A Very Paleo Christmas
Are you concerned that you're going to have to give up your Paleo Diet in order to enjoy the holidays? Don't worry any longer!
First, remember the reasons why you tried the diet in the first place and consider the consequences of reverting. For me, the knowledge that if I eat anything with gluten in it, I will pay dearly via horrible GI pain is more than enough reason NOT to grab a cookie here or a piece of bread there.
That obvious statement said and done, following are more ways to keep seasonal without feeling like you're depriving yourself:
-Host your own Christmas Party and do it early. If you serve a paleo friendly meal (refer to the Thanksgiving Menu, as I find the two holiday meals to be quite similar) and all your guests love it, they may ask you for recipes to include the same dishes at their parties which might be held the following weeks. Then, when you attend those, you'll have options to choose from!
-Keep on top of your healthy eating throughout the day and especially during a day that you've got an event to attend. DON'T arrive hungry! If you've ensured that you've had a nice balance of protein, fat and carbohydrate through the day, it's A LOT easier to pass on holiday items that don't fit the bill.
-Stay creative about ways to be Paleo in a non-paleo environment. If there's a salad option, have it WITHOUT the bleu cheese crumbles and cream-based dressing. If the main course is going to be a pasta, stay focused on the tray-passed appetizer of grilled chicken skewers and crudites plate with guacamole. If it's a traditional seasonal meal, help yourself to sliced turkey breast and some baked yams. Choose some non-alcoholic cider instead of egg-nog to stay dairy free (and save several hundred calories!).
-Bring a Paleo Dish to that potluck you were invited to. Baked apples or poached pears with cloves and a cinnamon stick are both seasonal and tasty!
-Finally, just keep it simple. Continue to make healthy choices as you would during any other time of the year and promise yourself that it's easier to remain Paleo than to pick up bad eating habits, difficult health issues as a result of those bad habits and then to go back to Paleo after all.
Just keep it Paleo to begin with!
Happy Holidays!
