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Spring break, WOOOO! If you are a student, you are currently enjoying a well-deserved break. Whether you stayed on campus, went home, or went to a destination, this time of the year can be VERY challenging to keep ahold of self-control when it comes to eating and drinking. While I think it’s important to enjoy your favorite dishes and drinks (tacos and margaritas?? Yes please!), it’s also important to aim for balance. I’m sure we have all over-eaten/ over-imbibed at one time or another and it’s not great after the fact, right? You feel sluggish, bloated, uncomfortable and unhealthy – not fun. But it’s also really not fun to deprive yourself. Read on for some tips to enjoy all your favorites while also keeping your body happy!

Drink a lot (I mean a LOT) of water.

  • Start your day with a big glass of it and aim to have a glass anytime you eat anything throughout the day. Keeping a water bottle handy helps me to remember!

Start and end your day with some electrolytes. 

  • Make sure to bring pack some Nuun tablets, or keep some coconut water on hand so you are replenishing your body throughout the day if you have overindulged and dehydrated yourself.

Try to abstain from grazing.

  • I know this one is hard with so many good snacks around, but keep in mind that your body needs at least 4 hours to digest food between meals so when you snack, you are overloading your system. If you do want a snack, try to be mindful about it grabbing a small portion and eating it in one sitting rather than a constant graze.

Load up on veggies.

  • When you are serving up, try to fill up your plate with veggie dishes and take slightly smaller portions than you normally would of other foods. If you go out to eat, try swapping a side of carbs (looking at you, fries) for a veggie side. You can always go back for more but odds are you will be stuffed after that first round anyway!

Go small first.

  • When it comes to dessert or trash food, by all means don’t deprive yourself! But take a very small portion first; think 1/2 of a normal serving. Again, you can go back for a little more but try waiting at least 15 minutes after the first portion – you might find that you are satisfied.

Try half pours or wine or beer.

  • Again, I know how easy it is to keep grabbing drinks throughout the day but try to keep your portions to 4-6 ounces (or only 1 drink per hour) and drink water in between each pour!

Practice Mindful eating.

  • We’ve talked about it on here before, but truly focusing on all the flavors, textures, smells, and even sounds of dinner will help you eat slower, eat less, and enjoy it more. Mindful eating goes hand in hand with gratitude too – spend some time while eating to think about where your food came from and how much work went into each step before it got to your plate.

Lastly, enjoy your break!

  • There is absolutely no benefit to feeling guilty about what you’ve eaten or drank. Try to follow these tips but even if you do over indulge, don’t beat yourself up. Go on a walk, drink some warm lemon water, and focus on being present with your friends and family – that’s the whole point after all!

Written by GUADS Staff Member Kate.