Zen Tip #6 - Avoiding Holiday Overconsumption

Sometimes the holidays can be overwhelming, both on your budget and on your waistline. If you are concerned with eating or drinking too much during the holiday season, there are some creative ways around this.

It's easy to overeat during the holiday's so one great tip is to snack on something healthy like fresh fruit or cut up veggies before you go to that holiday party or family get together. The holidays are really supposed to be about the joy of the season, not the foods you eat.

If you work at an office where people bring in food, the holidays can be brutal because every time you turn around, there is another tray of delectable delights.

If you do want to eat some holiday treats, try just taking a small amount. If you're worried about drinking too much alcohol, try alternating between soda water or tonic water and alcohol every other drink. Fancy coffees also have a lot of hidden calories so it's best to limit those or just choose iced coffee or another kind of iced beverage.

If you find that your eating is out of control, you can try preparing some cut up vegetables like mini carrots and celery, and bring them with you to work. You can also try tracking your calories during the holiday season so you know exactly how much you are eating and how much you are burning off. If you do want to eat more calories than normal or you want to indulge in some sugar or something else caloric, you can simply keep track of the calories and balance out the rest of your calorie budget throughout the day.

Some free calorie trackers include Loseit.com, Myfitnesspal.com and Livestrong.com just to name a few. The holidays are also a great time to boost your level of exercise because this will also help you burn off those excess calories.

Some other things you can do to avoid overconsumption is to start drinking fruit and vegetable smoothies and replacing one meal with them. You can certainly juice your own fruits and veggies if you have a desire to, or you can buy smoothies at your local grocery store. Try mixing them with frozen fruit like strawberries or frozen bananas and you will have a thick creamy creation that is packed full of deliciousness. Breakfast is a great meal to swap out with a smoothie because you can drink it on the go. If you want to try a creative recipe, try this one from Dr. Oz.

Dr. Oz's Green Breakfast Smoothie

1 stalk celery

I cup of kale

I Granny Smith Apple

I cucumber with peel

I lime, juiced.

I tablespoon coconut oil

I cup fresh pineapple

8.5 ounces of coconut water

I tablespoon flaxseed

8 ounces of Almond Milk or milk of your choice.

Mix all ingredients and enjoy!

This recipe makes 2 servings, so if you don't want that much, you can cut the recipe in half. You can also try out your own combinations, to see what you like. Having a smoothie for breakfast or lunch is a great way to get all the vitamins you need and to save calories along the way.

If you have a day where you will be consuming a lot of food, try eating light the day before, by having a big salad with some lean protein for dinner.

There are ways to indulge, without blowing your calorie budget, because it's all about portion size and enjoying foods in moderation. Keeping track of your calories is a great way to hold yourself accountable for what you are putting into your mouth. If you find yourself going off track, take a walk or do something physical and you will be able to burn off those excess calories and keep your eating in check.

Most of all, remember to have fun - but to do so in moderation!