Avoiding Weight Gain and Excess Carbs This Holiday Season
Ayurveda is a body of wisdom developed by the sages of ancient India to help people live vibrant and healthy lives.
Today, Ayurveda continues to be an effective and powerful mind-body health system. Its proven principles distill into helpful guidelines for avoiding weight gain and carb-excess during the holidays and after, without depriving ourselves.
Ayurveda Tips For A Healthy Holiday
Water Wisdom. You can boost your body’s metabolism by drinking warm water, and be sure to consume plenty of it. An active digestive system requires us to drink half our weight in ounces of water every day. (Though many of us enjoy iced drinks, they make it more difficult for our body to digest food.)
Walking Wisdom. Walking for five to ten minutes after eating facilitates good digestion. Walking for 15 minutes after meals helps lower blood glucose levels—good to know if you indulge in sweet treats. When weather prohibits walking outdoors, a brisk indoor activity (e.g., going up and down the stairs, vacuuming energetically, dancing) can substitute.
Limit Cups of Calories. It’s easy to put on extra pounds, and indulge in too many carbs, just by enjoying the season’s flavorful beverages. We know a mixed drink is brimming with calories, but so is a large creme brulee latte (about 440 calories), a cup of peppermint hot chocolate (approximately 360 calories), or an eggnog latte (around 460 calories). So, limit or eliminate these dessert drinks—and do not imbibe anything other than water during the three hours prior to bedtime.
Alcohol Substitute. You can fit into a holiday social scene without consuming the calories and carbs of alcoholic beverages. Just fill a wine glass two-thirds full with sparkling water, top it off with cranberry juice, and add a slice of lime. An added benefit of laying off the alcohol - which is considered a toxin in Ayurveda - is maintaining sound judgment for healthy food choices.
Soothe With Activity. The holidays can bring up many emotionally-charged memories, and we might try to manage those feelings with food. Avoid this by writing a list of ten activities you enjoy. When an urge to soothe your emotions with a snack strikes, pull out your list and get busy with something on it. The activities can be personal interests, practical chores, altruistic deeds, recreational, or social—whatever appeals to you.
Mindful Munching. We can easily chow-down hundreds of calories at holiday parties without even realizing it. To avoid mindless munching, limit the snacks you put on your plate or napkin, remind yourself to chew slowly, and be mindful of the flavors and textures in every bite. You can also reduce calorie intake and increase wise food choices by deciding to eat only when sitting down.
Attitude of Abundance. There is no reason why you can’t bake gingerbread men in March or July. So, instead of thinking you have to enjoy a lot of holiday treats now because they won’t be around for another 12 months, relax by realizing you can make candy cane cookies or krumkake any month you choose.
Source: Chopra/Michelle Fondin
Photo credit: woo
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