Healthy eating tips for the holidays

It is not too early to start planning a strategy for all those holiday gatherings that will be dotting the calendar. If the parties and potlucks in previous years caused the scale to creep higher, read on. Help is here!

Having a plan for parties and holiday gatherings is important to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Party foods are fun and tasty, but too many fatty appetizers and high-calorie dishes can leave one feeling uncomfortable in the short term and remorseful after the season is over.

Here are a few tips to help survive the festivities with waistlines intact.

• Eat a snack before the party or event so hunger does not get the upper hand. Try a snack with some protein and fiber, such as low-fat cheese and an apple with a glass of water.
• If the occasion is a potluck, bring a healthy, low-fat dish to share.
• Eat slowly and savor the food, taking time to taste and enjoy.
• Add a few fruits and veggies to the plate if these are available, and pass up the high calorie dips.
• Take small portions of those special, holiday foods. High calorie foods add up quickly.
• Dont get stuck hovering around the food table. Move to another area of the room after selecting the holiday goodies.
• Talk more than eatenjoy the event and friends.
• Limit the alcoholic drinksalcohol can lessen the resolve to eat healthy.
• Keep healthy snacks on hand at home in case the stress of the holidays leads to munching. Carrot sticks, cucumber slices, grape tomatoes, and apple slices are tasty, between-meal snacks.
• Eat light but healthy at home for a couple days before the event to save up calories.
• Drink more water. Add a twist of lemon or lime.
• Practice saying no. If a pecan bar is not in the plan, politely refuse or say "maybe later."
• Remember to continue an exercise routine during the holiday season.
• Take some personal time to de-stress. Relax. Breathe.

Try one tip or try a few. Just one healthy change can start a path toward more. A fat reducing review can help you build a clear summarize of what you need to focus on to carry out your fat reduction target if you're a starter; or serve as a reminder for those who are at an advanced or more enhance phase of their weight loss plan. Promptly after are seven steps that can serve as instructions for your own weight loss system. The first thing that one must understand is that losing weight and losing fat is not the same. Many weight loss programs have fooled people into believing that it is the same, but most diets and weight loss plans only work by causing a person's body to burn more muscle flesh and water than actual body fat, more help please visit The Fat Loss Factor. And if an eating slip occurs, be self-supportive. Everyone overeats now and then. Resolve to do better next time.

The articles written by Andrea Wenger, Birmingham Diets Examiner, are for informational purposes only and are not to be used in the place of medical advice. Please contact a licensed physician or other medical professional before changing any health care routine or before starting any diet, fitness, or exercise program. Although every effort has been made to include the most current information, new information is released daily and may cause some recommendations to change.

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