DIET HAPPY ON VALENTINE’S DAY

BY: FITZ-GEORGE RATTRAY

Valentine’s day is a celebration of love, but as they say how can you truly love someone else until you love yourself first?  So, if you are on your wellness journey or your loved one is; here are six tips for your Valentine’s Day romantic meal.

1. Eat clean, healthy and naturally a couple of days leading up to Valentine’s Day and a couple of days after.  All natural whole foods with no processed foods, flours and sugars.  Do not starve or fast, as it will only set your body up for storing the extra calories.
2. If you get candy, take out a sample and give away the rest or put them in the freezer.  If you are giving, choose dark chocolate covered fruits or a fruit basket.
3. Eat lightly around your Valentine’s Day meal.  Don’t deprive yourself, but plan to have one or two lighter meals on the day.
4. Chose tasteful meals filled with nutrients.  Healthy can taste amazing also.  Select your restaurant and meals wisely. Look at the menu online and make your choice ahead of time and stick with your plan.  Prioritize on your protein, colorful and green vegetables and complex carbohydrates, but enjoy whatever you want. After all what you do the other days of the year is many times more impactful than one meal.
5. Avoid filling up on bread.  Fill up on water instead. Ask for a lime or lemon.
6. Drink water 15 minutes before your meal and watch your portion control.  There is no shame in taking home leftovers, and in any case, it’s Valentine’s Day, do you really want to head back home with a full gut?
7. Eat slowly, enjoy your company, after all that is what the day is all about.

Most importantly, don’t wory about an extra pound or two, the extra enriched celebration and eating out foods often contain hidden, or not so hidden, sugars, carbs and sodium. Each of these will cause you to retain water for a day or two.  So, give yourself some love also. Don’t panic and don’t diet spiral your healthy goals out of control. Enjoy the shared experience of this special occasion, guilt free.  

Any sustainable healthy lifestyle will allow you to make good choices and still enjoy special occasions, guilt free.