Tips for Avoiding Holiday Weight Gain

The holiday season is upon us and there’s plenty of great food and deserts waiting around every corner. The average person will gain 1 - 3 pounds between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, and that includes our children. We’re all aware that gaining weight creates negative metabolic changes in our bodies that can lead to:

• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• High triglycerides (fats traveling in the blood)
• Increase in your blood sugar
• Increase in your blood insulin levels
• Diabetes

Since these extra pounds tend to be the most difficult to lose, it is critical that you educate and encourage your family to practice healthy eating habits to avoid the worn path to obesity. The holidays should be a time for enjoying our families and making great memories. So, we decided to share some tips and recommendations for you and your children to enjoy the holidays without gaining weight.

Maintain Your Normal Eating Habits

We hear a lot of people talking about how they skip meals during the holiday season so they can splurge at that dinner party or holiday business lunch. This type of selective overeating causes the body’s metabolism to slow to a crawl after such a big feast. Eating your normal 3 meals a day, including healthy snacks, will keep your hunger under control and allow you to enjoy that special meal without overdoing it.

Eat Lots of Holiday Veggies

There are 2 key factors involved with this tip: 1) get creative with your vegetable dishes, and 2) eat veggies and salads at the beginning of your meal. Children, and adults alike, will eat more veggies when the dish is more creative and exciting. You can find some great holiday sides by following this link: https://goo.gl/pm6mBY. Salads and veggies contain healthy calories that curb your hunger and provide essential nutrients to the body, so eat them first.

Small Portions. Eat Slowly.

Your body will tell you when you have eaten too much, or if you’ve eaten too fast. Pay attention to the cues your body gives you and stop eating when you are still feeling comfortable, but before you overindulge yourself.

Get Your Children Involved in Food Preparation

Cooking is fun and it creates a special bonding time for parents and children. Studies have shown that kids will typically eat foods that they would otherwise avoid if they cook it themselves. Younger children can get involved by setting the table or preparing salads. This is your chance to educate your kids on healthy alternatives to typical ingredients. For instance, cauliflower has quickly emerged as one of the most versatile foods and can be used as a healthy substitute for rice and mashed potatoes. An added benefit is that you have another person in the house that can cook a decent meal.

Hopefully these tips and recommendations will help you and your family enjoy the holidays while incorporating a more healthy diet that can be implemented all year around.