Lose holiday weight

It is not a myth. Most of the Americans actually gain around a pound of additional weight, during the holidays. But, what concerns is that weight gained over the winter period isn’t lost during the rest of the year.

Risks

This undesired yearly addition may over time cause destructive consequences to the health. Obesity increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, hypertension, high triglycerides, low levels of “good” cholesterol (HDL), metabolic syndrome etc. However, even the mild holiday lifestyle moderations may help prevent accumulating excessive body fat.

Tips to stay slim at Christmas

The most important is to keep away from appetite boosters. Four “great white hazards” are white flour products, white rice, white potatoes and sugar. Everybody should try to avoid them as much as possible.

It is excellent to eat whole grains and beans because they provide long-lasting feeling of fullness. Bean salad is the perfect alternative to potato salad, brown rice to white rice, 100% grain pastry instead of the white pastry.

Certain beverages contain a lot of calories. Soda, fruit juices, caloric mixers and other sweet drinks affect the weight in two ways: liquid sugars provoke the excessive excretion of blood glucose and insulin that are responsible for the increased appetite; furthermore, liquid calories provide no physical mass in the gastro intestinal tract, which is a dominant appetite suppressant.

A lot of water or unsweetened tea will help to mask the feeling of hunger. When turning to alcoholic drinks, it would be the best to choose wines, light beers or spirits with non-caloric mixers.

Proteins are often called “nature’s diet pill”. Protein digestion provokes more prolonged blood glucose levels, leaving the feeling of fullness and energy. Perfect holiday meal should include a lot of poultry, fish and shellfish, beans, wild game, soya, nuts and seeds.

The order in which one takes food could also do the trick. It is advisable to eat foods that have lots of bulk but few calories, first. This should suppress the appetite and prevent the fattening.

Vegetables and fruits should fill two thirds of the holiday plate. One should go for big tossed salads and a couple of servings of vegetable dish, before turning to the main meal.

It is advisable to eat regularly, at least three meals a day. Avoiding food for several hours may lead to low blood sugar levels. That actually slows down the metabolism annulling all of the previous positive effects on diet.

A healthy snack before the party – a couple of nuts, raw vegetables or an apple – will suppress the feeling of hunger and make you eat less.

Regular physical exercise increases the muscular structure and being more muscular boosts body’s energy needs. It is a perfect protection for all of those willing to keep up in the good shape. Family walk, exhaustive holiday shopping, house cleaning or a yard work are all excellent ways to exercise.

Craving for sweets shouldn’t be suppressed. Instead of the standard unhealthy sweets one may choose fresh fruit salad, a cup of real hot cocoa or a piece of dark chocolate.

Everybody should have enough of sleep in order to preserve health and good figure. Late-night partying is a risk because lack of sleep increases cravings for junk food such as: sweets, chips, breads, and pasta.