Tips for eating healthy this holiday season
Research shows that most adults will gain weight over the holiday season. So, you make the choice. Gain the weight now and try to lose it next year, or prevent it from happening in the first place. I won’t weigh in on which to choose, it’s up to you.
What I will tell you is that there are tricks to not putting on too much poundage in the next couple of weeks. If you’re interested, read on.
An article on the Cleveland Clinic’s website written by a registered dietician, Julia Zumpano, tops her list of tips with the advice to get moving. “One of the most effective ways to maintain or lose body weight is to engage in regular, sustained aerobic activity. To burn extra calories, turn up your exercise routine throughout the holiday season. If you exercise for 30 minutes a day, increase it to 35 or 40 minutes. If you exercise three times a week, move it up to four or five times a week, and increase the intensity of your workouts.”
Zumpano and I agree that you shouldn’t start an exercise program without consulting your primary care provider first. I’ll add that if you have a pre-existing condition that requires a special diet (i.e. diabetes) that you should consult with your PCP before you make any changes to your eating habits whatsoever.
She said, “It’s okay to cheat just a little.” I’ll tell you to go ahead and cheat as much as you want to, but you need to think about how you’re going to feel when you get on the scale. Maybe you’ll decide it’s better to eat a small portion of Grandmother’s famous pie, and leave off the whipped or ice cream. Or, maybe you’ll indulge and then restrict your calorie intake the next day.
“Controlling even the slightest chance of coming in contact with ‘tempting’ food is one way to effectively reduce your calorie intake,” Zumpano said. You can avoid some of the temptation by placing treats in a less accessible place, not right by your elbow on your desk or on the coffee table in front of you while you watch TV.
Another tip Zumpano offered is to never go to a party hungry. Eating a healthy snack before you leave home can help you refrain from heading straight to the buffet table. I’ll add to drink a large glass of water before you go. Staying hydrated will actually help you feel less hungry and less apt to put too much food on your plate.
If you’re bringing a dish to the party, bring one that’s heart-healthy. I made spinach dip the other night with light sour cream and neither I nor anyone else noticed the difference. The internet is full of how-to recipes.
Don’t hang out around the food table. Mingle. Zumpano said, “Try to stand more than you sit (since it burns more calories), and offer to help clean up (since that burns even more calories!”
And, while we’re talking about calories, let’s talk about alcohol. I can’t count as high as the calorie count in egg nog when it’s laced with brandy or rum. And, even if you eschew the over-the-top drinks, all alcohol has an abundance of empty calories.
Don’t over-indulge. Do not drink and drive. Do not get into a car with someone who has been drinking excessively – you do know there’s alcohol in beer, right? Remember women metabolize alcohol differently than men, so fewer drinks will raise their blood alcohol content faster. Besides not wanting you to end up in jail, I certainly don’t want you to end up in the hospital or worse.
One good tip is to just sip your drink. Make it last the whole evening. Another is to alternate one drink and one glass of water. I might encourage you to eat that last sugar-filled cookie, but I’ll never urge you to drink too much. Do you really want a hangover?
However you choose to eat and drink in the next eleven days is up to you. But, you can rest assured that I’ll give you great advice (nag, nag, nag) for a healthy new year in next week’s column. It’s a New Year’s tradition. Merry Christmas!
Kathy Hubbard is a member of Bonner General Health Foundation Advisory Council. She can be reached at kathyleehubbard@yahoo.com.