Wellness Wednesday: Kristen Taekman's philosophy on being healthy during the holidays

Welcome to Wellness Wednesday! This article is part of a series of weekly wellness stories written to help inspire healthy and happy living in our wonderful readers. Be sure to check back every Wednesday for the latest in fitness, nutrition, natural beauty and lifestyle tips to help you be your best self!

BY MOLLY WINDING

Former 'real housewife' Kristen Taekman, who starred in two seasons of the popular reality television series Real Housewives of New York, is more than a Manhattan mom with a penchant for drama -- she's actually something of a health nut, so we decided to pick her brain how we might try to stay healthy during the holidays.

While Taekman values healthy foods like gluten-free pasta, sprouted grains and low-sugar snacks, she very much adheres to the 'everything in moderation' dogma, especially because she has a pretty big sweet tooth.

"Over the holidays I tend to go crazy," she said. "I eat everything and I just enjoy it. It's such a special time of year."

A generally healthy diet, in Taekman's opinion, means you can let yourself have a treat every once in awhile, which we're obviously in favor of.

"My thing is, if you're craving a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup, like your mouth's watering, buy it and eat it, otherwise you're probably going to eat like three tubs of Haagendasz that night." And she's right -- if you deprive yourself of little treats here and there, there's no doubt you'll end up binging on something much worse for you in the long run.

So what does an average day of eating look like for Taekman? "I drink one to two EBOOSTs a day, and I'm super weird but I like it in a large glass, over ice, with a straw," she said. "For breakfast, I do eggs and toast every single day of my life -- two eggs, usually scrambled or sometimes sunny side up, with a sprouted whole grain Ezekiel bagel." Sounds pretty standard, right? Her next comment may come as a surprise.

"And," she added, "I do butter butter butter, because I'm big on natural fats." Seeing as we live in a rather butter-phobic society, this statement could not have been more refreshing. So she puts real butter on her toast every morning, along with a fruit juice-sweetened strawberry jelly that she gets at Whole Foods.

For snacks throughout the day the former 'housewife' keeps herself going on Ronnybrook coconut yogurt, which helps her feel like she's getting a little bit of a sweet treat.

%shareLinks-quote="Butter, butter, butter" type="quote" author="Kristen Taekman" authordesc="" isquoteoftheday="false"%

"Lunch and dinner varies," she said. "I do salad bar salads with a protein like chicken, or a lot of times I'll just do a peanut butter and jelly like your mom used to make!" She makes the simple sandwich with low-sugar peanut butter, and says it makes the perfect lunch to eat in a taxi when she's in a pinch.

The on-the-go mother of two and fashion blogger keeps it pretty simple: Let yourself have treats, never starve yourself and be mindful of what goes into your body, especially if you struggle to fit workouts in, which Taekman experienced during filming for RHONY. (When she is able to get exercise in, her go-to workout is pilates, which she even did through both her pregnancies.)

Seems easy enough, right? Taekman's approach to healthy living is a manageable one that acknowledges and accepts cravings, running out of time to hit the gym and being on the go. Basically, she's found a way to integrate health into her daily routine in a way that isn't overwhelming and doesn't make you feel bad about life just getting in the way, which it always will.

Check out Taekman's must-have snacks, purse items and workout gear below. See you next Wednesday!

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