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(HealthNewsDigest.com) – ‘Tis the season to be jolly, but it’s also the season of eating too much while we make merry! I call it seasonal eating. Seasonal eating is the type of eating we’re likely to do during different seasons, because each season bring different eating triggers. For instance, Summer brings lots of outdoor activities, lots of barbeques and drinking. But there is a season unlike summer or any other that we’re likely to eat more, and we’re smack in the middle of it, the “Holiday Season”, that is!
When I think of the holidays, I think of parties, holiday dinners, champagne, shopping and exchanging gifts. I personally also worry about gaining weight, losing sleep (some studies suggest a connection between lack of sleep and weight gain!), skipping my exercise, spending too much, and feeling a bit stressed in general. Anyone else? If so, let’s take a look at a few of the “seasonal eating” situations (from my year round tips) that we may encounter in this month, so that we can be a little bit more prepared.
Are we sitting in front of the holiday gift basket? I’m sure you know that I’m not referring to a fruit basket here. Eating can be triggered by external cues that are in our environment such as having a delicious Christmas gift basket in front of us in our office or at home. Ever say, I’ll have just one?If we move the basket out of sight, it may not be out of mind completely, but it may help to not to have it in our view (especially if we do keep some fruit nearby too!).
Are we eating on the run too often? Whether we’re running from store to store, to work and then home, this is a busy season. Many of us forget to sit down and eat. If we map out a few specific “eating on the run” strategies so that we’re not at the mercy of last minute choices, we’re more likely to make healthier choices. For example, we might plan a food shopping day at the beginning of the week with a list of possible meal and snack choices for both home and the office. Do we work late often? Let’s map out a plan for snacks we can bring to the office so we don’t go home starving, reach for the candy in the gift basket too often, or go to the party starving only to eat and drink too much. Let’s keep low calorie, high nutrient dense snacks on hand. Hot air popcorn, yogurt (my fav), fresh fruit, high fiber cereal ( take it to go in a baggie), and dehydrated soups are just a few foods that make great snacks even at the office, if we choose wisely (let’s read labels!).
Are we going to the party hungry? Ever save the calories up for the party only to go overboard and eat too much? Going to a party hungry can lead to not only eating our favorite high calorie foods, but as I often hear. it can lead to our even eating foods we don’t like!
Are we making mostly food the focus for celebrating? If we always celebrate by eating, or we mostly focus on the food during special occasions, we are more likely to overeat. I once treated a friend on her birthday for instance, by taking her to a yoga class and massage afterward. Not only did we celebrate her getting a year older, but we both worked toward feeling and looking better! Lastly, if we focus more on sharing time with family and friends during this holiday season, we may not feel the need to eat as much!
“Alcohol is a Liquid Fat” and boy does it pack on the pounds! Party after party even with one drink several nights per week, adds up (do we stop after only 1?) big time on the scale. Fat contains 9 calories per gram, and alcohol contains 7 calories per gram. However, alcohol does not go through the exact same digestive process as fat, so that we wind up taking in as many calories as if we drank liquid fat. Need I say more (I will when I send my “Alcohol and the Holidays” tip!)?
Are we using food as a coping tool ? Family stress, overspending, shopping deadlines, well it can really add up. Sometimes we may not even realize how stressed we are! While we can’t eliminate stress from our lives, we can recognize when we are overeating to cope with it. Certainly, the holiday season brings its own brand of stress even though holidays are supposed to be joyous. Coping tools such as healthy snacks, exercise, talking to a friend, and getting our sleep, can really help without adding the additional stress weight gain can bring later on.
There we have it, some tips to counter “seasonal eating”. I have found that overeating during the holidays is one of the biggest topics at the gym, while we’re trying to work it off (This is if we make it to the gym). While there is no such thing as “perfect eating ” (unless we go live at a diet camp), we can recognize how each season’s environment affects our choices, and then make a few helpful adjustments. The first step is to recognize how this holiday season will affect us as we go through our day, and then make a plan so we don’t have an extra 5 pounds to lose when we make those New Year resolutions. Maintaining our weight does takes work (it does unfortunately for most of us) which requires our mental energy. But it’s worth it, isn’t it?
Here’s to a great Holiday Season!
Follow me Junefit on Twitter every Sunday for a new weight loss tool taken from my book, and follow my blogs at Voskos Greek Yogurt with “Holiday Trade-Off”! Go to http://www.voskos.com/fresh/
June M. Lay M.S.
For further information: JuneFit
Want some ideas for healthy holiday eating ideas for the children? Go to http://www.kidzworld.com/site/p2896.htm
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