8 Ways to Eat Clean This Fall So You Can Go Ham During the Holidays
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When the holidays arrive, the last thing you want to think about is dieting and eating clean, right? While it's nice to find healthier and lighter options to your favorite holiday treats, this season is a brief part of a long year, and it's nice to just take part in the once-a-year indulgences.
If you're still stressed about the effect it might have on your health (and weight-loss progress), we have some tips on how you can head into said season of decadence with a little less worry. Here are a few ways to clean up your diet NOW so you can feel free as a bird when you're sipping eggnog and scooping mashed potatoes.
- Get Your Digestion in Check. Certain Fall foods can actually debloat and aid in digestion. Get your body feeling regular with turmeric, celery, and even miso soup. You can also try to add in probiotics and eat fermented foods to give your gut health a boost.
- Eat in Season. Take advantage of the health benefits of Fall produce and flavors with healthy Fall recipes that will give you an energy boost while keeping your diet nice and clean.
- Sip All the Tea. Heat up tea when the weather gets chilly. It'll benefit your health in so many ways, in addition to offering a cozy comfort. From losing weight to clearing your skin to helping you debloat, there's not much tea can't do. Not a big tea person? Try fun flavors like pumpkin chai or strawberry rhubarb parfait (two of our favorites!).
- Use That Slow Cooker. Save time with your clean-eating endeavors and celebrate the season by making healthy slow-cooker recipes. Because eating clean doesn't always mean eating salad.
- Drink More Water. Give yourself reminders to drink more water. It'll not only keep you feeling fresh and energized, but it can also mitigate unnecessary eating (sometimes we confuse dehydration for hunger and eat when we really should just sip some more H2O).
- Avoid Hidden Sugars. We're guessing that if you're going to eat sugar, you'd rather have sugar in a delicious pastry or dessert than hidden sugar in dressing or spaghetti sauce, right? Read your labels and choose wisely so you can feel better about your sugary holiday indulgences.
- Greens, greens, greens. Now is the time to add in more vegetables and get the nutrients you need so you can head into Thanksgiving and beyond with your nutrition on point. Add vegetables to your breakfast, experiment with new kinds you haven't tried, and decorate your plate with an assortment of colors to reap all the health benefits. You'll thank yourself later in the season when you're on your third helping of your aunt's prize-winning mac and cheese.
- Get Moving. OK, so this one is less of an eating tip, but a postmeal brisk walk can be one of the best ways to burn calories and will help your body digest, too!