One of the most common questions I get this time of year is how to stay on track with living a healthier lifestyle through the holiday season. There are many ways to stay on track and under control during the festivities.

Try these tips and see which ones work for you: 

1. Survey the entire table before you take any food. Decide what foods are worth eating and what can be ignored, and then stick to that decision. Why waste calories on foods that don’t bring you pleasure?     

2. Eat a snack before you leave home. If you arrive at a party starving, you’ll be more likely to overindulge. Include a food with a source of protein such as unsalted nuts, a Greek yogurt, rolled up nitrite-free turkey deli meat, etc.       

3. Eat your calories instead of drinking them. Stick to lower calorie or calorie-free drinks (seltzer, water, light beer, or wine spritzer) instead of  punches, eggnogs, and mixed drinks that can have up to 500 calories per cup.     
 
4. Sip a large glass of water between every alcoholic drink or non-alcoholic punch or eggnog. This will help keep you hydrated and you’ll drink fewer calories by the end of the night.

5. When you are the host or hostess, include nutritious and lower-calorie foods like fruits, vegetables, and lean meats on the menu. When you are a guest, bring along a healthy dish to share and you have made yourself. You'll be pleasantly surprised at how many people will enjoy it along with you. Examples include: fruit or veggie platters with hummus or low-calorie dip made with Greek yogurt; grilled veggie kabobs; deviled eggs made with non-fat plain Greek yogurt instead of mayo; or tossed salad with homemade vinaigrette dressing.

6. Try not to hang out near the food. Find a comfortable spot across the room and focus on people instead of eating. Always have a low/no calorie beverage in your hand as this helps to prevent overeating as well.

7. Watch your portion sizes. Don’t cover your plate completely with food. In most cases, especially when it comes to holiday sweets and alcoholic beverages, less is better. Remind yourself that it's okay to have some of your favorite Holiday goodies, but pick and choose which ones are most worth it to you. Be mindful of your portions as well - it's all about how much and how often! 

8. Drop out of the “clean plate club”. Leave a few bites behind every time you eat, especially if you are eating something you don’t really care for.

9. Enjoy your favorite holiday treats, but take a small portion. Eat slowly and savor the taste and texture of the wonderful foods of the season.

Happy Holidays!
Alissa

Set yourself up for success by beginning your day with healthy habits. Try the following morning tips to achieve a healthier you!

Take a High-Quality Multi-Vitamin
Taking a multi-vitamin each day helps you to fill in the gaps when you fall short of any given nutrient during the day. Although you may strive to eat well each day, schedules, life commitments and unexpected daily events may make eating healthy a challenge from time to time. Think of taking your multi-vitamin as your nutritional insuranace policy. 

It is important, however, to take a high-quality multi-vitamin. You've probably noticed the abundant selection of supplements on the market these days, but be aware, they are NOT created equal. Most pill-form supplements contain binders and fillers, which can cause stomach upset, nausea, and prevent maximum absorption from taking place. For this reason, I recommend a drinkable multi-vitamin called NutraMetrix Isotonix. This particular brand of supplement is superior for its delivery and absorption. The nutrients are absorbed within 5 minutes of ingestion, which prevents any stomach upset from occuring. You also absorb 95% of the supplement compared to a mere 25-30% typically absorbed in pill-form supplements. This means you are actually benefiting from what you're taking and not wasting your hard-earned money. Feel free to click on the provided link above for more information or feel free to contact me with questions.


Give Yourself Time in the Morning
Yes, this means waking up a bit earlier than you have been. Studies show that when you have a stressful morning, it sets you up for having an overall stressful day. Try waking up just 20-30 minutes earlier in your morning to enable you to enjoy a stress-free morning without the rush to get out of the house. Do you typically hit the snooze button - maybe even more than once? It is tempting, but each time you hit the snooze button actually interrupts your sleep, which leaves you feeling even more tired throughout your day. Break the habit today and you'll be feeling a whole lot more refreshed going forward. 

Be Sure to Eat Breakfast
After seven to eight hours of sleep, it is critical to refuel your body. Why? Eating in the morning actually "wakes up" your metabolsim allowing you to feel energized throughout your day. Skipping breakfast leads to the mid-afternoon crash you have most likely experienced. Eating breakfast will also prevent overeating - especially if you continue to eat small, frequent meals throughout the day. Studies show that people who eat breakfast are less likely to be overweight than those who skip it.

So what should you eat? Strive to include a combination of foods in the morning including protein, whole grains, and healthy fats. Examples include a piece of whole-grain toast with all-natural peanut or almond butter and a piece of fruit; Greek yogurt with 1/4 cup whole-grain cereal (I prefer Kashi Go Lean) and fruit; or scrambled eggs, fruit and a whole-grain english muffin. Feel free to contact me for other healthy breakfast options...

Don't Forget the Veggies
So now you're in the habit of eating breakfast. The next step is to sneak in those antioxidant and nutrient-rich veggies! Try adding some peppers, onions and tomatoes to your omelet (or any other veggies of your liking). Not into eggs? Try adding a little fresh spinach to your smoothie made with skim milk, frozen or fresh berries and ice. I promise you won't be able to taste it! Most people struggle with getting in the recommended 5 servings of veggies per day, so do yourself a favor and strive to sneak them in where you can. Trust me, it makes a difference in how you feel!

Drink Your Water
Water is one of the most vital nutrients for your day, and many of us don't get nearly enough of it! When you wake up, not only are your fuel stores depleted, but you're also likely to be dehydrated. Just as eating in the morning revs up your metablism, water will also get it going. Water also helps to flush out damaging toxins that have accumulated in your system. Strive to drink water with each of your meals and snacks during the day, which helps with digestion and your metabolism. Doing so will likely result in a boost in your morning energy levels over time!

Journaling
Take a few minutes each morning to jot down your morning thoughts. Doing so can help to boost self-esteem, and can be a powerful way to work through any issues you may be experiencing. Some people find it helpful to write about anything that comes to mind. Examples could be a "to-do" list to help organize yourself for the day, positive intentions for your day, or things you've been thinking about that may be bothering you. Leaving these feelings on paper can often help you to move on and to focus on other important matters that come up during your day.

Move Your Body
Exercising in the morning is a great habit to get into. Most individuals report making healthier decisions all day long as a result to starting their day with this healthy habit. Those cookies your co-worker brought into work may not look as good after you've walked or ran for an hour! You'll also find that you'll have more time for other things when you arrive home from work, rather than worrying about when you can fit in your exercise. It's an amazing feeling during your day knowing you have your exercise complete and the entire day ahead of you...

Work in a Stretch or Two
Just not into sweating so early in the morning? Not willing to wake-up early enough to fit in a walk or run? Try a simple stretching routine instead. You can do this in bed before you start your day, or try a few stretches in the shower. The hot water feels amazing and can help to loosen you up as you gently stretch your body. Stretching gets your blood and endorphins flowing, and can be a relaxing way to start your day. 

Healthy Wishes,
Alissa

With the Holiday season approaching, you may be questioning whether or not you'll be able to maintain your healthy habits or be able to avoid gaining the dreaded 5-10 lbs that the average American puts on this time of year. Have no fear. With a little bit of focus and the following helpful tips, you'll breeze through the Holidays without putting an ounce of weight on and perhaps even lose a few lbs in the meantime!

Here's a great article from Explore Supplements, written by Dr. Robert Blair, that outlines what you can do to stay on track and feel great come January 2013!

Surviving the Holiday Feasts
The holiday season is rapidly approaching.  In addition to the wonderful visits with friends and family that often occur during the holidays, many of us spend a lot of time eating lots of food.  Not only do we have our traditional holiday feasts with friends and family, but we also find ourselves taking part in holiday office parties and other events where food is present in abundance.  Surviving these holiday feasts can be a challenge for many of us.  However, there are things we can do to survive the holidays without feeling like we ate a bowling ball:

• Don’t go to a party hungry.  Going to a holiday party hungry will almost always lead to leaving you feeling bloated and uncomfortable.  According to WebMD, this can further lead to a slower digestion process, upset stomach, and heartburn.  Instead of going to a holiday party hungry, try eating a healthy snack shortly before leaving home.  This will help regulate your hunger and help you avoid over-eating.
• Watch your portion sizes.  At holiday parties, people often want to try all the foods offered.  While there is nothing wrong with this, many tend to forget that true portion sizes are much smaller than they think.  By eating smaller portions of each food item, it’s easy to sample each type of food  with less chance of over-eating and causing digestive discomfort.
• Limit high fat foods.  Many holiday foods are high in dietary fat.  Not only is fat high in calories, but it can slow down digestion and possibly trigger heartburn.  If you choose to consume high fat foods, make sure to consume small portions.
• Get some exercise.  Rather than sitting down on that comfortable recliner after a large holiday meal, get some exercise.  Taking even a leisurely walk around the neighborhood can help ward off that uncomfortable bloated feeling.  Pick up the pace to a brisk walk if you want to burn off some of those extra calories.
• Eat slowly.  Eating slowly gives the brain time to send “I’m full” messages to your stomach.  Waiting for this cue helps to prevent the consequences of over-eating.

In addition to these tips, a number of dietary supplements can help support a healthy digestive system during the holidays, specifically fiber, probiotics, digestive enzymes, and aloe.

• Dietary Fiber. Most people do not consume the amount of fiber needed each day (20 – 35 grams per day for most adults). Dietary fiber has numerous benefits including helping to maintain normal digestive tract health and movement.  Dietary fiber also helps maintain the beneficial bacteria in our digestive tracts. Try nutraMetrix Advanced Fiber Powder to help maintain a healthy digestive track and ensure you're getting enough dietary fiber each day.
• Probiotics.  Speaking of beneficial bacteria, probiotic supplements are a great way to support a healthy digestive system.  Maintaining optimal bacterial balance is important to maintaining optimal digestive health; therefore, choosing a probiotic supplement that contains a variety of bacterial strains, such as NutriClean Probiotics, makes it easier to obtain the most comprehensive benefit.  Some of the most beneficial strains include Lactobacillus acidophilus,Lactobacillus casei, Bifidobacterium bifidum, and Bifidobacterium breve.
• Digestive Enzymes.  Digestive enzymes are an essential element of healthy and complete digestion, beginning with enzymes released by our salivary glands as we chew.  Eating too rapidly can lead to inefficient digestion, as some of our digestive enzymes are not given time to complete their job properly.  Additionally, the body’s ability to make certain enzymes declines as we age.  Supplementing with digestive enzymes can promote healthy digestion and break down foods that are typically hard to digest.  A good digestive enzyme supplement will contain at least three types of enzymes:  proteases to digest proteins, amylases to digest carbohydrates, and lipases to digest fats.  Other beneficial digestive enzymes to consider include lactase (digests lactose) and cellulase (breaks down cellulose, normally indigestible to people). Isotonix Digestive Enzymes with Probiotics contains a blend of the enzymes listed above to provide maximum digestive support.
• Aloe vera.  Aloe vera promotes healthy digestion by providing natural plant enzymes that break down food. These enzymes include amylase (starch), cellulase (cellulose), lipase (lipids), and alkaline phosphatase (proteins).  Aloe supplementation also helps to support a healthy gastrointestinal pH, normal composition of intestinal flora, and helps to promote an overall healthy digestive process. Consumption of aloe vera can promote bowel regularity and intestinal comfort after eating. Try Ultimate Aloe Juice, which contains all of these important enzymes and comes in four flavors: Kiwi-Strawberry, Pomegranate, Cranberry-Apple, and Natural Flavor.

Combining these dietary supplements with healthy eating habits will definitely help you—and your stomach—ease through the holiday feasts.

While fruit, vegetables and whole-grains are well-known sources of fiber, many people are still unaware that beans are one of the best sources of hunger-fighting fiber. Not only do beans contain a wonderful source of fiber, but they also are full of protein, which is the key to keeping you full for longer periods of time.

Try adding beans to foods that you already enjoy. Add beans to your favorite soup, top your salad with a quarter cup of your favorite beans or make a quick salsa with beans, cut-up peppers and onions (and any other veggies of your liking), and corn. Stretch your meat dishes by substituting half of the ground meat called for in a recipe for mashed kidney beans (if you do this, you'll up the fiber content while slashing the saturated fat).

Healthy wishes,
Alissa