4 mindful tips to keep Health Goals on Track over the Holidays
By Rachelle LaCroix Mallik, MA, RD, LDN, Registered Dietitian and Owner of The Food Therapist, LLC
Here are 4 tips to keep health goals on track over the holidays
1. Enjoy food with mindful eating
I touched on this in last week’s post. There is no need to deprive yourself of your favorite food, whether that’s pizza, samosas, or chocolate chip cookies. By being mindful and enjoying every bite, you can tune in to your internal satiety cues to know when you’ve had enough.
2. Use the hunger-fullness scale
It seems simple – eat when you’re hungry and stop when you’re full, but many of us ignore our internal cues and are influenced by external cues, like someone offering another serving or having food left on your plate. Try to eat when you’re noticing feelings of hunger, but are not ravenous or irritable, take your time and eat slowly, and stop eating when you’re full but not uncomfortable.
3. Eat when you’re hungry, not when you’re emotional
Stress eating affects many, and stress can be heightened around the holidays. Rather than eating mindlessly, find other ways to cope, such as talking to a friend, taking relaxing breaths, or doing yoga.
4. Keep up your exercise routine
Not because you need to punish yourself for overindulging, or to “earn” a dessert, but because it makes you feel good and is good for you. I think all of us here can agree that bG cardio is fun and gets our hearts pumping!
For more healthy eating inspiration, follow Rachelle at The Food Therapist!
Questions? Send me an email at rachelle@rachellemallik.com.
Rachelle LaCroix Mallik, MA, RD, LDN is a Registered Dietitian and owner of The Food Therapist, LLC, a private nutrition counseling practice based in Chicago. Rachelle specializes in reproductive nutrition for fertility, prenatal, and postnatal wellness. She earned a Bachelor’s with Honors in Human Nutrition at Arizona State University and a Master’s in Food Studies – Food Culture at New York University. Rachelle is a member of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the Women’s Health Dietetic Practice Group, and she serves on the board of the Academy’s Chicago chapter.
Rachelle lives in Lakeview with her husband Ronak, baby boy Arjuna, and adopted pup Lola. She’s also a Bolly Groover – it’s her favorite form of cardio!
Visit her at rachellemallik.com or follow her on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @rachellemallik.