How to Have A Healthy Holiday

With all the extra get-togethers and dinner parties filling our schedules, it can be difficult to maintain a normal exercise routine. Instead of canceling workouts to make space for dinner parties, shift your schedule around so that you can still get in some time for exercise.

If you normally work out in the evenings, set aside time in the mornings instead. If nighttime affairs are keeping you up late and it’s more difficult to wake up early, sneak in some exercise over your lunch break.

Disciplined folk can go a step further. If you really want to indulge without worry, add an extra exercise session to your normal weekly routine in anticipation of the extra eating.

Showing up hungry to a holiday party is a surefire way to eat way more than you should—of the deadliest kinds of food, too.

On days that you know you have a party to go to, make sure to eat an extra serving of something healthy for lunch, such as a bigger salad or, instead of rice, some boiled sweet potato. Then nosh on some healthy-but-filling snacks for merienda—such as boiled saba or a hard-boiled egg—to take the edge off your appetite before heading to the party.

We’ve all experienced diving straight into the first dish we see, then seeing our favorite food later in the meal and forcing ourselves to stuff more into an already full belly. Depending on the kind of party you’re at, come up with a game plan for what you will eat that evening to avoid overeating.

If it’s a buffet, take a loop around the table to see what there is and plan out the best way to fill your plate. If it’s a sit-down dinner where food will be served, try to chat up the host and figure out what they have planned so you can hold off on some courses and indulge more during your favorites. One thing you must promise yourself as you survey the dishes: include at least one vegetable dish in your plan.

With so many dishes at these parties, try to maintain the mindset that some food on offer will simply be a waste of calories. Don’t bother with items you can eat any time you want. Yes, pass on the potato chips and have a few slices of queso de bola instead. Weigh the cost on your waistline of the food that you know you can have anytime versus food that you truly love and look forward to all year round.

At the end of the day, what will help you stay healthy during the festive holiday season is learning to stop eating when you’re full. Sounds simple, but when you have titas insisting you should have more lechon at every party, it can be a challenge. Politely but firmly decline the second (or third helping.

Maintaining healthy habits throughout the holiday season and beyond will help you save on a lifetime of medical expenses. But just in case you need it, prepare for future health events with BPI's wellness programs, your health and wellness solution to start living a worry-free life today.

To find out how you can take the first step in living longer, healthier, and better, check the BPI AIA Wellness Series.