Today is St. Patrick’s Day, a holiday that celebrates St. Patrick, the foremost saint of Ireland – although this holiday is much more well know for its parades and festive food and drinks. It is a fun and cheerful holiday that is celebrated by all people, but because of its emphasis on food and drinking especially, it can be hard for us who are eating clean to stay on track. Here are some ways to help you stay clean and enjoy the holiday.

Keep it simple – If you don’t plan on celebrating big, keep things clean and simple. You don’t have to skip the holiday, there are smart ways to celebrate. Start your day with a green omelet, packed with your favorite veggies like spinach, broccoli, peppers, asparagus and more. Or try this Shamrock Protein Shake: Blend 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk, 1/2 cup fresh spinach, 3 tbsp fresh mint, 1 frozen banana and 1 scoop vanilla protein powder. It’s a healthy shake with a fresh twist. Keep going with the green theme and include the traditional cabbage in a green salad for lunch with lettuce, cabbage, avocado, cucumber and more. You can go even further with the colors and make a vegetable pizza or vegetable platter like the Irish flag using broccoli, peppers, cauliflower, carrots, snap peas, mushrooms or any vegetables you choose:

Pay Attention to Drinks – Drink in moderation. Unless it is your Cheat Day™ alcoholic beverages are still one snack each. This means that 4oz of wine, 1oz of alcohol or 2 light beers are each a snack. Make sure you are drinking plenty of water.

Choose Your Cheat Day™ – Since St. Patrick’s Day is on a week day, some people might not celebrate until this weekend. This can be tricky because it extends the holidays and makes it hard for us to stay clean. Choose your Cheat Day™ wisely and stick to it.

Enjoy the Celebration – If you have the time, a St. Patrick’s Day parade is a great way to get the family out of the house and doing something fun and active together. If you drive to a parade location, try and park a couple blocks away and enjoy the walk.

Be Safe – This is our most important tip for everyone today whether you are all out celebrating or just trying to avoid the chaos. No matter how safe you plan to be, today is a day where you should be extra careful. Many people will be drinking and celebrating in large crowds, so just be careful when going out, watching a parade and driving home.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

Innovation Weight Loss and Fitness

8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY 11797

469 7th Ave Manhattan, NY 10018

With St. Patrick’s Day tomorrow, we wanted to share some healthy tips to keep in mind whether you are celebrating tomorrow, over the weekend or not at all. It seems as though everyone becomes Irish during this holiday, but even if you don’t feel the need to celebrate there are still some things you can do to stay safe and healthy. 

1) Don’t go overboard with festive foods. For those who don’t know, corned beef and cabbage is the traditional meal for St. Patrick’s Day. Corned beef is high in fat and sodium and if you choose to enjoy it as part of your St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, use the tasting method. Start with just a small portion just to taste it. Unless tomorrow is your cheat day this week, there are other ways to celebrate without loading up on corned beef. Cabbage, on the other hand, is full of nutrients such as fiber, calcium, magnesium, vitamin A and vitamin K. As long as it is prepared cleanly, you can embrace this St. Patrick’s day tradition. You may also come across Irish Soda Bread, a traditional Irish bread that is made with baking soda as a leavening agent instead of yeast. This food will also be best enjoyed with the tasting method unless it is your cheat day. Another thing to watch out for is food coloring. You will see a lot of foods dyed green – frosting, drinks, cookies, dips, pasta, bagels, and anything else you can think of. While having a little more food coloring than usual isn’t harmful, there are plenty of ways to get festive with food without artificial food coloring. There are plenty of green fruits and vegetables that would make great snacks or appetizers such as cucumbers, green peppers, grapes, honeydew, peas, salad, kale, apples, pears, celery, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, green olives, avocado, asparagus, green tea, cabbage and much more. 

2) Drink in moderation. Unless it is your cheat day, alcoholic beverages are still one snack each. This means that 4oz of wine, 1oz of alcohol or 2 light beers are each a snack. Make sure you are drinking plenty of water. 

3) Watch a parade. If you have the time, a St. Patrick’s Day parade is a great way to get the family out of the house and doing something fun and active together. If you drive to a parade location, try and park a couple blocks away and enjoy the walk. 

4) Be safe. This is our most important tip for everyone tomorrow whether you are all out celebrating or just trying to avoid the chaos. No matter how safe you plan to be, tomorrow is a day where you should be extra careful. Many people will be drinking and celebrating in large crowds, so just be careful when going out, watching a parade and driving home. 

Have fun, be safe and Happy St. Patrick’s Day! 

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

Innovation Weight Loss and Fitness

8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY 11797

469 7th Ave Manhattan, NY 10018