5 Tips to Prevent Overeating This Holiday Season
By Nutritionist: Kelly Carter BASc (Hons), CNP
It’s the holidays and now begins the season of festivities and family gatherings. It can also can mean overeating and indulging; from savory turkey to the decadent apple pies, overeating is all too common.
If you are worried about packing on the pounds this Christmas, here are five proven tips for minimizing the effects of your holiday indulgences:
1. Focus on the nutrient dense foods first to fill you up!
• 1-2 cups green or non-starchy vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, green salad, etc.)
• ½ cup complex carbohydrates (sweet potato, carrots, squash, beets, etc.)
• 3 – 6oz protein (turkey, chicken, chickpeas, fish, etc.)
Visually on your plate: ½ filled with veggies, ¼ protein and ¼ starchy carbs
2. Burn some calories the morning of!
It’s not about being perfect – it’s about being proactive! Make sure to get in a workout the day of your festivities. Whether it is going for a brisk walk or strength training at One Health Clubs any sort of energy expenditure will help to balance the extra calories consumed later on that day.
We are more likely to make healthier choices on days when we have exercised because we have already planted the seed of treating our bodies well
3. Be in control of your intake
Plate yourself! If someone else is plating your meal, you have given them the control on food choices and portions instead of what you know will work for you.
Most people think they have to stuff themselves with a ton of food during the holidays. Eat proportionate to how you would normally eat.
4. Bring your own dessert!
This is a great way to keep yourself in check while staying within your dietary restrictions. Some great healthier dessert options are:
• Cinnamon-baked pears
• Black bean chocolate cake
• Joyous Health’s Chocolate Breakfast Bark
5. Skip, or minimize, the alcohol consumption – choose kombucha!
Alcohol contains carbohydrates that we cannot convert into energy. You are better off indulging in another serving of fibre-rich complex carbohydrates.
Kombucha is fermented tea which provides a rich source of probiotics that will ultimately aid in the digestion of your meal!
BONUS TIP: When you’re faced with that big sit-down meal, stop before you get so full that you’re uncomfortable. Chew slowly, savor each bite and really appreciate those special dishes.
Still feeling like you need more direction? Click here for a free 15-minute nutrition consultation with one of our Nutritionists.