The holidays shouldn’t make you feel guilty. It’s a time for giving and a time for sharing, it’s also a time for endless dinner parties with all the trimmings. Food is such an important part of celebration, and no one wants to be focusing on a restricted diet this time of the year. We want to enjoy the same Christmas cookies that we had as a children. In fact, new research shows that while we know the power of a plant-based diet and the benefits of restricting certain “toxic” foods, what can be more toxic is the stress caused when people deny themselves those foods they once loved. That emotional stress can cause more harm to your health than just enjoying those foods (occasionally ).
With that being said here are some holiday eating tips so that you can remain healthy without depriving yourself of all the treats the holidays have to offer.
• Do not go to a party hungry: we often eat faster and more when we are hungry - therefore eat a wholesome breakfast and lunch and a snack before to avoid over eating at the party
• If you are attending a pot luck party, bring a your favourite healthy dish for all to enjoy
• Indulge moderately: no need to skip on your favourite holiday treats, just take small portions and eat slowly; chewing your food well releases satiety hormones to signal a feeling of being full, so savour your food and satisfy your craving without over indulging
• Walk around the buffet table and let your eyes feast first: before eating, see what is being served, start with healthy choices like salads to take the edge off your appetite
• Eat far away from the buffet table, and enjoy conversations without feeling the urge to refill your plate as often. Out of sight, out of mind
• Make a conscious choice to limit foods that are high in fat: anything fried, cream based sauces and soups, cheese-filled casseroles, pies, processed meats, some pastries and baked goods
• Make your own eggnog and bring it to the party to share: traditional eggnog is usually made with egg yolk and thick cream, an 8oz serving of non-alcoholic eggnog has about 362 calories. There are plenty of low fat eggnog recipes on the Internet. Or you can even find soy nog in the health food stores as an alternative
• Try other versions of alcohol: instead of beer, cider, Bailey’s and Kahlua, try dry wine, Bloody Marys or spirits with fresh fruit juices. They tend to have fewer calories. ( FYI: a 5 oz glass of white wine is 100 calories, 12oz beer is 150 calories, a 3oz martini has about 195 calories and a 1.5 ounce of Scotch has 100 calories. As for mixers, juice and pop contain anywhere from 110-150 calories per cup) Calories from alcohol tend to be stored in the abdominal area, and we often watch what we eat and not so much what we drink. When the majority of calories are consumed from drinks, the weight is gained easily
• Drink plenty of water: alcohol, coffee and teas all dehydrate the body and with the extra indulgence during the holidays we need to remain hydrated, adding a little lemon to your water will help support the liver in detoxification, a dash of cayenne pepper and ground ginger will help to alkalinize the blood from all the acidic foods and drinks that are consumed especially this time of the year
• Exercise: Holiday shopping takes up a lot of our time but shouldn’t be an excuse not to exercise while we shop. Brisk walking in the malls will not only get the shopping done faster but also burn tons of calories (an hour of shopping and brisk walking can burn up to 400 calories)
So enjoy the holidays without the guilt, and with the New Year you can get back to eating wholesome nutrient rich foods and incorporate a regular fitness plan once the hectic holiday schedule ends.
Article courtesy of
By Kalayaan Garcia de Vera
and the Philippine Reporter
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