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Dec
17
Written by:
adminsophia
12/17/2009 1:14 PM
It's that time of the year again - we are inundated with more party invitations and opportunities to treat ourselves than at any other time of the year. We gather with our loved ones and make merry! For many of us, celebrating at this time of year is synonymous with over-indulgence and is often followed in the New Year with pangs of guilt and resolutions to do better this year. The question many of us have is; 'Is it possible to survive the Holiday Season without culpability in January?' Believe it or not, and I know how difficult it is to imagine, but you can enjoy the Holiday Season without weight gain being a foregone conclusion!
Here are my Top Tips that will help you navigate the Calorie-Laden Minefield of the Holiday Season:
1.Never go to a party hungry! We invariably eat more when we're hungry and the options at the party are less likely to be healthy. Therefore, I would recommend having a healthy, satisfying snack before going to the festivities. Try some toasted soya nuts with mixed berries and low fat yoghurt: to supply a slow release of energy without any hunger pangs!
2.Plan your indulgences - we all have our own favourite foods that we are likely to be tempted by, and that's okay - it is the Holiday Season and we are meant to have fun. However, don't eat just for the sake of it - make a mental note on what you will allow yourself to have and stick to it. I did say have fun! I didn't say let go to total abandonment - a slice of cake is great, the whole cake is plain greedy! Remember, although some foods are more fattening than others, no food will make you fat unless you eat too much of it! Variety is the spice of life and I am always an advocate of a balanced and varied diet; at party time when over-eating is almost de-rigueur, it is much easier to eat lots of different things, than just a lot of one item. This is because we have satiety triggers for each food group - so even if we fill up on protein (think a big juicy steak) we might still crave some carbs (I'm talking some seriously artery-clogging profiteroles here). So you might find it helpful to fill up on something that will satisfy your hunger, fill your stomach and stop you from grazing - something starchy like pasta or a potato-based dish is good for putting those hunger pangs to bed.
3.Enjoy your food - and by that I mean be aware of what you are eating and take the time to savour it. If we eat without paying attention, it is all too easy to overdo it! Remember the last time you were at the cinema with a bucket of popcorn, were you surprised when you came to the bottom, wondering where it had all gone? Sometimes the opening credits are still rolling!
4.'Oh no! I'm such a glutton! It's useless, I might as well give up to temptation; I'm destined to be fat forever!' - If you recognise this sentiment, you are not alone. However, it is useful to remember that in order to put on 1kg in weight you need to exceed your calorie requirements by 7000kcals. So one night of gluttony is not the end of the world - just take it easy the following day to restore the balance.
5.Alcohol - is a party a party without a Dionysian element? Alcohol not only lowers our inhibitions, thereby allowing us to make unwise choices, it is also highly calorific! Choose long drinks such as wine spritzers or a spirit with tonic - but make sure that the mixers are diet. This has a two-fold benefit: dilution of the alcohol lowers consumption of the dreaded calories and lo-cal fizzy drinks fill us up - leaving less room for that extra slice of cake! However, if you are going to indulge in a little libation, please take note: any calories from food will be stored, as the calories from alcohol cannot be stored (when was the last time you saw a fat alcoholic?). The Flatt Hypothesis explains: the energy from macronutrients is used preferentially; alcohol, as a toxin cannot be stored and as such its energy is utilised first. Next we have proteins, which once metabolised release ammonia, another toxin; once again the body cannot store the energy from proteins directly. The 3rd macronutrient to be metabolised is carbohydrate and lastly fats, as both these are easily stored.
Therefore, if you drink alcohol, any extra calories from fats and carbs (e.g. cheese and biscuits) are going to be stored, whilst the energy from alcohol is used. So, if you simply can't resist a little (or maybe a not so little) tipple, go for lean proteins (think chicken breast, salmon) or crudités (without the fattening dips) to eat with it. That way you are less likely to store those extra calories.
Try implementing these tips over the holiday season and hopefully you won't have to shift any unwanted gains in the New Year.
However much we hear about achieving/maintaining a healthy weight being a simple equation of 'calories in, equaling energy out', it is not as simple as that. Controlling your weight is a multifactorial task; not least being aware of why we make the choices we make and then having strategies in place to help us cope when we find ourselves in a situation where we are likely to make those unwise choices. This is where a dietitian can help - if you find that you are unable to shift those extra pounds, despite being pretty nutrition-savvy, then make your New Year's resolution: to enlist the help of an expert!
Happy Holidays!
Christian Lee is Head of Nutrition at The Body Clinic, Urban Retreat, Harrods
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