Holiday Eating Habits Can Affect Your Health All Year Long

Many people don't realize how their holiday eating habits can affect their health all year long.  It's not always easy to follow a healthy diet during the holiday season. Healthy meal plans can sometimes cost more, it can take extra time and it is hard to stick to during the holidays and other social gatherings. But just being aware of what a good diet is versus a bad diet is a big step in the right direction. Here are a few tips to keep in mind.

Grandma's fruit cake may sound healthy, but fresh fruit slices is better. Fruits and vegetables provide many needed vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidant properties. All fruits and veggies are good but if you stick to the most color-rich ones, you're giving an extra boost to your body. Berries are good examples of these. 

Get your daily dose of Omega-3 fatty acids. Oily fish contains a great deal of these which are good for your brain, your heart and your skin. Some good examples of oily fish are salmon, mackerel and tuna. Tuna does come with a little bit of extra warning because of its mercury content so you shouldn't eat it more than once per week (especially if you are pregnant).  If you're more of a landlubber, you can get omega-3 essential fatty acids from walnuts, soy, canola oil and flax seeds too.

You've probably heard about the important role of fiber in your diet. If you manage to get enough fiber, you are probably also eating fewer calories as fiber contains no calories at all. Another great benefit of eating fiber is that it makes you feel full longer. Good fiber sources include whole grain bread, pasta and cereal, green vegetables and legumes. It is recommended that women take in at least 25 grams of fiber each day. Men should get at least 38 grams.

This isn't exactly in the food category but water is also extremely important to a good diet. Cutting down or eliminating colas from your diet is one of the quickest ways to cut down on calories. Replace these drinks with calorie-free water.
  
Some people skip a meal to make room for a gut busting meal later on. This is a bad idea. Skipping a meal can actually lower your metabolism, thus preventing you from burning more calories during the day. Therefore, try to eat three well balanced meals each day supplemented with small healthy snacks (like fruit, cheese, nuts or yogurt) in between. 

Happy Holidays!