Did you know the average American gains 5 to 7 pounds between Halloween and New Year’s? YIKES!
No wonder we are all making New Year’s resolutions to eat healthier, get to the gym more, prioritize sleep, and lose 5 pounds.
The biggest challenges are the usual suspects – sugar, sodium, and processed fats. Which are literally added to EVERYTHING! We are especially bombarded with sugar in all its forms. Liquid sugars in beverages, refined carbohydrates that turn into sugar in our blood, and artificial sweeteners that dial-up our sweet tooth.
December is the sweetest month of the year. Treats show up in the office, in gifts, and at every party. Which means December is also the most fattening month. Not only does all that sugar pile on the pounds, but it is also a significant contributor to inflammation. And inflammation is linked to every horrible disease we never want to have. No one wants to gain weight and feel like crap if it can be avoided.
We don’t have to throw in the towel and tell ourselves we will try to undo the damage in January. Little every day, habits can help banish out of control, eating and drinking, helping us feel better right now.
I have created a cheat sheet for navigating the holiday calorie tsunami – especially those sneaky added sugars!
Start today. Commit to drinking enough water. Staying hydrated is the low-hanging fruit of wellness. Drinking 10 oz of water for 10 hours each day will help us make better eating and drinking decisions as we enjoy the holiday season.
Follow me on Instagram @kristencoffield for daily tips you can use to transform your habits into tools for living your best life.
Kristen Coffield
I am a passionate advocate for food as medicine, life navigator and culinary coach. This is my space for sharing what excites, inspires and motivates me to live my best life. It began as a recipe blog for nourishing, simple, weekday meals and has become something much bigger… a guide to resilient wellness. I am excited to share my knowledge of how daily habits can cumulatively help you to live like you mean it and age like you want to.
Great suggestions! It would be way too easy to just let those pounds add on to the COVID weight I’ve already gained – but, NO! Fortunately, I don’t do a lot of baking and eating sweets – but breads and pasta are my downfall. I do focus on drinking plenty of water throughout the day, starting with 16 oz. when I first wake up. Great video, thanks!
Thank you for your comment!
Kristen,
Great advice about drinking more water!
I don’t begin to bake until Thanksgiving but yes I am guilty of enjoying pies and desserts until January!
I tend to eat Thanksgiving pies in the morning because I have all day to burn off the unnecessary empty calories.