By Staff Writer: Marissa VanDaelen

Our bodies are always trying to do the best for us. When you have a cut, your blood cells rush to heal it. When you’re cold, your body is trying its hardest to keep you warm. When you have a fever, your body is fighting to stop your temperature from rising too high. When you eat, your body digests your food and turns it into energy for you to use. Our bodies do so much for us and we should return the favor by doing things to support it.

A huge way to support our bodies is by maintaining a healthy diet. Maintaining a healthy diet can be especially challenging during the winter months and around Christmas time. Even though there are many temptations with food around the holiday seasons, it’s important to still be cautious about what you eat.

A healthy diet doesn’t necessarily mean losing weight. Healthy eating is beneficial for anyone. However, losing weight is a huge reason why people go on diets and people can easily get off track when holidays come along.

Losing weight can be difficult for anyone. Some people are willing to do whatever it takes just to drop some pounds; even if what they do isn’t healthy. It’s very important to make sure, even if you’re not trying to lose weight, that a healthy diet is sustained.

Dieting can be tricky for beginners and even for people who have dieted for a while. There are always new things to learn and more healthy tips that are introduced over time.

According to WebMD, drinking plenty of water or other calorie-free beverages is the number one tip to a healthy diet. Several people confuse thirst with hunger so they end up eating extra calories when water is really what they need.

“I drink water almost constantly. I think it’s better to not drink bottled water also. I drink purified water from my kitchen and I rarely drink things with caffeine,” senior Rachel Sigety says.

Additionally, WebMD suggests thinking about what can be added to your diet rather than thinking about what can be taken away. You should focus on getting five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables each day. The more fruits and vegetables that are eaten, the better it is for you. It will make you less likely to overeat because they displace fat in a diet. Sweets are practically a necessity for Christmas, but no one said you couldn’t have some fruits and vegetables too.

“My mom is crazy about having a lot of fruits and vegetables since I have two younger siblings, but it’s nice because I like them and we don’t even eat too unhealthy around Christmas,” Sigety says.

Additionally, eating several mini-meals during the day can help you lose weight or maintain your diet when you feel the need to. If you eat fewer calories than you burn, it will be that much easier for you. Around holidays, eating several mini-meals could be a very beneficial tip for you. According to obesity researcher Rebecca Reeves, studies show that people who eat four to five meals or snacks per day are better able to control their appetite and weight.

Eating protein at every meal is essential for maintaining a healthy diet as well. Protein is more satisfying than carbohydrates or fats. Getting enough of it helps preserve muscle mass and burns fat while it keeps you feeling full. If you eat more protein around the holidays, it will be much easier to keep your diet in place. According to protein researcher Donald Layman, diets higher in protein and moderate in carbs, along with a lifestyle of regular exercise, have an excellent potential to help weight loss.

According to chow.com, you should try to eat as many foods without labels as possible. If foods don’t have a label, that means that they haven’t been chopped up, chemically altered, or messed around with in factories. That makes it much better for you to take into your body. Whole fruits, vegetables, and bulk grains are perfect to stock up on. Try to get plenty of foods without labels around the holidays because if you’re going to be eating more than usual, it’d be smart to make sure you’re using the healthiest possible items.

“My mom buys a ton of food without labels and things that are all low on fat so we eat pretty healthy for the most part,” Sigety says.

Keeping a food journal can truly increase your ability to keep up a healthy diet too. Keeping a food journal will serve as a reality check for what you’re truly eating, not what you’d like to think you’re eating. Keeping data in a food journal around Christmas could definitely help out. It will help you control what you’re eating. You can also keep track of external stresses to see if it contributes to any changes in your eating habits.

No matter what, you should always try to eat healthy. Healthy eating nourishes your body and will help prevent health problems that could occur from unhealthy eating.

“Healthy eating is always in my house and it’s definitely good for anyone. I still like to eat healthy even around holidays because I’ve been doing it for so long. It’s basically routine for me now. I think if people eat healthy for long enough, it just becomes easier and you don’t have to think about it as much,” Sigety says.