Holiday Weight: How to Maintain, Not Gain, this Season

Holiday Weight: How to Maintain, Not Gain, this Season

With everything we have going on this time of year, the holidays can easily turn into a metabolic disaster, leading to weight gain (“the holiday half dozen”), fatigue, digestive troubles, and other related health-robbing issues. We have a lot to do in a short span, so it’s easy to get burned out—which is a risk factor on its own. Meanwhile, we eat too many sweets and high-calorie foods, stay up late, and skip our workouts.   

With the right strategies and nourishing support, you can have your holiday cake and eat it too. By simply planning ahead and prioritizing your mind and body, you can support a healthy weight and metabolism and ring in the new year with a head start on your health goals. 

Eating Mindfully for Weight Management

Meal prepping can be a strategic way to manage your calories, diet, and stay on track with your health goals. Take some time to prepare nutritious meals in advance, and keep them frozen for a week’s worth of food that’s convenient and healthy. Get creative with new recipes for warming soups, stews and vegetables in the winter. If you don’t want to meal prep, or it doesn’t fit with your diet or lifestyle, sticking to natural whole foods, that are rich in fiber and low in sugar can help you stay full and nourished all day long. When you feed your body nutrient-dense foods that keep your blood sugar levels stable, your cravings for comfort foods and sugary sweets are greatly reduced. And when you fill up with high quality nutrients ahead of time, the impacts of sugar and sweets are much less damaging to your metabolism. 

Keeping high-fiber and protein-rich foods like a protein or granola bar on hand is essential for maintaining an efficient metabolism, and overall health. Stock up on seasonal produce and organic nuts, seeds or trail mix to help avoid sugar cravings. One new study suggests that prunes may be the secret to cutting out cravings and avoiding holiday weight gain. The high fiber and low sugar content of dried prunes makes them good choices for preventing blood sugar crashes and helping to keep weight stable.1  

Manage Stress for Healthy Weight

Stress weakens our will power and contributes to blood sugar imbalances, leading to cravings and overindulgences. It also spikes cortisol and fuels inflammation in the body, promoting weight gain and other issues. Practicing healthy stress management can support better digestion and metabolism, and help keep weight in a healthy range. A few deep, conscious breaths at work, in traffic or at the checkout counter can calm the mind and reduce inflammatory stress hormones that impair immunity and metabolic health.  

Taking time to meditate daily, even for just a few minutes, can significantly reduce chronic stress and improve mood, memory, and other areas of health. There are numerous styles of meditation to choose from, but the most important factor is regular practice. Meditation is also shown to support immunity, protect cardiovascular health and improve cognitive function.

Prioritize Sleep and Relaxation

Don’t forget quality sleep. Studies show that poor sleep can contribute to weight gain, inflammation, immune imbalances, and other issues.2  ecoNugenics ecoSleep contains select herbs and nutrients, including HonoPure pure honokiol, to promote healthy circadian rhythms and deep, restful sleep.* When you get the sleep your body truly needs, your gut, brain, and body is fully refreshed and supported to promote healthy metabolism and gut health.

Update Your Workout Routine

Whenever our schedules get overwhelming, exercise seems to be the first routine we abandon. This is especially true in the cold winter months, when energy levels are naturally lower, it’s already dark when we get off work, and cold weather discourages the usual outdoor activities.  

Nevertheless, there are a variety of ways to increase exercise without going to the gym, and short stints of exercise can provide significant benefits. Stretching, walking, yoga, Tai Chi, Chi Gong, mini-trampoline and jumping rope can let you take short breaks that allow you to tune down your stress levels and promote healthy metabolic function, while supporting optimal weight and greater long-term health.  

Supporting Your Metabolism

There are a number of botanicals and nutrients that can help support a healthy metabolism and help you reach your weight goals. ecoNugenics ecoMetabolic is physician-formulated to support metabolic efficiency, reduce sugar cravings, maintain healthy glucose levels, and promote carbohydrate, fat and protein metabolism. With a unique blend of traditional Asian botanicals, functional mushrooms, amino acids and other nutrients, ecoMetabolic offers powerful support for metabolic and overall health, naturally.* 

The holidays can have a way of throwing off our healthy lifestyles. But with a little planning, and extra compassion for ourselves, we can avoid some of the classic holiday pitfalls. Meanwhile, we prime our metabolism and immunity to celebrate greater health and vitality in the New Year.  

 

ecoMetabolic

ecoMetabolic

An innovative botanical and nutrient formula that delivers powerful protection and support for healthy metabolic function and optimal glucose balance.*

Sources:

  1. Harrold, J.A., Sadler, M., Hughes, G.M., Boyland, E.J., Williams, N.J., McGill, R., et al (2021) Experimental studies and randomised controlled trial investigating the impact of traditional dried fruits consumed as snacks on food intake, experience of appetite and bodyweight. Nutrition Bulletin, 46, 451– 467.
  2. Beccuti G, Pannain S. Sleep and obesity. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2011;14(4):402-412. doi:10.1097/MCO.0b013e3283479109