How to eat healthier this holiday season

With Thanksgiving around the corner, a Wisconsin woman who has tackled her weight challenges offers tips on enjoying holiday eating without going overboard.

Amber Clemens dropped 160 pounds a few years back and recently took to TikTok to share her top four strategies for handling holiday feasts. Once trapped in a cycle of binge eating, Clemens now hopes to help others break free and find peace with food during the festive season.

The first tip Clemens offers is to focus on moderation in daily life. She suggests incorporating small amounts of trigger foods, like sweets, into regular meals rather than completely avoiding them. She swears this trick helped her curb her binge eating habit.

“The game-changer for me was making room for those foods every day, or at least pretty often,” Clemens explained in her video.

Clemens’ second recommendation is to slow down while eating. She explains that eating too quickly can lead to overeating before feeling full. Her advice matches up with what scientists have found about how we eat. One study from 2013 showed that people who chewed their pizza longer ended up eating less overall.

Clemens also suggests not putting holiday foods on a pedestal. Clemens reminds viewers that most holiday dishes can be made year-round, reducing the pressure to overindulge during festive periods.

“Remember, these dishes aren’t anything magical - you could whip them up any time of year if you really wanted to,” she pointed out.

Clemens drives home the importance of being kind to yourself. She reminds people not to feel guilty about the occasional splurge, saying that the road to better health isn’t always smooth.

“It’s OK if you make mistakes — forgive yourself, move on, and we try again tomorrow,” Clemens advised.

She advises this as the holiday season is ahead, and most people usually tend to overeat. And here’s a surprising fact: the average American eats around 3.4 pounds of candy on Halloween night alone!

Clemens promotes a balanced approach to holiday eating, encouraging people to enjoy food mindfully without strict rules. Her message resonates, with more than 922,000 followers on TikTok tuning in.

Health experts urge us to stay mindful of our food choices this holiday season. They emphasize enjoying holiday treats while maintaining balance with your health goals.

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