Eating healthy – or at least healthier – is a lot easier in the summer with all the fresh produce coming available, including perhaps from your own backyard. But come late fall and winter, it’s a whole different ball of cheese, especially when you factor in the holiday meals, parties, shorter daylight hours, and less time spent in motion.
Want to keep your weight in check this winter and feel better about yourself when it’s time, once again, to take your bathing suit out of winter storage? Here are some winter eating tips sure to help you succeed:
Seasonal produce: Fresh produce disappear come fall, but you do have to look a little harder for it. Where? Nowadays, more and more local farmers are growing such winter goodies as lettuces, greens, spinach, chard, radishes, okra and greenhouse tomatoes. Also, dark green leafy veggies are very cold tolerant and can be grown all year. Squashes and pumpkins are delicious, filling, and have nutrient rich carbs that help you feel less hungry between meals.
Fight the colds and flu: Certain supplements are effective at keeping colds and flus away. Increasing your vitamin C intake is easy if you’re a fan citrus fruits and juices. But it’s also available in pill form. And then there’s Zinc which has been shown to boost the immune system. It can be taken as a vitamin or in your diet with lots of nuts, pumpkin seeds, and chocolate. Lastly, keep eating that yogurt. Probiotics have been found to combat the flu.
Start with a good breakfast: Eating a hearty breakfast of oatmeal, dried fruits, or warm soup, is a great way to start the day. Get the majority of your calories in while you are awake and active. Burn off the calories throughout the day, and eat a lighter dinner as you start to wind down leading up to bed time.
Holiday eating: Instead of having to muster up super human will power, give yourself options. Drink lots of water, and eat a healthy snack before you go to a party so you’re less likely to over-indulge. When you do go through the buffet line, fill your plate with mostly fruit and veggies. How about your favorite holiday treats – should you abstain? Not at all. Just limit the portion size and avoid going back for seconds. You can also pick one or two holiday parties where you will indulge, and eat lightly for the others so you don’t feel deprived.
What did we just learn? Among other things, eating healthy can feel like hard work if you’re not already in the habit. And that’s the trick: to succeed, practice, practice, and practice some more until it becomes a habit.
Here at Absolute Air, we’re absolutely rooting for you.
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