So……..the holidays are bearing down upon us. And suddenly excuses for eating toxic junk that we normally wouldn’t consider putting into our bodies are more omnipresent than fake Santas. Why is it that so many people gain so much weight between Thanksgiving and Christmas? Oh, you say, it’s all the holiday food, parties, stress, cooking, gifts of goodies, treats at work, and on and on, ad nauseum.
Really? Seriously? Come on now, how many parties do we REALLY go to? If you’re a major social butterfly and the most popular kid in the class, you may go to, what, 10 holiday parties? Let’s say you do. You have the 10 parties, plus Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day celebrations. That adds up to a total of 13 potentially unhealthy meals in an entire 30-day span. OK, how many meals do you eat in 30 days? If you only eat 3 meals a day, that’s 90 meals. So let’s use the lowest possible number. Dividing 13 by 90, that means that 14.4% of those meals are big party celebrations. Are you with me so far?
Let’s assume you indulge at every single one of those parties. Hopefully you won’t because it’s just not worth damaging your health, your body, and your self-esteem for crappy store-bought junk that is always available any day of the year. Come on, do you sincerely want grocery-store brownies with an ingredient list of chemicals a mile long that you can’t pronounce? Yummy. NOT! Now, if it’s your family celebration and your mother makes her special cake or casserole, then by all means—ENJOY IT!!! You can’t get that made in a factory and on the counter in every convenience store. Your loved ones are not going to be around forever, so one day you will no longer be able to ever have another taste of that food made with deep love. Something that special is worth the indulgence!
So if you indulge at all 13 opportunities, that still should mean that 85.6% of the time you are still eating the same healthy foods, right? That in and of itself shouldn’t have THAT much of an impact. Hmmmmmmm…………feeling a little guilty here? Maybe seeing something that is right before your eyes but you never considered it before? Those 13 meals aren’t what do you in. It’s either you’re indulging a LOT more than at the appropriate times, or you’re snacking constantly, and to compound the problem, you skip the gym for Christmas shopping (possibly grabbing that gut-inflating 1200-calorie super mocha latte with whipped cream and forgetting you had that when you ‘treat’ yourself again later), and the increased stress elevates cortisol so your body is primed to store fat.
Another problem is the all-or-nothing mentality. So you ate your way through a party. Big deal. That doesn’t mean you have to eat the entire box of Christmas Oreos someone brings to the office the next day. So many times, when we stumble, we get so down on ourselves and feel like, “well I’ve blown it so I might as well keep eating.” That is the DUMBEST attitude in the world! And so self-destructive. Really, it’s an emotional excuse and a mental cop-out. You’re stronger than that! You didn’t get fat in one meal, and you don’t get fit in one meal either. It’s a product of time and consistency!
Most of the holiday parties anymore seem to be potluck-style, meaning everyone brings a dish or dessert, right? I found a WONDERFUL solution that makes my contribution the hit of every party I attend, with people begging for more! And it disappears much faster than the lifeless processed junk! What could this magical food be? Well, I call it Christy’s Technicolor Dream Salad!
A salad, at a party? You better believe it! Even when people who are professed non-healthy eaters see the marvelous brilliant colors, shapes, and textures in a fabulous salad, they will dive right in! The vibrance of the beautiful living foods is something that our subconcious is programmed to respond to in a strongly positive manner.
It’s so easy—all you do is dump everything in a bowl and give it a quick toss! And then you are GUARANTEED to have a wonderful healthy option no matter where you are and not feel like you’re missing out. The only way you’ll miss out is if you wait too long and it’s all gone! Make a BIG one, trust me! For a full meal, bring along some cocktail shrimp or other healthy organic protein of your choice.
Here’s what I like to use in my salad, but feel free to substitute anything healthy and organic that you would like!
Christy’s Technicolor Dream Salad
Start With: Large box or bag of organic mixed greens/herbs (with lots of color!)
Topping Ideas (Choose your favorites):
Yellow &/or Red cherry tomatoes
Purple Onion
Red, Yellow &/or Orange bell pepper
Broccoli florets
Cauliflower florets
Fat Free Feta Cheese
Dried cranberries or raisins
Fresh Tangerine or Mandarin orange segments
Raw walnuts, almonds or sunflower seeds
Pomegranate seeds (you can find them already shelled)
Diced celery
Cucumbers
Carrots
Avocado
Dressings, example:
-Maple Grove Farms of Vermont brand (NO High Fructose Corn Syrup!)
- Fat Free Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Asiago & Garlic
- Fat Free Vidalia Onion
- Most of this line is safe (and inexpensive!) –check ingredient labels!
Mark my words, this gorgeous, brilliantly-colored, crispy fresh salad will be the hit of the party & you’ll be lucky to take any home! I’ve even had teenagers get seconds!
Simply toss the mixed greens in a very large bowl. Chop the onions, celery, peppers, carrots, etc. PEEL the oranges—not canned! It’s worth it! 
Layer on the toppings of your choice from the above list, or get creative with what you like! Just think of trying to get all the colors of the rainbow into the salad!
It’s best to layer the larger heavier items first, like the cherry tomatoes and veggies. Top with the fat free feta cheese, nuts, & pomegranate seeds (they look like little jewels!) for a gorgeous presentation. Be sure to mix sweet & savory—get the onions AND fruit in there!
Bring two or three healthy & unusual dressing options, like the ones listed above, for guests to choose from. Serve with large salad tongs. Enjoy!
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Here’s a quick outline of how to approach the holidays to get the most enjoyment without unnecessary damage to your health:
BE DEFIANT!
- ENJOY your holiday celebrations
- DON’T beat yourself up!
- FOCUS on family, love, & the joys of the season.
- FOOD is part of the celebration! Don’t deprive yourself! But it’s only a small part—love is the main part!
- REBOUND EFFECT — For every starvation & deprivation diet there is an equal & opposite rebound.
- EAT whatever you want at PLANNED EVENTS
- CELEBRATE Mom & Grandma won’t always be here. Life is short & celebrations are few. Savor every bite of the food they make with love!
- VALUE It HAS to be worth it, or don’t touch it!
- KEEP IT REAL Homemade food has REAL ingredients—MUCH less damaging than storebought processed chemical-filled junk
- METABOLISM In the proper nutritional program, a ‘refeed’ meal will actually help you jump-start your metabolism & drop bodyfat!
FIGHT FOR YOUR HEALTH!
- PLAN
- Mark the parties, celebrations, etc on your calendar
- Choose your battles. Eat your mother’s food. It’s not worth hurting her feelings.
- Stick to your plan! Consistency is the key!
- TRAINING
- Schedule workouts & KEEP the appointment with yourself!
- Crank up the intensity—more calories = more energy!
- Drink TONS of water—shoot for a gallon a day
- ATTACK!
- Go on the offensive—bring your own healthy food to the event!
- Choose the healthiest holiday foods—there are plenty!
- If you get knocked down, don’t be down for the count. Shake it off, get up, & start a new round!
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About Christy Seguin MBA, CPT
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