Stick with IT!

With holiday party season well on it's way. I wanted to share some simple ways of sticking with food plans built around weight loss, food sensitivities, or personal wellness. It is so tempting to have a little of this or a little of that, pretty soon you have consumed more sugar, alcohol, and bread then you ever intended too. It’s a good idea to set some room aside for special indulgences, like your favorite holiday cookie. Planning ahead can also improve your chances of staying on track.

Make your way to success:

1. Eat a salad with light protein before heading off to the company cocktail party. This ensures that you will get greens into your body before filling your belly up with alcohol, and the endless trays of appetizers.

1. Bring guacamole to the holiday potluck, using sliced red peppers, carrots, cucumber, and jicama for dipping. This very colorful dish is packed with nutrients:

• Red peppers- have vitamin A, vitamin C, and are a good source for B vitamins

• Carrots- rich in vitamin K and beta-carotene

• Cucumber- has vitamin K and molybdenum

• Jicama- is packed with vitamins and minerals including vitamin C and E along with magnesium, manganese, copper, and iron. An excellent source of fiber, including prebiotics, which feed the good bugs in our large intestine

• Avocado- includes many vitamins and minerals as well as healthy fats that will assist in the absorption of vitamins, particularly the fat-soluble ones A and E.

1. Stay hydrated by drinking water. Consume1/2 your body weight in ounces. If you weigh 140 lbs, you should drink 70 ounces of water per day, or nine 8oz glasses of water. Slip in a glass of water between drinks, it slows down alcohol consumption and waters your cells.

2. Make restful nights a priority. Opt out of some events. Stay home instead and do an art project with the family. This one looks fun!

(Pssst... come back next week for my guacamole recipe.)