With treat-laden festivities on the horizon, it can be a challenge to stay fit during this calorie-ridden holiday season.
At Eagle Ridge Hospital, we follow some simple tips: avoid overindulgence and squeeze in exercise between each celebration.
When you're hosting dinner parties, don't stuff your guests. Provide ample options for vegetables and salads - the perfect accompaniments to your main dish.
Instead of adding significant portions of salt in to every dish, get a bit creative. Try adding fresh herbs and pepper - seasonings that add gusto to your feast and are much kinder to your heart. Salt has been vilified, and excessive consumption may contribute to high blood pressure, a precursor to stroke and cardiac disease. Understanding the associated effects of excess salt intake and taking culinary precautions is an effective way to enjoy this holiday season to its fullest.
But what do you do when you come face-to-face with a rich, decadent buffet?
Scan the options. Take your time. And select foods that have nutritional value. Fill half your plate with vegetables and leafy greens, the other half with chicken and other protein-based items.
Try to avoid attending a party on an empty stomach; have a light snack beforehand. Eating something with sustenance prior to an event will prevent you from making poor decisions.
Eat slowly and stop when you are no longer hungry. The hunger response is driven by a release of hormones that last a relatively short period, so the slower you eat, the fewer calories you consume.
Now for the hard part: boozy holiday splurges.
A flute of bubbly contains 89 calories - something we don't take into consideration when we're happily refilling our glass. In order to burn off this glass of cheer, you would need to walk 1 km in 30 minutes.
Have no more than one alcoholic beverage every hour and alternate it with a glass of water to keep yourself hydrated. Most importantly, never attempt to drive after enjoying a holiday cocktail.
For the morning after, reach for foods with detoxifying compounds that are still delicate on your stomach. Choose a breakfast packed with vegetables, such as my personal favourite: the frittata. Throw in some mushrooms as they include energizing vitamin B, and don't forget to add onions - they have sulphur compounds, which helps to detoxify the liver. And eggs? They provide you with choline, which enhances liver function and propels your road to recovery. Complement your breakfast with a smoothie on the side. Smoothies have plenty of potassium and replenish your electrolyte levels after a night of indulgence.
And enjoying a substantial breakfast will give you the kick you need, curbing any cravings you have for fatty, hangover foods.
More often than not, the holidays are calorie quicksand. Practise a little self-control, pay attention to your diet and respect the well being of your guests - it works magic.
Dr. Mike Mostrenko is a physician at Eagle Ridge Hospital in Port Moody.
