 'Tis the season. The season for giving, for celebration and for new beginnings. For many of us it also a time of indulgence. While there is nothing wrong with a treat here and there, for many it is a slippery slope before all nutrition and fitness goals are foregone for the sake of parties, travel and of course all of that intensive Christmas shopping. As a dietitian, I encourage you to go out and enjoy the festivities. After all the holidays come but once a year and then we are left with nothing but old man winter until spring. HOWEVER, if you want to stay on track with your health and wellness goals, moderation is key. But as always I've got you! Below are Erin's Five Holiday Hacks to help you stay on track this holiday season! 1. Portion Control: Detect, Select, Respect Despite what many may thing, we dietitians are not the food police. In fact we are quite the opposite. I have not and will not classify foods as "good" or "bad." While not all foods are created equal, marginalizing them into categories of good vs. bad sends the message that some foods should never be consumed while others can be consumed limitlessly. Neither is true. ANY food can fit within ANY health/wellness/nutrition plan and this is especially so during the holidays. How is this possible? The answer is simple: portion control When faced with a table loaded with all of your favorite holiday foods, use the following thought process: detect, select, respect. Detect refers to surveying and evaluating all of the available food choices before making selections. One tactic for this is called the "Fly-by" approach where you survey the buffet table initially without a plate and once you have decided which options you would like to eat. Select therefore refers to choosing only the foods you want most. Be sure to monitor your portions as this will prevent you from feeling compelled to eat food that perhaps looks better than it tastes and it will also prevent excess calories in the form of large portions. Use the hand guide to the right to estimate measurements on the go! Last, but certainly not least, respect. This has two meanings. The first refers to respect of your own satiety cues. Eat the food you have selected, enjoy it. But before you help yourself to seconds, ask your self it your body truly needs more food. If the answer is yes, then by all means dive in! The second principle of respect refers to respect for the food itself and where it came from. It is not often in this country that we reflect on the the labor hours and location from which most of our food is generated. We are privileged in that it is not something we have to think about. However in many parts of the world this is not the case. So next time you find yourself speaking negatively to yourself or your food choices remember that someone somewhere had to put in work to generate that food, and it was placed there for you to enjoy, likely as a show of love from someone you care about. That is far and away more important than any calories or nutritional content! 2. Moderate Alcohol Consumption Again, as someone who helps keep the wine industry stay afloat, I cannot and will not tell you to abstain from alcohol completely during the holidays. In fact, unless you have an underlying chronic illness that warrants alcohol cessation altogether, moderate alcohol consumption (1-2 drinks per day) has been shown to have positive health effects such as stress reduction, improved sleep and decreased risk for heart disease (1). That said, most alcoholic drinks contain quite a few calories with little to no nutritional value. We call these "empty calories" because while they are contributing to your daily caloric intake, they are not providing your body with nutrients. As with non-alcoholic drinks, it is best to avoid sugary drinks as they tend to be highest in calories (and likelihood of a headache the next day). Stick to drinks such as wine, beer and liquors mixed with either seltzer/club soda or 100% fruit juice. 3. Eat a Small Snack Before Attending Holiday GatheringsIf your goal is to avoid over indulging, it may seem counterintuitive to stuff more food in your face before you even walk out the door. However research as shown that individuals tend to overindulge when we are hungry because the stress signals created by hunger override our impulse control (2). As such we find ourselves consuming not only more food than we need but also foods high in calories (3). Eating a small snack (100-200 calories) that consists of complex carbohydrates and protein can help ward off cravings and keep you on track during holiday gatherings. Here are some snack ideas:
4. Set Yourself Up For Success While Traveling Traveling poses one of the greatest disruptions to our routine. We are often in unfamiliar places, unable to control what types of food are available to us and virtually all forms of travel involve sitting for long periods of time. While traveling presents certain inevitable changes to our routines, there are certainly tactics to help set yourself up for success while traveling for the holidays.
5. Be Your Own Strongest AdvocateCommunicating the importance of your health and wellness goals is crucial to maintaining them. Before traveling to visit relatives, ask them to have healthy snack options on hand and provide suggestions to keep you on track. If you know you will fall victim to a 2 am potato chip craving, ask for chips and other salty snacks not to be kept in the house. Ask family members and loved ones to hold you accountable to your wellness goals. You might be surprised as to how much support you find! And there you have it! Five tips to keep you on track for whatever your holiday season may bring.
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Erin Casey, MS, RD, LDLet's be honest, most dietitians go into the field for one reason: we LOVE food. Check out my weekly posts for recipes, healthy eating tips and goal setting strategies to help you live your best and healthiest life! Archives
August 2022
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