Managing a Healthy Weight during the Holidays

 While the holidays are a joyous time spent with family and friends, it can be a disaster for waistlines. The tastiest cuisines are often high in sugar, saturated fats, salt and alcoholic beverages. Processed foods abound.

However, holiday food is a wonderful gift of life. (For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer (1 Timothy 4: 4-5).

 While it’s important to enjoy holiday food, it’s also imperative to do it sensibly. How does one navigate the food minefields?  Nutritionists, psychologists and weight loss experts have contributed great insights into healthier eating during the holidays.
My patients have found the following 10 tips the most helpful. 

1. Reduce stress by buying and wrapping your gifts early and scale back your holiday decorations.
2. When confronted with a smorgasbord of food choices, select very small portions.
3. Eat a meal before attending the party. If your stomach is full, you’ll graze less.
4. Add more lean protein to your diet throughout the day which is digested slower.
5. Reduce alcohol consumption to reduce a trigger for cravings.
6. Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water. Dehydration increases cravings.
7. Focus on getting a good night’s sleep.
8. Forgive yourself, if you eat poorly one day, eat healthy the next.
9. Be active. Go for a walk while listening to music.
10. Finally, most importantly, attend church. Jesus is the reason for the season. He will give you the peace which passes all understanding.

Don’t deprive yourself of a good time. Just be sensible and you can have your cake and eat it too. Merry Christmas from our house to yours…

 Candy Cane Poem (author unknown)

Look at the candy cane. What do you see?

Stripes that are red, like the blood shed for me.

White is for my Savior, who’s sinless and pure!

J is for Jesus, my Lord, that’s for sure!

Turn around, and a staff you will see.

Jesus my Shepherd, was born for me!

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord (Luke 2:11).

I’m a Christian nurse who helps people navigate the murky waters of healthcare

Author of Wake UP Call 911: It’s Time to Reduce your Risk for A Heart Attack and Stroke (2015) and Helping the Hurting: Nursing Ministry in the Body of Christ (2022).

Paperback copies of both books for sale. Email me for details at:  ask@jenniejohnsonrn.com.