Healthy Holiday Survival Guide: 5 Simple Strategies

Between Friendsgiving, Thanksgiving, and the upcoming holidays, the next six weeks might be challenging to stay on track. I know some of you will be home for the holidays, and others will not. But the pressure to “dig in” during this time is everywhere. And I want to share with you some of the best holiday survival tips & tricks so you can all indulge just enough without sacrificing your health. healthy holiday survival

Here are a few of the tried and true tips you can find in our Holiday Survival Guide: 5 Simple Strategies

Avoid Skipping Meals To “Save Room For Later”.

Its mentality to “make room” often leaves you eating more than what you have room for. It also sets you up for thinking you can “eat more” than what you typically do. Even with healthy snacks for truck drivers, you can overeat. And when it comes to meals, skipping meal time to “eat more later” is not a healthy approach. If you have a dinner party, still eat breakfast and lunch if that is what you do. Not only will you stop the mind games around the holidays this way, but you will keep your blood sugar stable, and you won’t find yourself overheating due to a blood sugar crash.

Sit Down And Slow Down When You Eat.

For drivers, eating on the go is the norm, so it can be hard for some to shut that approach to food off when you don’t have to. The holidays can be good for a formal dining approach, where you sit down, eat, and have conversations. This can be great to help you slow down and chew your food. Put your fork down between bites and add dialogue throughout the meal. It’s not just about healthy snacks for truck drivers. It’s also about how to approach food more healthily. In most Asian countries, dinner can be up to seven hours long. Because it’s more about conversation and not just about filling up our plates. By chewing and chatting, you can help your body digest what you are eating and allow your mind to catch up with your belly to prevent overeating.

Bring Healthy Dishes To Share, So You Know There Is A Mindful Option To Choose From.

As someone who has dietary restrictions (not by choice) and tends to lean more on the Pescatarian side, I have had to train myself always to bring a dish to pass, even when I’m not asked. That way, I always have something I can eat. This reduces the eating things that leave me sick for days and helps me avoid binge eating when I get home because I am so hungry.

Build Movement Into Your Day Every Day Throughout The Holidays.

Traveling may take you out of your daily routine (you know that as a driver), but it doesn’t have to make you sedentary. For drivers and those who often travel, the mindset that comes with it is one you don’t have time for. Or that what you are doing takes up all your time. But in all reality, it doesn’t. Where can you fit more movement into your day? Where can you sneak a quick walk in, even if it’s just 10 minutes? Where can you take the stairs instead of the elevator? Where can you squat, reach, bend and twist? Stop categorizing movement as exercise because they are not the same.

Set Aside 15 Minutes Every Day.

New habits are created by making it a point to develop new habits. I am not a big believer in elaborate workouts. And as a driver, who has time for that? But everyone has 15 minutes. At Mother Trucker Yoga, I call it The 15 Minute Wellness Method™. How can you move on purpose for 15 minutes? Go for a walk each day, call someone you love, and wish them happy holidays. Stretch and move for 15 Minutes using Mother Trucker Yoga’s Jump Start Video’s inside our app. Bicep curls water jugs until you can’t anymore. Whatever it is, set a timer for 15 minutes and move. Chances are you will exceed that time because you will feel so good.

And move the new tradition and bring others along, you’ll be surprised how many of your friends and family want to move too after all that sitting and eating.

We get it! Sometimes our plans don’t allow for the time or space to get a workout in. If that happens, do your best to keep moving. Inviting family or friends to join in can help you get more active and may even start a new healthy tradition. Some of our favorite “just move” tips are:

See our latest blog for these and more of our favorite ‘go-to’ holiday party tips, where I talk more about each of these healthy holiday ideas.

Don’t forget to watch us on STARTUP on PBS this Sunday, November 28th at 12:30 pm CST, where Hope’s entrepreneurial journey and how she is helping truck drivers with health and wellness debuts!

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