Just think about it: The creamy and rich hot chocolate in a festive holiday cup, or the enormous servings of turkey, ham, potatoes, green and red dyed frosting on your favorite sugar cookies, gingerbread houses. And Pillsbury dough Christmas Cookies! With all of these delicious foods on the table, it is easy to let go of that healthy diet you may have been working on. Goodbye summer bod. Although tempting, there are many tips and tricks for staying healthy over the holiday season. There are many Prep students who are passionate about healthy choices and staying fit, even during the holidays which seems practically impossible.

Senior Liv McAuslan is an amazing athlete, and with soccer season coming up, she knows she needs to stay healthy over the holidays. Liv is a vegetarian because of environmental reasons and has her own Instagram page based off of healthy foods and substitute protein options she uses (@livinaplantlife). She said, “I created this Instagram page to hold myself accountable and also to help other people see how feasible it is to be a vegetarian while also being a high-level athlete. A lot of people have this stigma that vegetarians don’t get enough protein because most people’s main source of protein is from meat, so I’m trying to show that that doesn’t have to be the case.”

Some of the things Liv ’20 does to stay healthy over the breaks are, “Over the holidays, I had a little bit of a break from soccer practice so for the four days I had off, I ran Green Lake one day and then I ran the Turkey Trot 5k on the other day. I think it’s good to have a break from soccer practice and pushing yourself really hard, so working out only twice over the break was totally okay.“

Not only does Liv work out, she also makes sure she is choosing healthy foods to stay feeling happiest and at her best. When asked about healthy foods, she said, “Healthy food options are basically just foods that will give you enough nutrients and aren’t super processed, so a good balance of veggies and fruits in comparison to carbs. For protein, I get a lot of protein from tofu, beans, quinoa, other whole grains, etc. and also getting good fats is super important for energy if you are trying to not eat as many carbs, so fats from avocado, nuts, I eat a lot of peanut butter, etc.”

Lastly, some easy tips Liv gives for staying healthy are, “to go outside, go hike or go run just so you are staying active and also catch up on sleep! I like to sleep in, but also sleeping in super duper late makes me feel groggy and kind of gross, so I like to be up at like 10:00 ish if I can sleep in and eat a good breakfast/brunch.”

Liv says that you don’t need to skip out on all of the fun desserts, it is ok as long as you are staying active!

Another student not only eats healthy during the breaks to stay fit but also works out which helps him to stay healthy and feeling refreshed. Junior Isaac Trius said, “Over the holidays I try to keep a good balance of healthy food and unhealthy foods. I especially stay away from empty calories. I try to plan a run before my meals. This creates an appetite for before I eat, and then I try to get in as much exercise as I can when I have free time.”

Some last tips on how he stays strong-willed against the temptations of the holiday treats and feasts and tries to stay healthy over the break is, “I think it’s important to just keep a good balance throughout the break and consistently stay healthy so that you’re ready to integrate yourself back into the school schedule.“

With the holiday season in full swing, it is important to keep our bodies healthy and happy, and with some of these tips and tricks, anyone can do this while still have some yummy holiday treats. Have a happy and healthy holiday season Prep!