The Holidays are approaching quickly and may times along with this come many parties and unhealthy eating habits. The average person gains seven pounds between Thanksgiving and New’s Year. And as people get older it becomes harder to lose the weight after the New Year because our metabolism slows down.
So I listed helpful ways to help maintain your weight during the Holidays!
1) Do not stop exercising. We all need at least one hour of exercise five times a week just to maintain our weight.
2) When drinking alcohol do so in moderation. Wine is fewer calories than beer. Limit your alcohol intake to no more than 2 drinks two to three times a week. Alcohol has empty calories and a lot of sugar which can cause inflammation and has been associated with an increase risk of breast cancer and prostate cancer.
3) Watch your portion sizes appetizers may not be very filling and can have a lot of calories especially if they are creamy. Healthy appetizers can include goat cheese and rice crackers, olives, hummus, pates, baked corn chips with salsa and guacamole, veggies with a yogurt dip, baked kale chips, veggie chips etc. Be careful with your cheese and nut intake since these foods tend to have a lot of calories.
4) Drink at least eight to ten glasses of water a day to stay hydrated. Dehydration can cause fatigue, headaches, dizziness and can cause us to eat more.
5) Bake healthy deserts by putting one fourth of the amount of sugar in the recipe or substituting a natural sweeteners such as agave, stevia, honey, apple juice and 100% maple syrup.
6) Make sure you eat in a relax atmosphere and chew your food thoroughly. When under stress many people eat quickly without even realizing what their eating thus do not get full. Each bite should be chewed twenty times for proper absorption and digestion.
7) If you spurge one night the next day exercise and eat a little less such as soups and salads.
8) Veggies tend to be low in calories for soups stick with chicken and veggies, chili’s or other vegetable soups. Creamy soups and salad dressing are loaded with calories.
9) Have your guests bring a healthy appetizer, main dish or desert. Create a Healthy Thanksgiving Theme etc. Healthy should not be boring. Use fresh spices for flavorings instead of heavy cream sauces.
Try to relax and not get too stressed. People tend to eat more in stressful situations. So remember to Breath.
I hope everyone has a wonderful Holiday Season!
Deborah Wiancek, N.D.
