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Top 10 Tips To Maintain A Healthy Holiday Balance
Holidays offer temptation for party–goers to abandon healthy
nutrition habits. Late nights and the chilling
cold keep most of us away from
exercise regime, all this is enough to jeopardize our fitness
goals. Here are
10 tips from WF experts that can help make your holiday season a healthy one.

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Eat Sensibly
Eat more fruits and vegetables. These are packed with powerful
antioxidants which can
help offset the effects of
stress and possible late night get-togethers during this time of year. If
you have a party at your house, put
low-calorie and fat-free salad dressings on the menu. Pack the table with
flavorful vegetable
dishes, and make reduced-fat versions of your family's favorite
traditional dishes.

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Stay Active:
No matter whatever might be the reason try to follow a regular exercise
routine to help regulate metabolism. Don't have an hour to spare? Try 10– or
15– minute brisk walks at intervals throughout the day – they all add up.
Remember, after a holiday meal, to wait 60 to 90 minutes before taking your
walk.

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Drink plenty of water.
Water is essential to keep all our systems functioning smoothly but it’s also
essential for rehydrating the body and recovering from a hangover. You should
be drinking, on average, two litres of water each day and more if you are
physically active.

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Do not party on a empty stomach
Eat something at home before you go to the event or party. When you're hungry,
you tend to overeat and are likely to choose foods that are less healthy. Have
a healthy vegetable soup or grab a piece of fruit on the way out to the party
to tide you over.

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Do not drink or, if you drink, limit your alcohol intake
Make water or diet sodas your beverages of choice. If you do choose to drink
alcohol, be sure to have something to eat along with it. Also, choose light
beer and wine over mixed drinks. A holiday-sized mixed drink can have as many
as 500 calories or more.

-
Control your portion sizes.
One of the most important rules to
remember all through the holiday season is the law of energy balance, which
states: To lose body fat,
you must consume fewer calories
than you burn up each day.
-
There are two corollaries to the law of energy balance:
-
Too much of ANYTHING gets stored as fat – even healthy food.
-
Small amounts of anything – even junk food – will probably NOT get
stored as fat as long as you don’t indulge too frequently.
There’s no reason to deprive yourself of things you enjoy. Just make sure
you don’t overindulge. As long as you enjoy your favorite foods in moderation,
and you keep working out, it probably won’t end up around your waistline.

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Try to maintain your present weight
Don't try to diet during the
holidays, instead try to maintain your present
weight. In this way,
you have a realistic goal. You allow yourself to indulge here and there, but
you don't go over the edge.

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Relax and Breathe
Take some time out of your busy holiday
schedule for a little R&R (rest and
relaxation).
Set aside at least 15 minutes each day to just sit and relax. Deep breathing
exercises can help relieve stress and tension. Incorporating some
meditation on a
daily basis is also a good idea -- even if it's only for a few minutes a day
it will help you remain centered. If you do so, the rest of your day will be
more productive.

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Opt for Quality sleep
Quality sleep is essential for a balanced
life. During sleep, the body rests, cleanses, and purifies itself. It repairs,
rebuilds, grows, and heals itself. During sleep, the stresses, strains, and
tensions accumulated throughout the day are ideally released, and, in our
dreams, to some degree resolved.

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Create a new holiday tradition that builds connections among your
family and friends.
Annual holiday traditions can be a source of great
comfort, satisfaction, and connection between friends and family. But creating
a new holiday tradition can be just as satisfying. Take a fresh look at your
various holiday activities. If you discover that one or more of your current
holiday traditions is in need of an overhaul, or that you yearn to supplement
them, consider creating a new holiday tradition. Keep in mind that the best
traditions may be the simplest ones that involve spending quality time
together.
The key to a healthy holiday season is
balance and moderation.
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