- Eat Smart: Choose fresh, non-processed food options whenever possible. Before leaving for a party, drink plenty of water, and eat a light snack like raw vegetables or a piece of fruit to curb your appetite. You will be less tempted to overindulge.
- Cook right: Choose one of our healthy recipes for your holiday table. You can watch a demonstration of how to prepare each featured recipe on our website at www.rapidesfoundation.org.
- Get moving: Sneak in any calorie-burning activity you can. Take the stairs, dance, play with your kids, and trim the tree. It may not seem like much, but any extra activity throughout the day will burn calories and relieve stress.
- Sleep well: Try to get 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night. You may be tempted to stay up until the wee hours wrapping presents, but research has shown that constant sleep deprivation leads to weight gain. Sleeping well will keep your metabolism and body running at top speed and efficiency.
- Find joy: Laugh, reflect and enjoy the time spent with the people you love. There’s so much more to the holidays than overindulging.
To give you a jump-start on a healthy holiday menu, the Foundation is featuring several recipes on its website and social media platforms, and in newspaper ads throughout the holiday season. The recipes include: Roasted Red Pepper Walnut Dip; Butternut Squash Latkes; Stuffed Pork Loin Roast; and Chocolate-dipped Nut Bites. As an added bonus, cooking demonstrations for each of the featured recipes with step-by-step instructions on preparing the dishes are available to watch on the Foundation’s website and YouTube channel.
The Foundation can also help you learn how to incorporate simple exercises into your daily activities. Video demonstrations of exercises like chair squats, heel raises, push-ups, lunges and many others are available to view. A challenge calendar with daily fitness and nutrition challenges is also available for download.
All of the recipes, cooking demonstrations, and exercise videos can be found by visiting The Rapides Foundation’s website at www.rapidesfoundation.org, or by visiting the Foundation on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or YouTube.