Christmas is a very exciting time for nearly all of the community, not only can it be costly financially, but it can also be costly lifestyle wise, as people can gain up to 7 pounds (half a stone). This article will explain how we can enjoy Christmas without gaining excess weight. The first and the most important part of Christmas is planning as it can support any possibility of problems, but also it can save money in the long term. An example of this is purchasing the Christmas Turkey. Make sure when purchasing them that there is at least 70% breast in them, as turkey contains less fat than goose and duck. Don't forget the vegetables, including Brussels sprouts, carrots, cauliflower, as these not only can be counted towards the five portions of fruit and vegetables a day, but vegetables are high in Non Starch Polysaccharides (also called Fibre), and are a great source of vitamins and minerals. The food has been purchased, presents have been wrapped, and the wait is now over and Christmas has arrived.
Start the day with a healthy breakfast. People tend not to bother with breakfast, as they feel that they can composite this with extra portions during the Christmas dinner. It is very important to have breakfast as it kicks starts the metabolism but also there is a less chance of unhealthy snacking during the rest of the day. Start the day with a bowl of low sugar cereal, or maybe get in the festive mood with a mixture of unsalted nuts including Brazils, walnuts, and almonds, with semi skimmed milk. Why not have a light snack beforehand? i.e. making low fat dips with low fat yoghurt or hummus? This can also reduce the chances of over eating during the Christmas dinner. Christmas dinner is serving so what should we do to try not to over indulge? Here are more tips that may be useful Eat slowly, as this can help the brain signal you that the body is full.
Take a break before the next mouthful .
Why not go for a walk afterwards to burn off the calories after the Christmas dinner?
Play with the children, after the dinner as this can help burn of the excess calories as well.
It is now time for Christmas desert so what can we do to keep up with the healthy eating? Maybe serve a platter of different types of fruit .
Fruit salad with fromage frais or a low fat yoghurt.
Serve the food on smaller plates rather than large plates, as this can reduce the amount of calories. Don't forget that any food that is leftover can be used another time, as long as:
The food is consumed within two days.
The food is cooled quickly and kept in the fridge.
The food is reheated properly Overall we can have a healthy and tasty Christmas, so eat, drink and be merry Have a good Christmas.
Francesca is a registered associate nutritionist. She can advice on healthy eating, portion control, weight loss, and other healthy lifestyle issues. She has created the programme called livelongrocks, which advises groups and individuals on weight management. The programme has a blog, and a website, which you can follow below:
http://www.livelongrocks.blogspot.com
http://www.livelongrocks.co.uk
if you have any other issues please email francesca on: francesca@livelongrocks.co.uk
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