The holidays are a magical time, aren’t they? Filled with joy and laughter and presents and family drama and bickering and expectation and judgment…it’s truly glorious.

And the guilt, did I forget about the guilt? I’d be willing to be you a family-sized Toblerone that you didn’t forget about it!

The Guilts, as I like to call them, usually center around three things: kids, family, and food. Because I don’t have a degree in psychology, I will be solely addressing the food aspect of your guilt today. (Note to self: make therapy appointment for Jan.1…)

Let’s face it- the holidays are synonymous with food. They go hand in hand! If it’s not cookie exchanges it’s family dinners or office lunches. You just can’t seem to get away from food over the holidays and the thought of all of that shitty food and temptation is enough to throw some people into cold sweats.

But you’re not that person, and do you know why? Because I’m going to give you some handy dandy tips to help you navigate through the season of sprinkles and gravy. You’ve got this.

But before I get right into the actual tips I want you to recognize something. The holidays are a special time, and they are short. They may not feel short when you’re standing in line at Toys R Us with 23 other sleep deprived parents, but they really don’t last that long. Don’t spend the time you have worrying about your waistline or stressing about how much you overate at the party last night. It’s not worth it.

Ok – on to the tips!

Let’s troubleshoot and assume that you’re going to be going to some kind of celebration. Here’s what you’re going to do to ensure that you don’t feel like a bag of shit the next day and that you enjoy yourself at the party:

(1) You’re going to bring your own hors d’oeuvres or salad so you know there is at least one thing you can eat. Fill the majority of your plate up with that and sample the not-so-healthy stuff

(2) On that note, fill at least half of your plate with some kind of veggie or salad. You’ll be less tempted to fill your plate with junk if it’s already full of greens!

(3) You’re going to drink red wine instead of rum and eggnog. Red wine is full of anti-oxidants that collect all of the pesky free radicals in your system. It’s health food at its finest. You’re basically on a cleanse.

(4) You’re going to hydrate like it’s your job. Water, water, water, wine, water, water.

(5) You’re going to eat something small and healthy before you do a deep dive into your turkey dinner. You can even eat a small salad or a protein bar before you go to the party so you’re making better portion size decisions.

(6) You’re going to eat the chocolate and wake up tomorrow to live another day. Promise. If you over indulge, don’t dwell on it. Just make sure you Do Better with your choices tomorrow.

That’s it, friends. Enjoy the holidays and time with your family and simply try to do a little better with your choices. And if you need some extra help Doing Better with your diet, sign up here to get on the wait-list for my brand new program that is aptly named: The Do Better Diet (see what I did there?)

Follow me on Instagram to get a big ol’ dose of what doing better actually looks like- with some pictures of my child and animals thrown in for good measure 😉

And if you’re looking for ways to healthify your holiday dinner, check out this posting I did that gives you 5 healthier options for your feast! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you and yours!!

Stacey xo

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Featured Image by: Miles Aldridge, Vogue Italia, 2003

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