surviving the holidays

Here are a few quick tips for successfully cheating the holiday weight gain.

Calories Count - Whether its a football game at friends, a holiday buffet or the big family party, you have to be calorie wise. Take a few of your favorite foods and learn the calorie pitfalls. One I see at the office is trail mix. Nuts, raisins and a little bit of chocolate doesn’t seem so bad, but 1/4 cup (less than a handful) can be 150 calories. While watching the football game, switch your normal potato chips to Kettle Brand Baked chips. My favorite is the Black pepper--Pepper is good for digestion too. You can get as many as 22 chips for that same calorie range (120 in Kettle’s baked chips). Another slippery slope is the cheesy, gooey, creamy dips that accompany so many appetizers. Skip the chip and use vegetables for dipping. If you really love your dips at least you are not adding 100 calorie crackers to the count. You may even substitute Old London melba toast rounds. They are flavored and have only 60 calories for 3 big tastes.
Push the Protein - When you start grazing, carbs alone with give you that sugar high and drop-- meaning you will be hungry for more. AND your spirited beverages act as carbohydrates on the body and will also give you that rush. Therefore, to stabilize blood sugar and keep your tummy full, opt for protein bites. Skip the little bun on the tenderloin sandwiches and chose cocktail shrimp when available. For under 200 calories you can eat 36 medium cocktail shrimp and even if you add the cocktail sauce at 15 calories a tablespoon, you’ll still be on track.
Don’t Deny Desert - At this holiday time of year, it’s even harder to skip the treats, so leave that to the other 10 months! But, beware and chose smart. Cut the pie into a 1/3 or half slice to skim calories or add International Delight’s new line of 40 calorie creamers to your coffee to indulge in a little treat. Remember fruit pies are lower in calories than cream, pumpkin and even pecan. My favorite is adding those flavored creamers over berries. I get all the sweet and creamy flavor together.
Chew Gum - For every party, keep a pack of gum in your purse. Chewing gum helps freshen your breath, so you will be ready for kissing under the mistletoe. And research shows that chewing gum can help reduce the craving for snacking. My favorite is Wrigleys Five blue gum- I don’t leave home without it.
Sleep over Exercise - Now don’t use this everyday, but surely you will want to get the minimum amount of sleep during the holidays - 6 hours. If it’s one or the other I recommend choosing sleep. Sleep helps regulate the hormones leptin and gherlin that aid in maintaining your weight and regulating appetite. Even a little exercise can go a long way, so if you can sneak in 20-30 minutes that can offset a few hundred calories.

Enjoy the holidays and remember to stand over sitting, better to give than receive and smile rather than frown- keep the wrinkles away!

Tips for healthy eating

here are a few easy suggestions:
- Eat at least three times a day
- Eat protein and carbohydrate combinations
- Fat is good for you and necessary for utilizing your fat stores, aid in nutrient absorption, nerve transmission, and maintaining cell membranes, but keep them monounsaturated ( like walnuts, almonds, and avocados), as well as polyunsaturated ( like salmon and fish oils, safflower, sunflower, corn and soy oils.)
- Minimize your packaged foods intake and when choosing those foods look for ones that are fortified with additional supplements your body needs like calcium, omegas, iron, Vitamin B, etc.
- Read the labels. Look for serving size, calories, protein, carbs and fat grams as well as fiber which will give you an indication of it health value. When choosing, tortillas, breads and grains look for at least 3-4 grams of fiber per serving. Not all foods are created equal. Reading the label also helps to understand how much protein you are getting.
- Aim for 80-100 grams of protein a day, 25-35 grams of fiber and at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables everyday.
- Try incorporating super foods like: Fish, nuts & seeds, soy, garlic, pom or acai berry juices, tea, mushroom yogurt, cocoa, ginger, pepper, cinnamon, and lots of fruits and vegetables into your diet. (especially berries, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, melons, tomatoes and kale)
- Avoid empty calories. Empty calories could be classified as high in calories and low in nutrition lacking in macro-nutrients (proteins, carbs, fats) and micro-nutrients (vitamins, minerals, antioxidants)
Be aware of sodium intake, especially if you at risk for high blood pressure, by keeping your sodium intake less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day.
- Think before you eat and weigh out your choices. Just by switching from a “want or crave” response, you will turn on different neurotransmitters in your brain to help you stay on track.