15 Tips for Eating Healthy During The Holidays

For many of you resisting all of the luscious treats during the holiday season may be challenging. With all the family gatherings, parties and sweet treats in the office it is easy to succumb to all the temptations and eat every thing in sight. With a little planning it is possible to enjoy some of your favorite treats without gaining a lot of extra weight.

Eat several small meals during the day: Do not starve yourself all day trying to save calories for that special party or dinner. You will arrive at the party or dinner famished and eat more in one meal than you usually eat for the whole day.

Exercise before you go to the party: You are less likely to over eat and undo all your hard work.

Do Not Deprive Yourself: If there is food that makes you drool at just the thought, enjoy a small portion and savor every bite. One of the reasons diets fail is because they make you feel all the foods you love are forbidden.

Be picky about the foods you indulge in: If this is  the only time of the year you have home made fudge, just enjoy the fudge and not the chocolate chip cookies you have all year long.

Eat slowly: It takes 20 minutes for your brain to send the signal to your stomach that it has received food. Allow your fork to rest on your plate after each bite, chew, swallow, then pick up your fork again. When You wolf down your foodyou are more likely to gain weight and have digestive problems.

Move around at a party and talk: You can not talk and chew at the same time; you may even make new friends.

Knowledge is power: It is easy to under estimate how much we eat, especially in today’s world of super size meals and big gulps. Become familiar with correct portion size and calorie count of your favorite foods. A 7-ELEVEN Big Gulp is 400 calories and has 208 grams of sugar; that is equal to an extra meal and 1/2 pound of sugar.

Be aware of incognito calories: Avoid healthy vegetables and salads swimming in heavy sauces and dressings. If eating out ask for thr dressing and sauces on the side. Take your fork, dip it in the dressing or sauce and drizzle over food.

Do not drink more calories than you eat: It is easy to consume more calories than you think you have if you are drinking eggnog or a sugary punch. Drink a red wine, even better, drink a red or white wine sprizer.

Avoid fast food by creating your own fast food. Cook two meals at once and freeze one, make your own TV dinners with leftovers. Slow cookers are great because you can throw 4 or 5 ingredients in the pot and have a hot meal waiting for when you get home from work.

You do not have to clean your plate: Restaurants often serve at least double portions. If it really upsets you to leave food on your plate ask for a doggy bag. There is not a starving child in the world that is going to benefit because you eat more food than you need.

Never underestimate the power of water: Approximately 55% of your body is water, food contains water, when you are thirsty your body may send a false signal that you are hungry. Always have water available.

Avoid the snowball effect: If you overeat one day just get back on the track the next day; one day of overeating will not pack on the pounds.

Keep a Food Diary: This may be the most important thing you do in your battle not to over eat. An extra bite here and there can add up to an extra serving maybe even an extra meal. The purpose of a food diary is more than to just record the food you eat it helps you to focus on why you are eating. Are you eating because you are hungry, just because it is there or maybe there is an emotion that lead to your reaching for food.

Category: Nutrition