Holidays.....on top of your normal routine there is pressure to cook the best turkey and find the best gift with less time due to all the parties and pageants you need to attend. Do you find yourself skipping meals since you just don't have time or do you eat all the cookies that are in sight to give you that burst of energy? Your answer will tell you which way your weight will fall during the holidays since stress has a different affect on each of us.
Either way your weight goes, up or down, you are putting yourself at a health risk. When you lose weight due to stress, you are typically not nourishing yourself well and end up getting sick due to a lower immune system. When you gain weight due to stress, you end up losing your confidence and getting the blues after the holidays.
Remember, the most important thing about the holidays is to spend time with your friends and family. If you are stressed out, it won't be enjoyable for you or them. Find ways to limit your holiday to-do list and to decrease the stress in your daily routine. Here are three tips:
-Delegate tasks: You don't have to do it all. This is probably the hardest thing for most people to do, even for me. Avoid volunteering for everything. Pick the things that mean the most to you and then spread the other work. Spouses, friends and even older kids can help you. Ask them for help and do things together. The cookies may not end up being perfect and your husband may not vacuum as well as you, but you will have more sanity.
-Find fun ways to multitask: Go for a walk with a friend and talk about good gift ideas or recipes. Take 15 minutes to read your favorite magazine and find decorating ideas. Go through the big toy book with your kids to help decrease your shopping time.
-Have easy meals and healthy snacks on hand: Quick meals and snacks will be important this time a year. Have convenient fruits and vegetables on hand. Keep fresh or frozen chicken tenders and whole grain pastas or flatbreads on hand. With a pantry and freezer stocked with quick cooking healthy foods and snacks you can avoid eating out as much and quickly make a healthy meal for your family.
Don't let holiday stress make you eat more or less. Take control of your health and the holidays so you can enjoy them and keep good health for the next year.
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Sarah Ludmer RD, LDN is the senior nutritionist for Del Monte Foods. Learn more online at http://solutions.delmonte.com/
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(c) 2010, solutions.delmonte.com
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
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