simple ways to avoid holiday weight gain that don’t include swearing off every piece of pecan pie or avoiding eggnog for the entire season. The best part? Staying lean and healthy will allow you to feel great amid all of the hustle and bustle, so you can soak up even more of the season’s happy vibes. Schedule your workouts in advance. You want your exercise routine to stay as consistent as possible. Hold yourself accountable by signing up for classes or adding your workouts to your calendar in advance. You might even want to treat yourself to some extra classes, since it’s easier to drag yourself out of bed for an early morning sweat session knowing you’ll avoid a cancellation fee and can spend your hard-earned dollars on killer gifts, instead. Bonus: The endorphin rush after class will help keep the stress of the season at bay, and you can refuel with a post workout smoothie. Stay super focused on eating your veggies. Yes, we’re saying it again. If your belly is full of veggies, after all, there will be less room for multiple servings of mashed potatoes. Make sure to eat greens and other winter veggies at every meal. Throw sauteed broccoli rabe and red peppers into scrambled eggs for breakfast, wilt kale and swiss chard into a white bean soup to bring with you for lunch, and lay your salmon filet over a bed of sauteed broccoli rabe as an easy go-to dinner. Stuck with only the options available at a holiday party? Station yourself near the crudite platter and fill up. The nutrients in veggies are important for a strong immune system, and the high water and fiber content will keep you full. Indulge when you actually want to. As you’re unwrapping yet another candy cane, think, “Do I really want this?” Eating mindlessly as you hop from glam parties to office cookie swaps won’t actually ever satisfy your sweet tooth. If it’s not a dessert that makes your mouth water, skip it. Save that indulgence for your Grandma’s pumpkin pie you wait for all year long, and while you eat it, savor every last bite. Drink smart. Champagne is going to be flowing like crazy, so choose a night or two a week to treat yourself to a drink (or two!). Have a holiday party coming up? Save your alcoholic beverages for those nights and skip the glass of wine at your after-work sushi dinner. On the nights you do drink, start with a glass of water or seltzer with a lemon or lime and drink another in between every martini or glass of wine. Staying hydrated will keep you from overdoing it and will help prevent a hangover. Prioritize shut-eye. If you don’t get enough sleep regularly, the constant go-go feeling of the holiday season will make your stress level spike, which raises cortisol in the body and leads to weight gain. Plus, you’ll be more likely to overeat as a result of fatigue. Set a bedtime you want to stick to on weeknights and try to honor it unless you have a special occasion. After all, you’re trying to stay lean and healthy, but you also don’t want to end up spending the season acting like The Grinch.

How Often You Should Have a Cheat Meal

I hate the concept of a cheat meal or cheat days. Yup, despise. OK, I know that sounds a little aggressive, but I’ve seen them (meals labeled cheat meals or days labeled cheat days) do so much more harm than good.  The whole premise of a cheat meal or cheat day is just so … negative. So does this mean we should all stick to kale, salmon and blueberries and never indulge? Absolutely not. Do I like indulging? You betcha. I never met a chocolate chip cookie I didn’t like. And, I do feel that indulging is part of living a Nutritious Life. Why I Don’t Believe in the ‘Cheat Meal’ Concept First, the term alone makes it seem as if you’re doing something wrong. It’s all negative energy. We eat well to feel well, not to be made to feel bad. Next, it kinda makes you want to, well, CHEAT! If you’re always feeling like  you’re waiting for your next cheat meal, then guess what, you’ll want that decadent French toast or curly fries with truffle oil a whole lot more. Chia seeds don’t walk themselves into your pantry. Kale doesn’t get chopped up by itself. You make lots of great choices and those choices shouldn’t feel like they need to be cheated on. The cheat meal concept completely diminishes the empowering good vibes you get from all the hard work and excellent choices you make most of the time. Finally, what if Sunday is your “cheat day” and you wake up motivated to run a 10K and eat a three-veggie frittata with sprouted grain bread and a green juice? Should you cheat? I think not. I’ve had clients say, “I was actually in the mood for an egg veggie scramble but it was my ‘off’ day and I knew I wouldn’t be able to eat pancakes for another week.” What?!?! When and How You Should Indulge So should you indulge, ever? Absolutely! I love my cookies and cake as much as anyone, I promise. Instead of viewing them as cheat meals, I prefer to call eating them a “conscious indulgence.” A conscious indulgence should be a few things: Portion controlled, the most nutrient-dense option of what you’re truly craving, and, finally, eaten from an empowered place. In other words, not hiding in your cubicle or grabbing the remaining candy bar from the trash. Dying for those Reese’s Pieces?? Well then perhaps an ounce of 70% dark chocolate with a teaspoon of natural peanut butter and a cup of green tea is even better. Fries? Try a baked sweet potato with sea salt instead. And, what if you just want the actual Reese’s Pieces or you don’t have the dark chocolate around? Eat a portion slowly (I’m not a calorie counter, but in this case, aiming for approximately 100-150 calories is a good way to control portion) with a cup of tea and move on. The idea of cheating is negative. I like to be positive. A conscious indulgence is positive. It comes from a place of empowered eating, not a place of giving in or falling off the wagon. How to Ditch the Cheat Meal Concept Altogether When you look at every eating situation as an individual opportunity to eat well, there’s room for indulging a craving and getting right back to that salmon and kale at the next meal. You don’t feel like you’ve given in, you don’t feel like you’ve failed and you certainly don’t indulge just because it’s the day or time to do so . You indulge when you have a true food craving and want to indulge from a place of positive energy. You can indulge because you can drink a green juice, eat avocado toast and still make room for a cookie, or the frosting off the cupcake. How often those indulgences occur is personal. It all depends on your health goals, your overall diet and your cravings. Generally, I recommend one to three a week depending upon all of the above.

3 Healthy Snacks for Weight Loss

Today I’m talking about one of my absolute fave topics. Drumroll please… snacking! Lunch was at noon. It’s now 3pm and you’re starving, and dinner isn’t until 6pm. But you promised yourself you’d avoid the vending machine today and you don’t want to blow it. Well, you can check those “guilty” feelings around having an afternoon snack at the door, because when done right, snacking can be healthy for you and even be a weight loss tool. Snacking on the wrong types of foods — 90% of what’s in that vending machine – as well as not snacking at all can actually cause you to gain weight and simply be unhealthy. Nut there are healthy snacks for weight loss that can help you stay satisfied, reduce how many calories you eat at your next meal, lower your cholesterol, improve your energy and make you feel happier! The key is to make sure your snacks work for you, not against you. Yes, I’m talking to you pretzels and baked chips. 3 Healthy Snacks for Weight Loss Crudites with guacamole: Choose bright colored veggies like carrots and red peppers instead of those fluorescent orange snacks and satisfy your crunchy craving. Pair them with guacamole for healthy fat that can actually help you burn fat. Try two tablespoons of guacamole with 1 cup sliced veggies. Get creative and mix it up with grape tomatoes, celery, green beans, endive, radishes…in season produce is best! Mixed berries, ricotta and flax: Need to satisfy your sweet tooth? Raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, and blackberries have high water volume, are packed with fiber and are loaded with cell repairing antioxidants. Ricotta is satisfying and creamy, but also provides you with protein and calcium. Ground flaxseed adds healthy fat and more fiber. Try 1 cup mixed berries, ⅔ cup ricotta and 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed for a perfect snack trifecta. Apple, peanut butter and cinnamon: Sweet, tart, and crunchy, green apples will satisfy almost any craving while also being the highest in antioxidants of any apples. Sorry, Gala. Peanut butter is the perfect combo of protein, fat and fiber, all which help to keep you satisfied. Just make sure you’re opting for a natural peanut butter with no added sugars. A sprinkle of cinnamon not only adds a boost of flavor, but it’s also been shown to help control blood sugar and even to help you relax. Ahhhh….Try one small sliced apple with one tablespoon pb and ¼ teaspoon cinnamon. So give these healthy snacks for weight loss a try next time you’re feeling ravenous in between meals. Snacking the right way can actually help you consume less calories throughout the day, help you avoid that habitual pull to the vending machine for the not-so-great snack options, and lead you to be happier and healthier overall!