Eating For Health

Who doesn’t love going to holiday parties and enjoying all that good food to eat?   But along with enjoying all that delicious holiday food can come some unwanted pounds.   What can you do to enjoy the food but not add on the unwanted weight?   Between mid-November and mid-January, Americans gain about 1-2 pounds.   Not all that much except if one doesn’t lose those couple of pounds and they stick around until the next year’s holiday season.   Some experts think this holiday weight gain is responsible for adult weight creep.   Just a few added pounds a year ends up being many pounds over a decade.   Consumer Reports and others have a few recommendations to help avoid gaining weight over the holidays.   Try out what works for you, even try one of the tips each day. Tip 1:   Know your holiday starting weight – weigh yourself first thing in the morning.   This is your weight goal to maintain over the holiday season.   Then each da...

Celebrate! Parties, dinners, cookie exchanges, buffets, what a fun time of year.   We all want to indulge and enjoy ourselves over the holidays.   How can you be merry, eat and drink this holiday season and not pack on the pounds?   I told my husband that the CommonHealth offered 10 Tips to Avoid Holiday Weight Gain .   He responded, “What are they?   Stop eating?”    Well stop eating would work but that is not one of the tips.    Many others, like Brianna Elliott, RD , also offer some tips on avoiding weight gain during the holiday season.   What are some of their tips?     Hydrate – did you know that if you are thirsty, you are becoming dehydrated?     We are so busy this time of year, with shopping, going to parties, going to chorales, plays, and other holiday events that we may forget to stay hydrated.   The goal of 8 glasses of water a day is still a good one.   Keep some water or hot tea in yo...

Who doesn’t love the holidays with freshly baked cookies, eggnog, boxes of chocolates given as gifts and food buffets galore?   So how does one eat their way through the holidays without gaining 10 pounds?   The Washington Post provided some helpful guidelines in their 5 ways to fight the winter holiday bulge .          1.    Holiday Party - beverages - stay hydrated   Eat something before you go – don’t get to the party starving as you will then overeat.   Try some salad and some protein so you won’t be over hungry at the start of the party.      If cocktails, other alcoholic drinks are offered, have a drink or two.   But alcohol can affect your judgment and then affect how much you eat.   Rebecca Scritchfield, R.D. suggests alternating alcoholic drinks with regular beverages such as sparkling water.   Having ice water is another way to stay hydrated at a party.    ...