If there’s one thing that we all like about the holidays, it’s the food. Endless cheat days are soon approaching, but that’s not a good thing for your diet. How can you manage a few cheat days this holiday season without completely ruining your healthy eating habits? Here are a few suggestions.  

Spread out your cheat days.

When you have multiple cheat days in a row, you’ll be left feeling terrible. Try spreading out cheat days so that you can keep up your healthy eating most of the time and have the occasional indulgence—you’ll feel better about it and it’s a much healthier approach. You might try making the weekends your cheat days, and sticking to your diet during the week, for example.  

Use healthier alternatives.

Where possible, substitute some healthy alternatives for junk food. Dried fruit chips instead of potato chips, or a piece of string cheese instead of a candy bar, for example. Take a look at our Farmer’s Market Recipes article for some ideas on gathering-ready dishes you can make that are as healthy as they are delicious.  

Keep up with exercise.

If you keep up with your exercise routine, having a cheat day around the holidays doesn’t really set you back that much. Even if you can’t get to the gym, try going on a run or committing to a few small workouts at home. Simply doing some exercises with free weights or some aerobic maneuvers in the living room is better than nothing. 

Don’t be too hard on yourself.

Remember not to be too hard on yourself if you have a few cheat days this holiday season. If not now, when? It’s okay to indulge in some tasty treats this time of year—it’s why you work hard the rest of the year to eat healthily and stay in shape. Sometimes, giving yourself a treat is absolutely essential. And depriving yourself of anything you enjoy isn’t exactly healthy for you, anyway. 

Happy Holidays from Naturals2Go

As the holidays approach, keep your diet and exercise routine in mind, but forgive yourself if you indulge in a few cheat days. It’s the best time of year for it!