Fighting Holiday Bulge
12 Healthy Ways to Survive a Holiday Eating Frenzy
1. Exercise: Most people have a little extra time available over the holiday season when they are not at work. Take this opportunity to develop a regular exercise regime. This will help to burn off the excess calories and fat consumed over this period. It will also get you into the habit of exercising, and you can continue the regime after the holiday season is over.
2. Review your cooking methods: These days there is no excuse for not utilizing the many healthy ways in which food can be prepared. Instead of frying, grill your food. If you’re roasting, use one of the many available low-calorie spray oils. Try steaming vegetables to retain nutrients and flavor.
3. Invest in lower fat ingredients for cooking: If you’re preparing a big dinner, why not use half-fat ingredients whenever possible? It is often difficult to tell the difference where taste and flavor are concerned. You can even get low-calorie beers, wines and soft drinks. By simply swapping regular ingredients, foods and drinks for their half-fat alternatives you can make a big cut-back on fat and calorie consumption.
4. Eat regularly: If you are going to a big party or dinner, don’t starve yourself all day in anticipation. You’re in danger of arriving there feeling ravenous and eating everything in sight. Instead, have some low-fat, healthy snacks throughout the day. By doing this, you’ll be less likely to over-indulge whilst you are out.
5. Prepare for outings: If you have some big nights out and meals planned over the holiday season, try and compensate by having some healthy eating days leading up to the event. Many of us are only too keen to think that we may as well forget about healthy eating over the holidays. However, it should not be a case of forgetting about your diet, but simply managing it a little more carefully over the holidays.
6. Balance your meals out: Don’t be tempted to fill up your plate with purely rich, calorie-laden food. Instead, have a little of everything including fruit and vegetables. This way, you’ll still get to indulge as well as receive valuable nutrients and vitamins.
7. Be wary of sugary foods: Always remember that rich, sugary foods have a nasty habit of making us crave yet more rich and sugary foods. We’ve all been there…over-indulging in sweet or rich food…feeling bloated, sick, and making rash promises to never eat again…and, a couple of hours later, finding ourselves back in the kitchen, picking at leftovers. By ensuring that you practise healthy eating over the holidays, and throw in some form of regular exercise, you can expect to have more energy and fewer cravings.
8. Stock up on healthy snacks: When you go shopping, be sure to throw some healthy snacking items in to your trolley. Fill up on raw vegetables, such as carrots or celery, which can make a simple snack in times of temptation.
9. Be aware of food allergies: It is quite possible that you may have an allergy or intolerance to a food, which you may not even be aware of. Because there is a mountain of food waiting around every corner during the holiday season, we sometimes find ourselves gorging on food that we don’t even know the ingredients of. Then we wonder why we’re feeling so ill the next morning! By having a food allergy test, you can identify any foods that you need to avoid during the holiday season in order to maintain your health and enjoy the festivities without suffering.
10. Moderate alcohol intake: Don’t forget that alcohol is fattening too. That innocent-looking glass of sparkly wine or that small bottle of beer may look as though it will do no harm. However, alcohol contains calories—and lots of them. Try and control the amount of alcohol you consume over the holiday period and, in the same way as food, try not to over-indulge regularly. There are plenty of lower-calorie beers and wines available that can help, so opt for the healthier version whenever possible.
11. Be assertive: Don’t feel as though you have to say yes to everyone that offers you food and drink. If you are not hungry, then simply say so. Do not let yourself be bullied into eating something that you really don’t want.
12. Leave what you don’t want: Despite what your parents may have drummed into you as a child, don’t feel obliged to clear your plate. When you feel full, stop eating. Simple.
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SPICE UP YOUR FOOD AND REV UP YOUR METABOLISM
by Matt Luxton
For a very long time now, Far Eastern cultures have used spices to flavor to their traditional dishes. These spices were also thought to have a therapeutic effect—and they do, as many studies have confirmed. Some spices have been proven to contain antibacterial properties; these include cloves, chili, horse radish and pomegranate seeds1. Often used to preserve food, these strongly flavored spices also aid digestion by triggering saliva and gastric secretions.2
Spices, such as chili, cayenne and paprika; garlic and certain leaves such as basil, bay leaf, oregano, rosemary, sage and tarragon are also known to contain B complex vitamins and minerals, which aid the digestion and breakdown of foods into energy used by the body, assisting the health of the nervous system. More recently there has been a growing wealth of research supporting the regular intake of spices in the prevention of heart disease, diabetes3 and cancer4 and also in the reduction of blood pressure.
Antioxidants and spices can be found in our fruits and vegetables. They are the result of phytonutrients, which can only be sourced from plants. These antioxidants are anti-inflammatories as well as anti-toxins and are believed to reduce menopausal symptoms, most noticeably hot flashes.6
I love to use cinnamon to flavor my foods naturally. Cinnamon is a powerful antioxidant, and combined with blueberries in an omelet, it makes a great breakfast/brunch.
Recipe:
3 eggs
2/3 banana
1/5 cup of blueberries
Teaspoon of cinnamon
Instructions:
1. Combine ingredients
2. Blend until there are no lumps
3. Heat pan/griddle
4. Pour in contents and brown both sides
Job done! This takes me 5 minutes.
Here are some spices you may wish to consider adding to your nutritional plan:
ROSEMARY—reduced free radical damage, produced when the body’s cells utilize oxygen and thought to aid cancer prevention.
SAFFRON—anti cancer, used to treat skin conditions, aids depression and helps prevent insomnia and indigestion.
GARLIC—a cracker for reducing blood pressure and cholesterol. And it’s believed to be great for fighting off colds!
CINAMON—my favorite! This spice has been shown to reduce blood sugar levels, crucial for the prevention of diabetes and essential for fat loss—and many people report benefits to their digestion and in the prevention of colds and allergies.
If you are interested in improving your health, head over to this link, and you will find over 150 recipes for great, wholesome foods, which fit 100% with my Hit and Miss Nutritional Plan, available to download for free from my website (www.fa-fitness.co.uk).
1.Minakshi, Amit Krishna, A. B. Banerjee Antimicrobial screening of some Indian spice. 1999. Phytotherapy Research. Volume 13, Issue 7, pages 616–618.
2. Rivlin , R.S. (2001). Historical Perspective on the Use of Garlic. Journal of Nutrition. Volume 131: Pages 951S-954S
3. Alam Khan, MS, Mahpara Safdar, Mohammad Muzaffar Ali Khan, Khan Nawaz Khattak, Richard A. Anderson. (2003), Cinnamon Improves Glucose and Lipids of People With Type 2 Diabetes. Diabetes Care, volume 26 , no. 12 , pages 3215-3218
4. Wiston, C.J. (1999). Health-promoting properties of common herbs. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Volume. 70, No. 3, pages 491S-499S.
5. Jacobs,D.R. & Steffen,L.M. (2003). Nutrients, foods, and dietary patterns as exposures in research: a framework for food synergy . American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 78, No. 3, 508S-513S
6. Bodinet, C. & Freudenstein, J. (2004). Influence of marketed herbal menopause preparations on MCF-7 cell proliferation. Volume 11 - Issue 3 - pp 281-289
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