Navagating the Holiday Buffet – How to Avoid Over Eating
Coreen Reinhart Explains How to Avoid Over Eating this Holiday Season
With the holidays right around the corner, there are so many events, parties, and family gatherings going on, all of which include tremendous amounts of food. Indulging for days at a time can lead to excess weight gain that many are fearful of during the upcoming weeks. Instead of waiting until January 1st to be cautious of what you eat, why not start now? I brought in nutritional consultant, Coreen Reinhart, to explain tips and useful information on how to navigate the holiday buffet and avoid over eating.
Coreen is widely recognized for her expertise as a nutritional consultant, speaker and wellness coach. Coreen has worked in the wellness industry for the last twenty years. As an integral member of the professional staff at the Wellness Clinic and California HealthSpan Institute in San Diego, California, Coreen’s expertise is in designing individualized nutrition programs that teach patients to focus on their specific nutritional needs and their bodies’ individual responses to certain foods. Let’s take a look at Coreen’s tips:
I know there are many whose stress levels and anxiety levels get higher and higher as the days near the holidays.
– Holidays are not a time to expect a lot of progress with your fat loss goals and increased fitness levels. You set yourself up for failure if you set your sights too high during this time.
– Keeping yourself healthy and full of energy should be your main focus, not losing weight. Preparing yourself in advance is the best thing you can do for yourself so you have a plan. Here are some important tips to follow:
1.) Eat often through the day even if you have a big dinner to go to. If you starve your body all day long you are going to be miserable plus your body will go into starvation mode. Then when you do eat, you will be very hungry and want to eat everything in sight plus the opportunity to store fat is greater. Balance your day….eat light small “balanced” snacks through the day.
2.) Drink enough water – it is easy to get dehydrated when you are busy and are drinking more coffee/alcohol than normal.
3.) Bring a healthy dish to all parties if it is potluck. If it isn’t a potluck type party, don’t leave your house hungry. Have a small protein shake or small balanced snack before you leave even if it is protein bar with a bottle of water in the car on your way to the party. I love these quick and easy protein shakes and protein bar recipes:
Protein Shake:
1 Cup Unsweetened Coconut or Almond Milk
1 Scoop Protein Powder (hormone free & artificial sweetener free)
3 Tsp. or 1 Tbsp. Stevia (optional/ the amount you add depends on how sweet the stevia you use is as they vary quite a bit).
Preheat oven to 350*F. Blend all ingredients in a mixing bowl. Spread into a 9in x 9in baking pan or a meatloaf pan for a thicker bar.
Bake at 350*F for 10-12 minutes. Cool and slice in 2in x 4in pieces.
Wrap individually to easily grab on your way out the door.
Some other great tasting quick & easy snacks to help you navigate the holidays:
1 Tbsp. Organic Coconut Oil mixed with 1 Tbsp. Raw organic Almond Butter or Cashew Butter – just have this or spread onto an apple or ½ Banana
1/4 Cup Organic Coconut Oil mixed with 3 Tbsp.Raw Cacao Powder & 3 Tbsp. Nut Butter & ¼ Cup Protein Powder. Mix and Roll into Balls
4.) Never drink alcohol on an empty stomach. You are going to feel much worse the next day plus your blood sugars fluctuate too much causing more opportunity for fat storage.
5.) Enjoy your time with your friends and family. Set your intent on enjoying yourself and do your best not to spend all of your energy on what you don’t want to eat or how you are going to be disciplined. If you are eating balanced through this time, saying no to all the sugary desserts, drinks, and other unhealthy choices won’t be so difficult. Moderation is the key, however I always tell my clients to eat “balanced’ and then you won’t overeat or crave all the wrong things.
BENEFITS
– Increased energy
– Happier
– Get more done
– Focus on the important aspects of the holidays
– No weight gain
– Better digestion
ACTION STEPS
– Set your intention
– Organize your schedule and have a plan for that day……
– If things don’t go exactly as planned, let it go.
– Know what works for you i.e. how much alcohol feels okay for you and what type of alcohol
– Increase water and b-complex vitamins (I prefer the sublingual form)
– Melatonin to help sleep if you are stressed & can’t sleep.
– Ask for help – you can have your party catered, get a housekeeper, get groceries delivered, etc.
Navagating the Holiday Buffet – How to Avoid Over Eating
Coreen Reinhart Explains How to Avoid Over Eating this Holiday Season
With the holidays right around the corner, there are so many events, parties, and family gatherings going on, all of which include tremendous amounts of food. Indulging for days at a time can lead to excess weight gain that many are fearful of during the upcoming weeks. Instead of waiting until January 1st to be cautious of what you eat, why not start now? I brought in nutritional consultant, Coreen Reinhart, to explain tips and useful information on how to navigate the holiday buffet and avoid over eating.
Coreen is widely recognized for her expertise as a nutritional consultant, speaker and wellness coach. Coreen has worked in the wellness industry for the last twenty years. As an integral member of the professional staff at the Wellness Clinic and California HealthSpan Institute in San Diego, California, Coreen’s expertise is in designing individualized nutrition programs that teach patients to focus on their specific nutritional needs and their bodies’ individual responses to certain foods. Let’s take a look at Coreen’s tips:
I know there are many whose stress levels and anxiety levels get higher and higher as the days near the holidays.
– Holidays are not a time to expect a lot of progress with your fat loss goals and increased fitness levels. You set yourself up for failure if you set your sights too high during this time.
– Keeping yourself healthy and full of energy should be your main focus, not losing weight. Preparing yourself in advance is the best thing you can do for yourself so you have a plan. Here are some important tips to follow:
1.) Eat often through the day even if you have a big dinner to go to. If you starve your body all day long you are going to be miserable plus your body will go into starvation mode. Then when you do eat, you will be very hungry and want to eat everything in sight plus the opportunity to store fat is greater. Balance your day….eat light small “balanced” snacks through the day.
2.) Drink enough water – it is easy to get dehydrated when you are busy and are drinking more coffee/alcohol than normal.
3.) Bring a healthy dish to all parties if it is potluck. If it isn’t a potluck type party, don’t leave your house hungry. Have a small protein shake or small balanced snack before you leave even if it is protein bar with a bottle of water in the car on your way to the party. I love these quick and easy protein shakes and protein bar recipes:
Protein Shake:
1 Cup Unsweetened Coconut or Almond Milk
1 Scoop Protein Powder (hormone free & artificial sweetener free)
½ Cup Fruit (fresh or frozen)
1 Tbsp. Kelapo Organic Coconut Oil
Ice
Blend on high until smooth
PROTEIN BARS:
1 Cup Walnuts (or pecans or hazelnuts or any other nuts you like) – Chopped (or chop in blender or food processor)
½ Cup Raw Almond Butter (or Peanut Butter)
¼ Cup Kelapo Organic Coconut Oil
1 Cup (or 4 scoops) Vanilla Protein Powder
4 Cut-Up Pitted Dates or Figs
¼ Cup Ground Flax
1 Cup Unsweetened Almond Milk or Unsweetened Coconut Milk
¼ Cup Flaked Unsweetened Organic Coconut Pieces (can be shredded too)
2 Tbsp. Organic Unsweetened Cocoa Powder (optional)
3 Tsp. or 1 Tbsp. Stevia (optional/ the amount you add depends on how sweet the stevia you use is as they vary quite a bit).
Preheat oven to 350*F. Blend all ingredients in a mixing bowl. Spread into a 9in x 9in baking pan or a meatloaf pan for a thicker bar.
Bake at 350*F for 10-12 minutes. Cool and slice in 2in x 4in pieces.
Wrap individually to easily grab on your way out the door.
Some other great tasting quick & easy snacks to help you navigate the holidays:
– just have this or spread onto an apple or ½ Banana
4.) Never drink alcohol on an empty stomach. You are going to feel much worse the next day plus your blood sugars fluctuate too much causing more opportunity for fat storage.
5.) Enjoy your time with your friends and family. Set your intent on enjoying yourself and do your best not to spend all of your energy on what you don’t want to eat or how you are going to be disciplined. If you are eating balanced through this time, saying no to all the sugary desserts, drinks, and other unhealthy choices won’t be so difficult. Moderation is the key, however I always tell my clients to eat “balanced’ and then you won’t overeat or crave all the wrong things.
BENEFITS
– Increased energy
– Happier
– Get more done
– Focus on the important aspects of the holidays
– No weight gain
– Better digestion
ACTION STEPS
– Set your intention
– Organize your schedule and have a plan for that day……
– If things don’t go exactly as planned, let it go.
– Know what works for you i.e. how much alcohol feels okay for you and what type of alcohol
– Increase water and b-complex vitamins (I prefer the sublingual form)
– Melatonin to help sleep if you are stressed & can’t sleep.
– Ask for help – you can have your party catered, get a housekeeper, get groceries delivered, etc.
-Coreen Reinhart
Make sure to visit Coreen’s website at www.simplyslimliving.com
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