Making Wellness Part of Holiday Travel

Holiday travel is up this year as many people plan to hit the road or plan air travel. While the Holidays are in full swing, you’ll want to be choosy about what you eat to avoid weight gain. For optimal success, pick a few of these top 20 tips for making wellness part of your Holiday travel plans, whether you're driving just a few hours or taking a major trip this Holiday season. 1. Packing for the trip -Taking lunch and snacks with you makes it more likely that you’ll have the foods and drinks on your food plan. -Taking the right gear helps with keeping up your physical activity (cold weather gear for cold climates; or swim suits, goggles and the like for warm climates; or gym basics for indoor workouts). -Bringing recipes or dishes that are lighter in calories for parties or the big meal means your well armed to avoid unwanted extras. -Packing a food and activity journal is an effective way to keep track of what you do. 2. Staying centered -Rising earlier than the rest of the family can give you time for meditation, yoga, or T'ai Chi. -Avoiding overbooking during a visit can keep stress in check. -Starting and/or ending each day with a brief mental gratitude list can relieve stress and boost your mood. 3. Parties and Holiday meal -Making fruits and vegetables half your plate can reduce the chances of overeating. For ideas Visit: www.MyPlate.gov for ideas. -Eating slowly can give you more pleasure as you eat the big meal. Sitting next to the slowest eater and matching pace makes it easy. -Coming late or leaving early to parties lets you avoid eating all courses. -Skipping foods that look only mildly interesting leaves you room for the foods you love. -Bringing some foods to a party means that you’ll have access to what's on your food and drink plan. 4. Eating out/away from home -Avoiding all-you-can eat restaurants can help reduce the likelihood of overeating. -Creating small gatherings, when possible, and you may eat less. The more people eating together, the more each person tends to eat. -Asking the waiter to box up half the meal before it's served, if you've ordered an entree, assures that you act on good intentions. -Avoiding calorie snack traps can make a big difference. Example, a large 350 calorie Mocha Coffee plus a large 500 calorie blueberry muffin adds up to 850 calories. That's 75% of the day's calories for a woman on a 1200 calorie a day plan. 5. Starting or keeping up your physical activity routine -Taking a walk will reduce stress, help work off a meal, and elevate your mood. -Making physical activity a family event with active in-door games, dancing, or basketball adds to the fun. -Visiting the local community center, gym, and sign-up for a day or weekly pass and you can stay on top of your game. -Checking out these videos will give you more ideas for stepping up your physical activity by visiting here. Best wishes for a safe and joyous journey wherever you travel this Holiday season.