Can You Eat On The Run AND EAT HEALTHY During the Holidays? Hauser Diet Says Yes!

We all see them – people wolfing down a donut or a bagel with a cup of coffee as they run to catch a train or while they are driving through traffic. We all do it too! It’s hard to fit in everything that you need to do in the morning. Many people are trying to get up early to exercise, get the kids fed breakfast and off to school, and then get to work on time. The morning is a literal “rat-race” for many people! Now throw in the fact that it’s the holiday season when our “To Do” lists double and are free time is cut in half. With this added stress we will be eating on the run even more than usual!

Do you need to slow down and plan more?
A recent survey by Harris Interactive® found that nine out of ten American adults eat meals or snacks on the go, 60% on a daily basis; and about 26% two to three times per day! This time of year I’m sure those numbers increase, which could be part of the reason that the average person puts on 7-10 pounds between Thanksgiving and New years!

We realize that everyone does not always have time to make food from scratch. We aim to teach you ways to incorporate healthy eating habits into your everyday lives, so you are not tempted to run down to the vending machines or local take-out place. It takes some planning, but it can definitely be done!

To assist people who aspire to achieve a healthier lifestyle despite real-life challenges and time constraints, Nicole and Marion have been working on their new book entitled The Hauser Diet: A Fresh Look At Healthy Living. The busier we get, the more stressed our bodies become. It becomes even more important that we fuel our bodies optimally. We all want to have the most energy that we can, as well as feel good about ourselves. At the same time, we will help provide you with simple snack and meal-time solutions that fit your modern-day, multi-tasking lives. Meals should not only taste great, but be readily available or prepared in a matter of minutes.

Here are just a few tips that you can easily incorporate into your day during this extra stressful period:

• Pack foods nutrient-rich foods such as cut vegetables, a scoop of cottage cheese, a couple slices of fresh meat, fresh fruit, cheese, or nuts. Not only is this healthy, it’s easy to eat. So even if you have to run errands on your lunch break to pick up that last minute gift, these are foods you can eat while you run!

• Protein bars: be careful about these if you like them. Many of them are just glorified candy bars. These bars should not have sugar grams in the double digits. Also, the less number of ingredients, the better…these will be more natural.

• Sweet tooth? Many people tell us that the reason that they stop following a good diet is because they need to eat something sweet. The options available to most people are things like candy bars, donuts, cookies and the like. Consider bringing fresh strawberries or other berries mixed with yogurt or apple slices with a tablespoon of peanut butter.

• Cool drink? Reaching for a soda? Try making some herbal tea, adding a little fruit juice for sweetener, chilling, and then pouring into your water bottle. Or put some Emergen C in your water. This will help give it a little more flavor with very little calories and you’ll get the added benefit of Vitamins and minerals!

What about that Exercise Wagon?
Many adults when asked this question in the survey reported that they try to do things within their daily routines that increase energy expenditure, such as taking the stairs instead of the elevator.

It’s true that taking the stairs burns five times more calories than riding up on the elevator or escalator. But please realize that you need to do more than just that -- that's a small daily addition of physical activity.

We all fight this battle of good versus evil when it comes to nutrition, diet, and exercise. Make it a part of your lifestyle.

Getting healthy, losing weight, staying with an exercise routine are very typical New Year’s Resolutions, but many people fail to stick with it. Make exercise an official part of your day be putting in your calendar as an appointment. This way you can’t double book yourself…just don’t cancel it!

Pick the lesser of two evils!
If you have to eat out, don’t blow it completely. There are always choices that are better than others and there is always a way to stick to your Diet Type. Typically at fast food restaurants getting the grilled chicken salad or sandwich, or a hamburger (and not the quarter pounder!) are your best bets where calories are concerned. Most of the fast food joints sell bottled water too, so skip the pop and the value meal. French fries are not a necessity! This way you’ll not only save calories, you’ll save money.

Help yourself make this holiday season a little less stressful by being good to you. Come January you’ll be happy you did!